Nadzeya

There is a syndrome, variously referred to as Canine Vestibular Syndrome, Peripheral Vestibular Syndrome (the current “preferred name”), Geriatric Vestibular Syndrome, and Idiopathic Vestibular Syndrome. Vestibular syndrome is usually a rapid-onset attack that causes a head tilt and loss his balance. The disorder is more common in older dogs and thus the name “Old Dog” or Geriatric Vestibular Syndrome – but it can occur in middle aged dogs, too, so the name was changed. It is not a life threatening condition. It has been suggested that there is a correlation between old dog vestibular syndrome and hypothyroidism, so blood work should be done to rule out this problem. What it is Vestibular diseases can be classified into three major disease processes: idiopathic vestibular disease, inner ear disease, or central vestibular disease. Vestibular means “a problem with the connections between th sunless tan e inner/middle ear and brain” causing ataxia. Generally, it is an inflammation of the inner ear, the vestibule being a cavity at the entrance to the cochlea of the inner ear. Vestibular disease will clear up without treatment in most cases, but it may be sometimes coincidental to other illness. Signs The disease normally affects dogs that seem normal up until the signs appear. At first, the symptoms can be very subtle, almost unnoticeable to the owner. If you take a closer look you will notice that the eyes shoot rapidly from side to side, the head is cocked to one side and these, together with the drunken staggers and vomiting lead many owners to the fearful conclusion that their pet has been poisoned. The owner sees an apparently healthy dog fall over, try to get up, fall over again and then wander around if it is willing to make the effort to walk, but staggering like a drunken sailor.