My dog has vestibular disease. How long will he stagger & walk around in circles? Is it stressful for him?
He is also restless. We don't want to give up on him but he looks pitiful and sometimes he falls and stays there for quite awhile. He still goes outside to potty and is eating well but doesn't sleep well. That started before the thyroid medications.
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- In a nutshell, the vestibular apparatus is the neurological equipment responsible for perceiving one's body's orientation relative to the earth (determining if you are upside-down, standing up straight, falling, etc.) and informing ones eyes and extremities how they should move accordingly. This condition IS more common in dog with hypothyroidism, but that may or may not have an effect on your dog, specifically. Idiopathic Vestibular Disease (IVD) is the most common form in dogs and cats. I'm assuming this is the form your dog has, so my answer is based on my knowledge of that form of Vestibular Disease.
Some common signs/symptoms of IVD include:
-Ataxia (lack of coordination without weakness or involuntary spasms - in other words, stumbling and staggering around)
-Motion sickness
-Nystagmus (back and forth or rotational eye movements. The movements will be slower in one direction. This is the side where the neurologic lesion is likely to be; however, nystagmus is named according to the direction of the fast component, meaning there may be left nystagmus, but the lesion is probably on the right side of the vestibular apparatus.)
-Circling
-Head tilt (usually toward the side of the lesion)
-Falling to one side (usually toward the side of the lesion)
-Trouble with other nerves controlling the head and face
In order to determine what path to choose for your dog's well-being, you must first determine the cause of the IVD. Middle ear infection is a likely possibility for vestibular disease, especially if the patient has a history of ear infections. When an otoscope is used to visualize the external ear of an animal with vestibular disease and debris is seen, this would be a good hint that there is infection in the middle ear as well. However, just because debris is not seen in the external ear does not mean that a middle ear infection is unlikely. Special imaging of the middle ear bones may be in order. The most accessible way to evaluate the middle ear is with a special set of radiographs called a "bulla series" (named so because it focuses on an ear bone called the "tympanic bulla"). If the bulla appears abnormal, the ear may require surgical drainage. The problem is that radiography is often not sensitive enough to pick up damage in the middle ear and a normal set of films does not rule out disease. In these cases, special imaging such as CAT Scan or MRI is better (rather expensive option, though). These imaging techniques, however, allow imaging of the brain tissue itself (which radiology does not), thus allowing brain abnormalities to be evaluated as well.
Brain tumors can be a cause of vestibular disease if the signs fit with a central lesion. In these cases, special imaging as mentioned above is needed to make the diagnosis. Such tumors may be treatable depending on their location.
So you must assess the cause of your dog's Vestibular Disease, decide (with your vet, of course) what treatment option(s) is(are) best, and what you can afford.
Good luck!
- My dog was also hypothyroid and did develop vestibular disease - in fact she went through two bouts of it - the second milder than the first. The good news was that all the symptoms did subside within a few days. If he can stand to go potty and he can eat, his case is actually quite mild.
He basically just has a bad case of vertigo. His head is spinning and he just doesn't feel great. It does go away on its own.
My dog did end up being deaf for several months after her first bout but did gradually regain her hearing. She had a pretty severe bout, much worse than your dog's it sounds like. Deafness is a possible side effect but does not occur in most dogs.
Don't give up on him. It looks terrible but it is self-limiting and the vast majority of dogs recover fully.
It is more common in hypothyroid dogs but mine was on medication when she developed it. The vet should also check for ear infections which can sometimes tip it off. In the meantime, make him comfortable and he should be much better in a few days.
- We had a dog that had a similar sounding problem. He had a
stroke and was dizzy for a year or so afterwards. Maybe if you could make a bed for him so that he is kind of propped up, that may help. Our dog had some health problems, but was a happy fellow. He lived eleven years after the problem started. The one thing that seemed to help, other than time, was fish oil.
- Is he on thyroid medication now? Was he checked for an ear infection or does he have a history of chronic ear infections?
What reason did the doctor give for him to have gotten vestibular disease? Was it hyperthyroidism?
With medication, he should be back to normal within 2-3 months. Don't give up on him. He doesn't understand what is going on and might be a bit edgy or out of sorts. Some extra love and attention will help him along, as will giving his medication as prescribed by the doctor.
Any other questions should be directed to his veterinarian.
Lots of luck to you both.
- My beardie had it and eventually had to be put to sleep because of it. According to my vet, there's no way to predict - some dogs can go months between episodes and be fine. My boy never had an episode lasting longer than 4 hours, however, they started coming really close together so we had to make the decision to let him go. It is stressful for them, they're very dizzy and disoriented and of course, can't understand what's happening to them. It's not painful, though which is the one good thing. You'll know when your dog's no longer able to enjoy his life - that's when you have to make the right decision. Hope he'll recover and be ok for a long time yet!