horrible scare with my dog last night?

Question

yesterday around 6pm my mom called me up hysterical crying saying midnite (our 15 y/o springer) might have had a stroke. she couldnt stand up, he legs went out from under her, her eyes kept rolling back and she just kept looking up at the sky (she's blind tho, so thats kinda what was scarey). of course it's sunday night, and easter, so our vet wasnt open. we had to drive out of town to find an emergancy vet, and by the time i met her there middy was trying to stand up again, but the head and eye things were still going. to make this whole ordeal even scarier, my former dog, smokey, had to be put to sleep 3 years ago when her back legs gave out and she could no longer stand due to degerative mylopethy, 3 years ago this week.
well, low and behold, middy has geriatric vestibular syndrome. which is weird, cause smokey got that about 2 years before she died, and we had never heard of it before then. so i guess my question is, is that common? i mean, smokey was a different breed.

if you dont know what that is, its where there is some inflamation in the nerves connecting the ear cannal to the central nervous system, and it completely throws off their balance and they feel drunk and dizzy and cant stand, and cock their heads to make everything level, and some dogs get it so badly that they'll roll across the floor until they hit a wall cause its the only way they dont feel like they are going to fall.
horrible horrible thing, with no known cause or treatment other than time...

any extra info would be great. all we've been told to do (for both dogs) is give an antacid (for the motion sickness) and just keep an eye on them.

this is just in response to a point made by someone reguarding something in the house maybe causing it? the first dog got it about 6 years ago, since that time we've had the entire house repainted, new floors, kitchen, the works. other than that, yes, they've been exposed to the identical things over the years (the first dog lived to 15 as well, she was belgium shepherd, this one is springer spaniel). both even came from the same local pound. you bring up a good point, but what chemicals or toxins might do this? thats kind of scarey because i have a 9month old puppy who visits the house about 2 times a month, and now i'm getting a little worried about her being there (not too worried, if it took 2 dogs 13+ years to develope a problem).

Answer 1

I see that someone else has given you a well researched reply on the clinical side of this problem so will not rehash that again.

I just wonder if you were given antibiotics as a short term treatment for the ear(s) ?

I would imagine that the view you initially had of your dog was really frightening.
The staggering /falling etc. is bad enough to witness during an episode occurring with a dog with vision, but, being blind your dog doesn't have the focus that a dog that can see.
To explain,~~~ figure skaters are taught to pick a point or an object to focus on when they do rapid spins . Doing this is supposed to reduce the dizziness that is inevitable with high speed spins. Were they not to focus, they would fall over!

A blind dog must appear worse off, in view of the fact that all your dog might have is the ability to see light ( that is if your dog can detect light.)

It might be valuable to take your dog outside to relieve herself more often ,that she is used to, as dizziness is frequently accompanied by inability to hold their stools ( diarrhoea in other words)!

Hope the old girl recovers quickly and completely.

Answer 2

One of my dogs had vestibular syndrome - two episodes of it actually. You are right - it looks absolutely frightening but the vast majority of dogs recover fully. it is related to the inner ear and sometimes caused by an ear infection. Your dog basically has something like vertigo - she was very dizzy, causing her to lose balance and it sometimes causes nausea. The darting eyes and the head tilt are classic symptoms. As you noticed, it comes on very quickly.

She will start to feel better in a few days though it might take a bit longer to fully recover. She might need help getting to the potty since she her balance is off and she may not feel like eating much. My vet gave our dog some IV fluids thinking she may become dehydrated and treated her for an ear infection.

It is most common in older dogs (hence the geriatric part) and more common in dogs that have low thyroid (hypothyroid) - my dog was about 12 and hypothyroid when she had her first bout. The first one was much worse then the second. She recovered within a week from both. It can happen in any breed - mine was a border collie cross.

My dog did experience some hearing loss after the first bout, but she did recover most of it over several months. It didn't happen the second time.

Good luck. It looks absolutely awful but your dog should be just fine a few days.

Answer 3

Rottweilers have a reputation (some deserved and some not) and there is no way you will ever convince 100% of the population that you dog was 'harmless'. Your dog was loose without supervision and by your own admission was threatening and not above chasing and barking at people. You can't possibly be naive enough that you didn't realize that at some point this was going to come to a bad end. Rest assured that if any dog was to ever menace or threaten my family that it would not survive the incident either. You knew the dogs behaviour and yet did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to correct it. And then you left it unleashed to go after your neighbour. And the poor dog paid the price. Not surprising as in most human/Rottweiler relationships the dog is always the one that pays the ultimate price. And that is a GD shame.

