Vestibular Disease in Dogs

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Vestibular Disease in Dogs

By: PetPlace Veterinarians

Pages 1 2

Section: Veterinary Care In-depth

Initially differentiating between peripheral and central vestibular disease can be difficult. Both are characterized by a significant loss of balance with head tilt, leaning, falling, involuntary eye movements (nystagmus) and staggering. There are a few clues that can lead toward a diagnosis of central vs. peripheral vestibular disease.

The eye movements can help differentiate between central and peripheral. The involuntary eye movement is referred to as nystagmus. The eyes can go side to side (horizontal), up and down (vertical) or rotary (circular).

Peripheral vestibular disease

Rolling is seldom seen

Horizontal or rotary nystagmus – not vertical

Facial paralysis may be seen with drooping of one side of the face

No mental changes noted

No body weakness

No difficulty in placement of feet

Central vestibular disease

More tend

ency to roll

Horizontal, rotary and vertical nystagmus

When the animal is placed on his back, the nystagmus will change. This is referred to as positional nystagmus. In peripheral cases, the nystagmus does not change when the animal is placed on his back.

Mental depression

Possible head tremor

Weakened jaw

Poor foot placement

Excessive staggering or stumbling

Diagnosis

Diagnosing central vs. peripheral vestibular disease can be challenging. Even with appropriate signs supportive of peripheral or central disease, additional tests are necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Unfortunately, the best diagnostic test is CT or MRI. Due to expense, this test is not available to everyone.

The importance of determining central vs. peripheral disease is to provide proper treatment and prepare for potential future problems. Peripheral disease usually resolves and the animal returns to normal. Central disease is more devastating and the animal may never recover, even with aggressive treatment.

Initial diagnostics include blood tests. These test will help determine the overall health of the animal and makes sure the animal is able to tolerate additional tests. A spinal tap is helpful to rule out infections. CT or MRI, advanced x-rays which look within the brain, can help determine if a tumor or brain abnormality is present. If all these tests are negative, the animal is diagnosed with peripheral vestibular disease.

Treatment

Initial treatment of vestibular disease, both peripheral and central, is aimed at reducing the symptoms associated with a loss of balance. Some animals are able to eat and drink, show no signs of nausea and do not need medication. Those that have no appetite or vomit may require motion sickness medications. Commonly prescribed medications include:

Diphenhydramine 1-2 mg per kg (1 mg per pound) twice daily

Meclizine 1-2 mg per kg (05-1 mg per pound) twice daily

These medications can help reduce the nausea associated with motion sickness and dizziness. Those animals with central peripheral disease will need additional treatments aimed at correcting the underlying cause.

Most diagnosed cases of central vestibular disease are caused by a tumor within the brain. Treatment for brain tumors include surgery, radiation therapy and, sometimes, chemotherapy. The type of tumor will determine which treatment, if any, is recommended.

Pages 1 2

Printable Version

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Share this Article with a Friend Email To:

Have a Pet Question?

Review the Most Frequent Questions
Answered by Dr. Jon and His Staff of Veterinarians

Dr. Jon's Newsletter

Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...

Search Over 15,000 articles

1 Head Trauma in Dogs
Head trauma is a blunt or penetrating injury occurring to the head, most commonly caused by motor vehicle accidents. Other causes include blunt trauma (such as being hit by bats or swings or being stepped...
Read More
2 Otitis Interna and Media in Dogs
Inflammation within the ear can have numerous causes including bacteria, fungi and parasites. Middle ear infections typically occur in association with external ear infections, which can then progress...
Read More
3 Metronidazole (Flagyl) Toxicity in Dogs
Metronidazole (Flagyl) is a commonly used and very effective antibiotic most frequently used to treat gastrointestinal parasites. Toxicity is uncommon and generally associated with prolonged use (many...
Read More
4 Ear Tumors in Dogs
Ear tumors are growths associated with the ear and the most common include ceruminous gland adenoma or adenocarcinoma, sebaceous gland tumor and basal cell tumor. Depending on the tumor type there may...
Read More

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

Dogs & Puppies

Dog Breeds

labrador retriever, golden retriever, yorkshire terriers, german shepherds, beagle, boxers

Dog Medication

dog allergy medication, dog pain medication, dog anxiety medication, dog flea medication

Dog Products

dog bowls, dog crates, dog toys, dog beds, dog ramps, dog food storage, dog tags

Dog Symptoms

dog vomiting, dog limping, dog diarrhea, dog bad breath, dog coughing, dog seizures

Dog Health

dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog epilepsy, dog hip dysplasia, dog health, sick dog

Dog Care

dog vaccination, dog microchipping, dog grooming, dog neutering, dog spaying, dogs mating

Dog Training

dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog behavior, dog jumping, dog whisperer

Dog Pictures

puppy pictures, funny dogs, cute dogs, dog breeds, sleeping dogs, silly dogs, small dogs

Cats

Cat Breeds

persian, siamese cats, devon rex, ragdoll cats, sphynx, maine coon cat

Cat Medication

cat flea medication, cat heartworm control, cat tick medications

Cat Products

cat litter box, cat food, cat bed, cat flea collar, cat carrier, cat urine odor

Cat Symptoms

cat vomiting, cat limping, cat diarrhea, cat bad breath, cat coughing

Cat Health

cat health, cat liver cancer, cat diabetes, cat scratch fever, cat aids, sick cat

Cat Care

cat vaccination, cat grooming, cat microchipping, cat neutering, cat spaying

Cat Behavior

cat urine marking, cat furniture scratching, cat litterbox training, cat toilet training, cat fears

Cat Pictures

cute cats, funny cats, playful cats, fat cats, jumping cats, lazy cats, sleeping cats, cute kittens

1Head Trauma in Dogs
Head trauma is a blunt or penetrating injury occurring to the head, most commonly caused by motor vehicle accidents. Other causes include blunt trauma (such as being hit by bats or swings or being stepped...
Read More
2Otitis Interna and Media in Dogs
Inflammation within the ear can have numerous causes including bacteria, fungi and parasites. Middle ear infections typically occur in association with external ear infections, which can then progress...
Read More
3Metronidazole (Flagyl) Toxicity in Dogs
Metronidazole (Flagyl) is a commonly used and very effective antibiotic most frequently used to treat gastrointestinal parasites. Toxicity is uncommon and generally associated with prolonged use (many...
Read More
4Ear Tumors in Dogs
Ear tumors are growths associated with the ear and the most common include ceruminous gland adenoma or adenocarcinoma, sebaceous gland tumor and basal cell tumor. Depending on the tumor type there may...
Read More

Vestibular Disease in Dogs

Vestibular Disease in Dogs

Related Articles

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

"Vestibular Disease in Dogs"

To view the requested article, please register below.

Success! - You Are Now Part of the Petplace Family!