Attention All Dog Owners and Lovers

[roadman]

https://www.rock-hill.carolinavet.com/site/blog/2020/11/27/treatment-vestibular-disease-in-dogs

We just experienced what the Vet industry desribes as Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome with our almost 14 year old English Springer Spaniel. This condition can happen in cats too. It arrives all of a sudden and it frightens dog parents into thinking maybe it's time to put them down.

The symptoms are a tilted head, eyes that go up or down/left or right, dizzyness, falling off balance, no desire to eat or drink, etc..... It's basically a middle ear infection that throws their balance out of whack.

I tried to give our dog her pill with peanut butter and some bread, but she wouldn't take it, very unusual. Next, she circled twice some rooms in our house and wound up by the door. I took her out and she didn't make it down the stairs, everything came up that she ate that day and she vomitted a few more times that night. She was very restless that evening.

Most dogs will recover, but you need to have patience. Our dog will have the tilted head and she isn't eating dog food, yet. She is eating human scraps, hamburger and rice don't appeal to her, it appear on the surface she likes food that has more of a smell to it. Dogs survived by eating scraps from the table before dog food was invented, but we are going to try bone broth next. She didn't go for vegetable broth with her dog food, so, we will keep trying.

I am putting this out there because there are not dog or cat manuals out there anyone gives you, it's learning by experience. We took her to the Vet and they said it could be this, but take her to a Neurologist to get to the bottom of it. My wife and I decided against that because of her age. I was mad at our Vet, no blood test, no anti biotics and no anti-nausea pills, I had to suggest the anti nausea medication. Another local Vet told me dogs normally recover in 3 to 7 days and with our experience, our dog wasn't fully recovered in that time frame, but she was on the road to recovery. The second Vet said she had to put her dog down after the third time she experienced this.

If you know your loved ones have experienced this, please feel free to add to the thread. All experiences are great to share.

[KSUowls]

Re: Attention All Dog Owners and Lovers

Thanks for providing this info. Hope your dog gets well soon.

[PVarck31]

Re: Attention All Dog Owners and Lovers

This is exactly what happened to my dog Charlie last year. He was diagnosed with Cancer last January (2021). But then about a month and a half later, he all of a sudden had a head tilt, was dizzy. He fell down a few stairs and scared me so bad. He didn't wanna eat and drank less. We figured it was his time.

My wife took him to the vet to be put down and it was so hard for me I just couldn't go. I even wrote a post after she left with him on here about how we had to put him down. Then my wife called me and told me it was a form of vertigo. And the vet gave him meds and she brought him home. It was the biggest roller coaster of emotions I had ever felt.

He ended up living another couple months or so and finally the cancer was causing him breathing issues and it was really time. So yeah, from personal experience, I know exactly what you're dealing with.

I just miss him so much. I've never been closer to an animal in my whole life and I grew up with dogs. It will be a year on May 6th. Ahh I'm sorry for bringing the mood down. But I just wanted to second this, because we dealt with it. He was 15. And he was loved every day.

One thing I might suggest, take a small canvas, put some non-toxic paint, a few colors in a few spots. Cover it with plastic wrap loosely, put something on top that your dog might want to lick and let him lick it. It will create an abstract of mixed colors and it's like a painting. A forever reminder of your pup. Sometimes I look at Charlie's and tear up. But it was worth it.

I wish you, your family, and your pup the best.

[tinpanalley]

Re: Attention All Dog Owners and Lovers

https://www.rock-hill.carolinavet.co...isease-in-dogs

We just experienced what the Vet industry desribes as Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome...

Thank you so much for sharing this. Best of luck to your dog. She's clearly in a very loving home which makes all the difference to their quality of life.