Answer 4

what actually causes these diseases is unknown. This doesnt mean there isnt a cause - just that we havent figured out what it (or they) are.
also, while these things are most common in older dogs, this doesnt mean you should expect both your dogs to develop similar problems.

it may be a coincidence, but think about it - it is a bit strange that you would have two unrelated dogs with nervous system related conditions. its not like these problems are particularly common.

Im betting you owned the other dog while in the same house - right?

If these were my own dogs, I would be checking the house. by that i mean, for things like chemicals you use, paints, other toxins. have a look around their sleeping area, eating area, where they play.
Do you get your house professionally sprayed for insects? what types of paints have been used? garden fertilisers? do you have a pool? etc....

just remember chemicals dont have to be new - for example, 20 year old lead paint is still lead paint....
.

Answer 5

That sounds AWFUL, you have my sympathy.

I'm not sure about vestibular syndrome being common in Springers - it does sound vaguely familiar. Vestibular disease is not uncommon in dogs in general tho.

Tell you what I'll ask a vet at work tomorrow and email you what they say. I do hope Middy can go on with a reasonable quality of life for a while longer - although 15 years is VERY good for a Springer.

Chalice

Answer 6

Old dogs get a wide range of problems as they reach the end of their life. Unfortunately for all of us, dogs just don't live long enough. Fifteen is a good and long and well lived age. Enjoy the time you have with him and keep him comfortable. These twilight years are tough on everyone. Don't over analyze the geriatric problems of old dogs. If it isn't this problem, it would be another one. Treat it as best you can and go on for as long as you can.

Answer 7

Vestibular syndrome is something that is more common in older/elderly animals.

Cited below:

The vestibular system senses the position of the head and body in space, in relation to gravity and movement. This helps the animal maintain balance and coordinate eye movements with movement of the head. The receptors for the vestibular system are located in the inner ear, adjacent to the hearing receptors. Vestibular information is processed in the lower portion of the brain in the brainstem and cerebellum. Therefore a problem in the inner ear or one in the brain can affect the vestibular system. The phrase "vestibular disease" is a general term referring to any abnormality of the vestibular system, although some people use this term to mean idiopathic vestibular disease (see below).

Clinical signs:

Signs of vestibular disease include ataxia, head tilt, and abnormal nystagmus. A wide-based stance and swaying of the head and trunk characterize ataxia. The patient may tend to lean and fall to one side. In severe cases, the animal may continuously roll to one side. Head tilt is an abnormal position of the head such that one ear is held lower than the other. Nystagmus is a rhythmic movement of the eyes, where the eyes move back and forth or up and down. In some cases of vestibular disease, there is a sudden onset of severe signs. This may initially be confused with a seizure.

Diagnosis:

Identification of vestibular dysfunction is based on recognition of the specific signs. The veterinarian diagnoses the cause of the disorder with a medical history and examination. In some cases, further diagnostic tests, such as x-rays, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging is necessary.

Vestibular diseases

Ear infection:
Infection of the middle/inner ear is a common cause of vestibular disease in the dog. Most cases can be diagnosed by a thorough examination of the ear with an otoscope. Ear culture, X-rays, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is sometimes necessary. If bacteria cause the infection, treatment consists of appropriate antibiotics.

Canine idiopathic vestibular syndrome:
This is also a common cause of vestibular disease in the dog. Another name is geriatric vestibular syndrome. Older dogs (mean age 12.5 years) are primarily affected. There is a sudden onset of ataxia (which can be severe), head tilt, nystagmus and occasionally vomiting. The cause of this syndrome is unknown. Diagnosis is based on the signs and excluding other causes of vestibular dysfunction. Affected dogs improve spontaneously within 2 weeks, although there may be a mild, persistent head tilt. Nursing care is important during recovery. Unfortunately, affected dogs are sometimes euthanized because of the severe signs and concerns that the patient has a brain tumor or stroke.

Hypothyroidism:
Hypothyroidism can cause vestibular dysfunction in dogs. Signs may develop suddenly or over time. Diagnosis is based on laboratory evaluation of thyroid function and response to thyroid supplementation. Vestibular dysfunction typically resolves within 2 months of treatment.

Toxicity:
Medications placed in the ear are the most common cause of vestibular toxicity; although some orally administered drugs can also be a problem, especially at high doses. Ear drops or other substances should never be placed in a dog's ear except on the specific recommendation of a veterinarian.

Cancer:
Tumors in the inner ear or brain can cause vestibular problems. Older animals are more commonly affected and there may be pain on opening the mouth. Diagnosis is based on x-rays, CT, MRI, and/or biopsy.

Encephalitis:
Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) can cause vestibular dysfunction. Causes include infections, such as distemper virus, and non-infectious causes. Diagnosis often requires analysis of spinal fluid. Some types of infection can be specifically treated with medications.

Hope this helps!