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The vestibular system helps dogs teach balance and a sense of spatial orientation. But dysfunction can have serious effects on the balance system of the dog’s body. This system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain responsible for balance and eye movement. When the network is compromised by disease, aging, or injury, serious disruption can result, often accompanied by one or more of these signs, among others: dizziness and light-headedness.
There are two types of this disorder in dogs:
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Central vestibular disorder
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Peripheral Vestibular Disorder
The first is a less common but more serious form of this disease that originates in the central nervous system.
The second type of this disease occurs when the nerves connecting the inner ear to the brain are disrupted. This causes balance problems and other symptoms that lead to dizziness and lightheadedness. This disease can seem quite melodramatic to the dog owner if this is the first time the dog has been affected. But more often than not, the dog will recover with supportive care and treatment.
causes
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Chronic and perennial inner and middle ear infections
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Overzealous cleaning of the ears leads to perforated eardrums
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trauma from head injury
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Stroke
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tumors
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polyps
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hypothyroidism
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meningoencephalitis
signs and symptoms
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tilting of the head
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loss of coordination
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circling and stumbling
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graduation
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falling and rolling
Congenital vestibular disorders appear between birth and three months of life. Certain dogs are more prone to this condition, including the Doberman Pinscher, English Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, German Shepherd, Tibetan Terrier, and Smooth Fox Terrier.
This disorder is often confused with a stroke. The dizziness caused by this condition is detrimental to older dogs, who experience symptoms such as difficulty standing up, circling, nystagmus, nausea, and head tilt. Older dogs are more stressed due to this condition and therefore there is a need to reduce their stress with earthy tranquilizers like amino acids, L-theanine and herbs like hops, valerian, chamomile and passionflower. Other remedies including GABA, flower essences, tryptophan and homeopathics also work well to calm overwhelmed dogs.
diagnosis
The vet would perform a physical exam to determine if the disorder is peripheral or central. If a peripheral form of the condition is found, the vet would use an otoscope to look deeply into the pet’s ears. There are times when x-rays would be required. The vet would also seek the help of blood tests, culture, sensitivity, and cytology to get rid of other likely causes of specific symptoms. For tumors and polyps, your vet would suggest a surgical biopsy. If central vestibular disease is identified, the vet would use an MRI or CT scan along with spinal fluid samples to find the root cause. If it’s due to an infection, it needs to be fixed.
treatment
It is possible to relieve nausea and vomiting with motion sickness treatments, but there is no specific treatment to treat congenital vestibular disease. A middle or inner ear infection may require antibiotics to improve the condition. If an underactive thyroid is the cause, the disorder will be corrected if the metabolic status is carefully controlled. If treatment is the root cause, stopping treatment may result in complete resolution. But there are times when some residual hearing loss can exist. To completely cure this situation, the vet would remove the polyps, but if cancerous growths are present then the conclusion is generally less positive.
This disease has a poorer prognosis than the peripheral form due to potential brainstem hazards that can be quite devastating. If an infection is detected, it must be treated. In the case of an inflammatory condition, it may initially respond to treatment, but it may come to a point where it is no longer treatable. But the most common form of vestibular disease — the peripheral form — improves quickly once the inherent cause is addressed and symptoms of vertigo are treated with supportive care.
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