My dog is in a coma. Is recovery possible and what are the chances?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry that this is happening! Yes, necropsy's include a full exam off all tissues including the brain. Any abnormal tissue is sent for biopsy. I would have it done at a lab like Antech or Idexx or at a Veterinary School. It is very likely that he is brain dead if his pupils are dilated and he isn't breathing on his own. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear that your pet suffered such a traumatic event. Brain trauma is quite serious and the prognosis (chance of survival) of your pet can only be evaluated and determined by the vet who physically examined him unfortunately. We cannot make that determination, but we can tell you that brain trauma is crucial in the first 24-48 hrs and if his mental and neurological functions are still intact (once he is un-sedated) and if they can control any intracranial hemorrhage before it has permanent nerve damage, then prognosis is promising for a potential recovery. Keep Monster hospitalized and continue to inquire about your pets current condition so that you are informed on his progress every step of the way.

I am so sorry that your pet is so ill. It is impossible to know if the state of your pets condition without a physical examination here so please get Davy to your vet right away. Your pet has to breathe and have a heartbeat in order to be considered to be alive. I do hope that Davy is going to be ok moving forward. Best of luck and take care.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to Cookie - I hope she is recovering well in the ICU! This is very normal for dogs to show little reaction when their owners visit, especially if they are on numerous medications, including pain medications. These medications can make them very drowsy and "out of it", so they aren't acting their normal selves. There is always a component of confusion too - because they do not realize that being caged in a strange new place away from home (i.e., an ICU) is for their benefit so they can heal and come home. I think Cookie just needs a little more time to heal and wean off some of her medications, and she should get back to her usual loving self! I hope this is helpful.

I am sorry to hear you are going through this with milo. Just like in humans the brain is hard to predict. I have seen patients get better slowly after these types of episodes but I have also seen them not recover. I do get worried about permanent brain damage. I think you will know if it's time to put him to sleep. If he is not making any improvements in a day or two speaking with the veterinarian about his quality of life might help.

How big is your dog? The bigger your dog is the more likely that she will be ok. Keep her in a safe, quiet, dark room where she cannot hurt herself. She may vomit, which could result in aspiration pneumonia if she's too comatose to control her airway. (If she vomits, she could suck some vomit down her airway into her lungs resulting in pneumonia). In a worst case scenario, she could stop breathing due to the severe depression of brain activity. Her blood pressure could also drop dangerously low which could potentially cause kidney damage. If you are absolutely unable to get her to a vet for financial reasons, just keep her in a safe environment away from noise and lights. I'd give it a 50/50 that she may be just fine; however, the other 50% obviously is concern that she may suffer severe complications which could potentially include death. She should start to improve over 12-24 hours but it could take upwards of 2-3 days to be back to normal if she recovers well. If you are able to find a way to afford getting her to the vet, your vet can treat her with IV fluids to help maintain her blood pressure and help speed up metabolism of the THC. They can give her anti vomiting medication to help reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia, and they can treat with medications to help support heart rate and blood pressure if her heart rate is dangerously low. Best of luck, I hope she does well.

Dogs are often not themselves 100% after recovering from anesthesia, this can last up to 24 hours at a certain degree, i wouldn't be worried as long as he isn't too lethargic, appetite can also be affected. if you are concerned please contact the vet responsible for the anesthesia for further instructions.