Vestibular syndrome in dogs

Vestibular syndrome is a fairly common condition which leads to a pet losing their balance and coordination

Often the cause of vestibular syndrome is not identified

Vestibular syndrome generally occurs in older dogs 

The vestibular centre is in the ear and brain and controls balance and coordination, vestibular syndrome occurs when this is nor functioning normally 

Vestibular syndrome can occur for an unknown reason in older dogs, be associated with disease of the inner ear or there may be an issue with the brain

Always contact your veterinarian immediately if you think your pet is displaying signs of vestibular syndrome

Symptoms 

Nystagmus

Nystagmus is when a dog's eyes flicker to one side when the head is still

Vomiting 

When the vestibular system in the ear and brain is not function normally it can make an animal feel extremely nauseous 

Ataxia 

Ataxia means an abnormal gait, it may look like your pet is drunk or very wobbly 

Wide based stance 

Head tilt 

Treatment is dependant on what has caused the vestibular syndrome. 

In older dogs the cause may be unknown (idiopathic) and treatment is generally symptomatic, the symptoms tend to improve in 24-72 hours. 

If the cause is an inner ear infection, then this will need to be treated. Your pet will also require symptomatic treatment. 

If symptoms are then not improving then further investigation may be indicated, such as advanced imaging.