4 Things to Know about Canine Vestibular Disease

Geriatric Vestibular Disease in canines was unknown to me. Never heard of it. But once you experience it, you will never forget it because it’s scary in appearance.

And in times like these, you never know who will be your next superhero. And it’s true; they can come in small packages – like in a small Norwich Terrier.

This is Ziggy. He is a 13-year-old Norwich Terrier. He not only survived Cancer four years ago and a round of radiation, but he recently survived a severe case of geriatric vestibular disease.  

This is a disease that almost appears as if the dog has a stroke. But it is not a stroke. And because I had never heard of this condition, I wanted to make sure that other pet owners had heard of geriatric vestibular disease.

First Moments

First, here’s how it looked and felt. About a week ago, I was asleep and could feel a lot of motion at the foot of the bed, where my dog lay. When I looked to see what all the movement was about, I saw that he was making some odd movements, and it was clear he could not stand.

After a few minutes, I realized something was wrong. I picked him up, and he started almost “twisting” uncontrollably in my arms and could not stand. His eyes almost looked like they were popping out of his eye socket, but that was because he stopped blinking.

I transported him to the emergency vet, and in the car, I could tell he did not know where he was, who I was, and could not find his balance. It was one of my scariest moments, and I thought I would lose him in the car.

A Race to the ER

After being assessed, I was told it was likely vestibular disease but a very severe case. I explained that he had an ear infection previously, and the clinicians wondered if that was the trigger.

The first 24 hours were not good. I was worried that I would have to make a tough decision. But after consulting a few more veterinarians, I was told that this disease has about 48-72 hours of being in a severe state, and then slowly, the body recovers.   

After about 30 hours, Ziggy slowly started to look like he wanted to get up and walk to me when I visited him. Then, he recognized me; his eyes were beginning to look “normal,” and I felt relieved.

After 48 hours, he started walking – what I call wobbly- and looked more alert. Seventy-two hours later, he could be on his legs most of the day, eat from his food bowl, and drink independently. However, if he turned too quickly, he stumbled and fell, and his little neck tilted to the right.

He would look at me, and it was clear that he could not focus on me, so sometimes felt as if he looked past me. Finally, I figured out that if I made some movement with my hands, then he “saw” me.

On the 4th day, he balanced on all fours very well, and he was able to focus on me, but not yet 100%. However, he is alert and slowly returning to his routine. I am grateful and so happy that he is on the slow road to recovery and showing me that each day is a better day.

So What is Geriatric Vestibular Disease?

Geriatric Vestibular Disease is a condition in older dogs that causes a vertigo-like state that can be mild to severe.  

Vestibular means those systems inside of all of us that help us balance. Depending on if peripheral or central (nervous system), it can involve the inner ear, parts of the brain and the cranial nerves.

Symptoms

Dogs can present with nystagmus (rapid eye movements that contribute to the imbalance), including alligator rolling, leaning, falling, and head tilt, which can appear severe. Again, the presentation can be very intense and worrying for pet owners.

Its presentation can be pretty scary and intense, depending on the cause. It can be a mild imbalance to a more severe condition like my dog. He completely lost his balance, started doing “alligator rolls,” and had a severe case of nystagmus (rapid and continuous eye moments).  

This condition seems to come on suddenly and with almost no warning. And when it does, treatment and care need to begin quickly, and time is of the essence.

Cause

The cause can range from being “idiopathic,” which means the cause is unknown, to a middle ear infection, medication toxicity, hypothyroidism, head injury or something more severe such as a brain tumour. In my dog’s case, it was idiopathic or unknown.

Treatment

Treatment can vary, but typically, dogs receive antinausea medication that causes the “spinning” to stop. That is the primary treatment. In my dog’s case, they also had prescribed antibiotics and prednisone via IV and eye gel. I understand this latter set of medication was unique in my circumstance and not the norm, as they had suspected the cause was a brain tumour (prednisone) or ear infection (antibiotics). (Based on my research, I am not sure prednisone was required, and it was stopped, and he continued to recover.)

Recovery and Reoccurence

Recovery is slow, and we are still recovering on Day 7. The first 48-72 hours can be intense, with the symptoms full on. Then, slowly each day, improvement begins. He showed a lot of interest in food from Day 1, which is typical of Norwich! They’ve got an appetite.

For geriatric vestibular disease (idiopathic), reoccurrence is rare but not impossible. Recovery can take 2 to 3 weeks. Luckily, my little guy is looking pretty standard seven days out. But because this is a slow recovery, I have been advised not to push him and let him have easy and relaxing days.

Note: If I learned one thing through all of this, this condition and any decisions should not be made within 72 hours. It can take a while before the pet gets over the initial onset. I was advised within 24 hours of euthanizing, and after getting a second opinion, I realized that this condition takes time, and decisions like ending a pet’s life, should not be made that quickly. The clinician was convinced the dog had a brain tumour and hence the advice. However, after getting a second opinion, I was told that there was not enough information to confirm that and more time was required. I respect and honour the tough jobs veterinarians have. However, as a pet parent, it’s my job to educate myself to be an effective voice for my pet. In this instance, I am so glad I did.

Bliss Reflection

So how can there be any joy or bliss in this situation? I would have said four days ago – sorry, there is no joy in this story.

But, being on the other side of “this,” we are thrilled he is recovering and that we get to have this little guy in our lives a little longer.

Today, he is walking, playing, doing his cute faces, hunting, cuddling, and napping in the sun. His head tilt is almost gone (almost indiscernible), and we are just watching his vision as I think one of his eyes may have been affected.  

This little guy is my superhero. He has taught me that he continues to live a full life even through adversity. He put his trust in me and the care workers explicitly. Yet, with his cancer and this vestibular disease, he kept and keeps taking one step forward and adapting.

I am also grateful to two other superheroes: my sister, who stayed with me those 48 hours and ensured the little guy was held and petted in his hour of need, and my partner, who taught me how to take control. I am grateful to both because that was a very confusing time. I had the vet telling me to euthanize, and in my heart, I just knew that wasn’t the right advice. And both my sister and partner gave me the strength I needed, which resulted in me getting Ziggy the care he needed. So to them, I say a heartfelt thank you!

Bliss Hints and Tips

• ”It’s not a brain tumor!” I include this link because my vet was more convinced it was a tumour and discussed euthanasia. I wish I had seen this before, and so sharing it now for all pet owners.
• Vestibular disease – the basics.
• And advice straight from ER Veterinarians.