Post by dun4u on Dec 18, 2008 15:57:36 GMT
If your dog ever has an attack of vestibular syndrome - don't panic or fear the worst.
My old JR suddenly keeled over the other evening and I thought he'd had a stroke. He was struggling to stand up and looking very frightened. His eyes were shooting from side to side. I thought I'd lost him. I managed to get him to the vets straightaway and the lovely man put my mind at rest immediately.
He said that he had had an attack of old-dog vestibular syndrome which is caused by something to do with the inner ear sending the wrong message to his brain, whereupon he loses his balance, a bit like vertigo. He explained that although it looks absolutely awful, they usually recover, almost completely.
He put him on the floor where he was falling about then righting himself while he had a good sniff at all the other doggy smells. The vet said that nature would compensate the balance problem in the affected ear by strengthening the other and adjust accordingly. I should let him find his own sense of balance and not pick him up when he falls over. He should be OK in a few days, he said, though he might carry his head to one side.
Well, by bedtime he was completely back to normal. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never had known there had been anything wrong with him. He doesn't carry his head to one side though sometimes he staggers sideways, but not to any extreme.
There is no treatment, as such, just TLC.
One thing, I've learned - if it happens again, which I truly hope it doesn't, then I shall know what to do and not rush him to the vet. That'll save me £25 consultancy fee!!
This is just to let anyone know what to expect if they think their dog may have this. From start to finish it lasted only about 3 hours, but of course it could vary from dog to dog.
This is Pip taken on one of the few days of sunshine which we had last Summer!
My old JR suddenly keeled over the other evening and I thought he'd had a stroke. He was struggling to stand up and looking very frightened. His eyes were shooting from side to side. I thought I'd lost him. I managed to get him to the vets straightaway and the lovely man put my mind at rest immediately.
He said that he had had an attack of old-dog vestibular syndrome which is caused by something to do with the inner ear sending the wrong message to his brain, whereupon he loses his balance, a bit like vertigo. He explained that although it looks absolutely awful, they usually recover, almost completely.
He put him on the floor where he was falling about then righting himself while he had a good sniff at all the other doggy smells. The vet said that nature would compensate the balance problem in the affected ear by strengthening the other and adjust accordingly. I should let him find his own sense of balance and not pick him up when he falls over. He should be OK in a few days, he said, though he might carry his head to one side.
Well, by bedtime he was completely back to normal. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never had known there had been anything wrong with him. He doesn't carry his head to one side though sometimes he staggers sideways, but not to any extreme.
There is no treatment, as such, just TLC.
One thing, I've learned - if it happens again, which I truly hope it doesn't, then I shall know what to do and not rush him to the vet. That'll save me £25 consultancy fee!!
This is just to let anyone know what to expect if they think their dog may have this. From start to finish it lasted only about 3 hours, but of course it could vary from dog to dog.
This is Pip taken on one of the few days of sunshine which we had last Summer!
