The exact treatment depends on the severity of the illness and what kind of vestibular disease it is. Also, because they’re so dizzy, they need to be watched constantly or they could seriously injure themselves. If the disease is too far progressed or the dog can’t get better, some dogs have to be euthanized. But after a few minutes, he’s mostly fine.īut unfortunately, it’s not always so benign. Mosby still gets a bit dizzy sometimes, and while it’s never been a good idea to leave him out in the Texas heat for too long, it’s even more imperative than ever that we bring him in within a few minutes or he’ll slip, slide and stumble his way to his water dish.
VERTIGO IN DOGS FULL
Most dogs make a full recovery, though some may continue to have minor neurological issues, like a persistent head tilt or wobbling when they shake. The disease is very common in older dogs (in fact, some people call it “old dog” vestibular disease), but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen to younger dogs, too, especially if there’s some sort of congenital defect. There are also two types of vestibular disease, peripheral (when there’s irritation to the nerves that connect the inner ear to the brain) and central (which is less common but much more serious and originates in the central nervous system).
Make sure your vet takes a look and helps you decide whether the wait-and-see approach is an option for your dog. It may or may not clear up if you do nothing. The first thing you should know is that it’s usually treatable, but it can be very dangerous, and these symptoms aren’t unique to vestibular disease, so a “wait and see” approach is a mistake.
So if something goes wrong, the dog’s entire world turns upside down (and back again, then upside down, then back again). The vestibular system is comprised of portions of the brain and ear, and it is what helps your dog maintain its sense of balance. How long had this been building up in my poor baby’s ears? About canine vestibular diseaseĬanine vestibular disease, often called idiopathic (arising from an unknown cause) vestibular disease, is really terrifying but generally very treatable. You would not believe the gunk that came out. The vet technician asked me to hold him down (not that it was necessary… he couldn’t have fought back if he wanted to) while she cleaned his ears out with a saline solution. The problem occurs when water stays in the ear (ever had swimmer’s ear?). Turns out, that’s wrong (and that it’s not uncommon for even vets to have that misconception). In fact, I was once told (by his first vet) that the amount of water that got into his ears during a bath was plenty, and that he’d get out what he needed to himself, but under no circumstances should I put fluid in his ears. I always thought it was bad to clean your dog’s ears.
How did they know without a CT scan or MRI? They looked in his ears. I was told Mosby’s symptoms could be related to infections, tumors and other conditions, but they had settled on canine vestibular disease as the cause. I was expecting to hear the word “stroke.” That’s what took my childhood dog, and I’ll never forget the symptoms. I gently put him in his crate and took deep breaths all the way to the office to avoid speeding or blowing through a red. I explained the situation to the vet’s assistant, and she asked me to bring him right in. I picked him up and held him in my arms while fumbling to call the vet (to be honest, I damn near called 9-1-1 but caught myself in time). When he did make it up, he was stumbling, his eyes were twitching in the sockets and his head was cocked so far to one side, it looked like something out of a horror movie. But he could barely get up the 6-inch step up to the porch (one he usually blows past like it doesn’t exist). Mosby’s a Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix and almost 15 years old, but he’s always been extremely agile. About an hour later, I let him in after hearing him bark - and was met with the most terrifying sight. It was a beautiful day outside - the kind of mild weather we seldom have in Texas - so I let him stay out as long as he wanted.
A couple of months ago, I let my dog out in the morning as usual.
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