Senior dog head tilt after laser therapy: Is it a stroke or ear issue?

There is something called Old Dog Vestibular Disease, that causes dogs to suddenly appear to be totally unable to balance, be nauseous, spine in circles, or even be unable to stand. This happens for no particular reason, and usually improves over a few weeks with patience and supportive care (anti-nausea medication and fluid/nutritional support as needed). It is important to check for middle ear infections (which requires the otoscope at the vet clinic), general blood work and thyroid levels, and do an exam to make sure she doesn't have signs of other neurologic issues that would suggest a brain tumor. So, I'd advise keeping her safe tonight by blocking stairs, removing water boils, etc and taking her to the vet tomorrow to be checked out.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hunter. I recommend seeking emergency veterinary care for him. Strokes are actually very rare in dogs, but can happen. More commonly, dogs will experience vestibular disease. This is a problem with balance that will result in nystagmus (eyes twitching back and forth), a head tilt, walking in circles, stumbling and falling down. This can be caused by an inner ear infection, hormonal disease or a brain tumor, but is usually idiopathic meaning there is not identifiable cause. This is referred to as Old Dog Vestibular disease. This is usually a condition that can be treated and the dog will do well. If this is not the case, he could be experiencing a toxin exposure, trauma or an infection. It is important to have him evaluated so that treatment can be started. I hope this information helps!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Baby Girl is beautiful, I am sorry she is feeling sick. Dogs can have episodes where they suddenly become very dizzy, (head tilt, circling, 'horizontal nystagmus' which is the eyes flicking back and forth). This can be caused by many different things, including strokes, brain tumors, inner ear infections, etc. There is also a condition called "Idiopathic Geriatric Vestibular Disease" which means "we don't know why but old animals get dizzy". One cause of this condition is a stroke. This condition can resolve on it's own with time, and you usually see a drastic improvement over the first 24-48 hours. In the mean-time, we usually provide a drug called "prochlorperazine" which makes them not as nauseous. You can get this, or a version of this drug, from your vet. There is no treatment aside from making them not feel nauseous from the dizziness. Time is the only healer. If the cause is this vestibular disease, your little girl could get better and have a good life otherwise. This condition can re-occur at any time. If she doesn't get significantly better over the next couple days, then the problem is likely more serious and won't resolve. At that point you have to assess if her quality of life is affected. This will be determined if she has other disease processes going on. You will also need to provide nursing care in the mean-time, making sure she doesn't pee and poop on herself, bringing food and water to her. I hope she feels better soon. Best of luck with Baby Girl.

Poor Missy! A head tilt can mean a few things - serious ear infection, vestibular disease (this affects balance and coordination), or brain/nerve problems. It would be best for Missy to be seen by a veterinarian to determine what is going on and if there is treatment available. It is a good idea to have young children leave Missy alone while she isn't feeling well, since dogs that don't feel well may be more likely to bite.

Oh no, I'm sorry Tabor had a small stroke after recovery so well from his recent procedures! Steroids are recommended to give to dogs after a stroke to help resolve swelling in the brain, and mannitol may be another drug that would be good for that but it would be up to your vet to determine if it's appropriate to give to Tabor. Dogs can recover from strokes, and it does take time to have the blood flow return to the affected area and the swelling to decrease. Maintaining good nutrition is important, and physical therapy may be helpful for Tabor as well such as massage and passive range of motion of his limbs. I would discuss with your vet if physical therapy would be helpful to help Tabor recovery. I hope this helps and he recovers well!

Poor Luna ! I would recommend to have her checked over to understand what caused such a dramatic symptoms. Although she seems to be better, it is important to know the cause to understand if it can reoccurr or not. She might also need treatment in order to get completely better. The cause could be something affecting the central nervous system but might also be originating peripherally, an inner ear infection for example. Good luck to Luna, hopefully it is nothing too serious and she can get back to her old self soon.!

Little Baby Boy needs to see the veterinarian quickly. Weakness/neurological signs are never normal and can indicate many things including toxin ingestion, drug exposure, an infection in the brain, low blood sugar, a middle ear infection or liver dysfunction. Vestibular disease affects older dog but an infection in the middle ear is similar. A stroke would be very unlikley unless he got into certain medication or had a congenital abnormality. Also, yes, there are classic presentations to these diseases but not all pets read the book about how they should look so other presentations are possible. A physical exam and bloodwork is needed to begin figuring out the cause and the best treatment. Other diagnostics may also be indicated. I hope it's nothing too serious and that he gets back to normal quickly.