Your vet will work with you to rehabilitate your dog to regain their balance over several weeks. Usually, vestibular disease is treated with medications like antibiotics. A biopsy may be suggested if a polyp or tumor is found inside your dog’s ears to determine if the growth is cancerous.īelieve it or not, this is very uncommon.
An X-ray may be suggested to rule out physical damage to your dog's ears.⁵Īdditional testing - such as digital imaging like an MRI or spinal tap - may be required if your dog doesn’t have an infection. Your vet will conduct a physical examination of your dog's ear to determine which area is affected.⁵ They may take blood samples, ear samples, and other specimens to rule out infections and viruses. How Is Vestibular Disease in Dogs Diagnosed and Treated? If symptoms don't begin to improve after 72 hours, this may be a sign of something more serious.³ Luckily, vestibular disease typically goes away on its own after a few days. Does your dog love to ride in the back seat, but suddenly begins experiencing motion sickness? Are they lying on their belly to drink from the water bowl? These could be signs of vestibular disease. Squinting or another abnormal eye positioning.Tilting of the head, which can range from slight to extreme.You should take them to the vet for a proper diagnosis if your dog displays any of the following⁴: Luckily, it's not nearly as severe as any of those conditions. The symptoms of vestibular disease are easy to spot, but the disorder is often mistaken for a seizure, stroke, or brain tumor. What Are the Symptoms of Vestibular Disease in Dogs? Luckily, vestibular disease is not life-threatening, and symptoms typically go away as the vestibular system heals itself. It's often referred to as "old dog vestibular syndrome," since it's more common in older dogs, but the disease can occur in dogs of any age and breed. Sometimes it can be attributed to ear infections, a reaction to certain antibiotics, or head injury.³ Some dogs seem to have a genetic predisposition for the disease. Vestibular disease is often referred to as idiopathic, meaning the cause of the condition is unknown. When the vestibular system functions correctly, your dog can run, jump, balance, and live an action-packed life. Vestibular disease affects your dog's inner and middle ear sensory receptors, which maintain an animal's balance.³ Vestibular structures send information to the brain about where the body is in space - whether it's moving, standing, sitting, leaning, or falling. Here’s what you need to know about vestibular disease in dogs. Dogs who do not fully recover from vestibular disease can usually adapt to the head tilt and other symptoms, and continue to lead a good life.One minute your pup is fine, then without warning, they circle, tilt their head to the side, stumble a few steps and collapse onto the floor. Luckily, dogs that are nursed through this disease usually recover within a couple of days to three weeks. You and your dog may be referred to a veterinary neurologist for evaluation and treatment. If your vet suspects that your dog has this disease, it's likely that he or she will conduct an ear examination and diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your dog's behavior. Inner ear infections can also cause dizziness and nausea and certain cancers can affect the brain and inner ear, which can cause your dog to display symptoms that mimic those of idiopathic vestibular disease. If you suspect your dog has this condition, it's important to have him checked thoroughly by your vet.
If your dog is afflicted with this disease, you may have to administer food and drinking water by hand.ĭoes your dog have idiopathic vestibular disease?
Most dogs with this condition will also refuse to eat or drink because they have a hard time coordinating their movements, which makes eating or drinking from a bowl difficult. If your dog has idiopathic vestibular disease he will feel extremely "seasick" and may have a hard time walking or even standing up. The cause of this disease is unknown, and it can appear suddenly in older and, sometimes, middle-aged dogs. If your dog has difficulty walking or balancing, seems to be tilting his head to one side, and displays an odd rolling eye movement, he may have idiopathic vestibular disease.
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