My 7 year old blind shihtzu suddenly has developed this condition and was diagnosed by the vet a day ago. I have locked him in a dark room and I am giving him water by syringe. The vet has given him some medicine but he is still totally disorientated (unable to walk or stand). If anyone has experience with this condition or has any tips please let me know. It's extremely distressing to see him like this so your help would be greatly appreciated.
2007-10-05 10:48:08 · 3 answers · asked by Matilda J 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Yes,I've had a few dogs with it.It takes a while to get them over it,but you just have to be patient.What kind of medication did the vet give you,if any? My vet put my dog on meclizine ( Bonine) for motion sickness,cephalexin,in case of infection in the brain,and prednisolone ,for inflammation.In addition,I had to feed my dogs soft foods,( baby food,Ensure,Nutri-cal,etc.) It took them about a week to be able to sit up without tumbling over again,and a few weeks to months to return to normal,although they both had head tilts for the rest of their lives.It is something that most dogs get over,though,so just be patient.I know it's hard,but your dog is still relatively young and could have another 7 years left! Good luck.
Oh,and use a sling to walk him with;it's easier on your back.Your dog is pretty small,though.Mine were between 60 and 70 lbs!
2007-10-05 10:57:30 · answer #1 · answered by Dances With Woofs! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a terrible thing to see - its similar response as a stroke in humans however its as you say a vestible episode and results from a chemical imbalance in brain.
Have you been given valium for the first few days and metomide or maxolone for the nausia? If not go back and ask for metomide or maxolon as these are really important. It will pass however it may take 1-2 weeks befopre all symptoms are gone, some dogs are left with a slight head tilt but most resolve fully by 2 weeks. Valium will help relax him until the imbalance corrects itself.
Its very common in older dogs, and it could happen again but most repair and live a healthy happy life for years following it!
Good luck and stick with him - he will improve soon.
2007-10-05 10:58:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you have any idea how painful starvation is? Guess not. Put her down now. There is nothing good about letting a dog die naturally. I am always confused about this. Death is painful. I watched my Labrador go through it before I could get him to the vet to have him euthanized . I also watched a cat *die on it's own*. A stray. Old and skinny. It was the most frightening experience I have ever had.
2016-05-17 05:59:28 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