Does anyone have experience of a dog that suddenly stops on a walk for no apparent reason.  (I apologise for the length this post will no doubt be - I have no idea how to make myself waffle less - its an illness, bear with me please!)

My little terrier girl is 7 1/2 she has always been what can only be described as a bit of a handful - spirited when it comes to walks.  When she was young she appeared to be a bit shell-shocked and timid when first lead trained - she weaved like a fish on the end of a line like all puppies do but stayed very very close and never pulled. This happened for quite a long time and she was more obviously fearful when I was only walking her, so I stopped the individual walks and walked her and my boy together all the time but she was still pretty "on edge" and would stop and her tail would go between her legs.  It was particularly odd because she is not afraid of, or aggressive to any living thing whether on two legs or four - and was not in any way fearful of anything in particular that I could tell - she wasn't afraid of children or dogs or loud noises. I walked her one day with my boy on a coupler just as an experiment on a short walk before going to the groomer - she instantly changed - she was the same confident "take charge" little girl she is at home. Being coupled to my boy seemed to give her confidence and she and he happily walked like that.

Then she decided to think she was in charge and was dragging my boy from left to right wherever she wanted and he didn't and for fear of my boy getting injured and so I could combat her behaviour I stopped walking on a coupler and put them back on separate leads.  That worked and for the last 5 years I have had no issues at all with behaviour of any sort from either of them, on walks or otherwise. Two well behaved dogs.

Then suddenly 3 weeks ago she started stopping for no apparent reason on a walk. For example on her lead she would be on my left and I feel the lead go back as she stops - I feel it go taught, do a correct, nothing, turn to look at her and she is staring at me blankly - no tail between her legs or anything in her stance that shows any sort of fear or even increased alertness that I can tell - as soon as I call her name - she starts walking again, catches up - then no problem until she does it again about 10 or more mins later. This happens on a short lead, and long lead, and even off the lead (though I go to a secure field for off lead play more than walks because my dogs cant be trusted on a recall if anything is around that can be chased - mostly because I'm really terrible at teaching them at recall where there is a distraction).

Anyone have any ideas what could be the cause of this?

Just to add to the issue... a month of so ago I was told she had cataracts.  She never walks into anything, she can see and chase squirrels at least 50 yards away - but I have been wondering if perhaps she has always had it and that is why her confidence grew when she was walked on a coupler when she was younger.  I have also wondered if the current "stopping" is because something blurs or affects her vision making her stop but I don't trust that I'm not looking into things too much that way just because I'm watching her more carefully since diagnosis.  I have checked to see, more times than I can count, if she has something between her pads stuck, or leaves in her skirt, or any sign of any pain in any leg and there has never been anything that I can find. However, I do have some niggling concerns about her gait - nothing I can pin point - just there is something more of a rolling gait when she is walking very slowly than I think is right or normal - but again - I may possibly be driving myself insane looking too hard - I cant describe what it is about her walk that worries me properly so I have instead booked her into the vets for a complete senior dog health check, blood tests etc and aim to ask them to also check out her legs/hips/knees.

The frequency of her stopping has now increased to every few minutes. Still no sign of pain or injury, no lameness, she never makes a noise before during or after she does it, as soon as she snaps out of it she is walking, running, jumping just as normal.

Anyone know what could cause this strange thing with her walks - either behavioural or medical? Behavioural issues I will take any advice and give anything a go. Medical possibilities gives me things to specifically ask the vet to consider during her health check.

Please don't think that I am saying this is what is wrong with your girl.  I am just responding as you asked if anyone else had had the problem.

Going back about 5 years ago I noticed that my 6 year old bitch was stopping on walks and I was trying to rush her on, and now feel so cruel!

About 4 months after this problem started I took her in to the vet for her normal booster jab.  So she got all the normal health checks that you would expect.  He does eyes for me at the same time.  I wondered what was going on when he took an absolute age with his stethoscope.  He said that he wanted a heart scan.  Poor girl has been on heart meds ever since bless her.  I now know that she will tell me when she has had enough, and I listen to her.

Please don't think I'm saying that your bitch has a heart problem.

No, no, don't worry - any suggestions could mean I ask the right questions of the vet and that could mean saving her life if there is a problem.

She had a pre-op health check for a lapspay last month which is when he also told me that she had cataracts.  He checked her heart and lungs then and said all is well but I will get her checked out again for that in the health check. I haven't been able to spay her yet since for some unknown reason my little girl decided to be difficult - she has had virtually undetectable clear heats for a couple of year - but low and behold - 5 hours after her pre-op check she suddenly came in heat, full coloured normal heat - I think she mustve been listening at the vets!!  Anyway - her behaviour obviously changed a little with the heat but after it finished she went back to normal - the stopping on walks thing started before she came in heat and she's still doing it now - but I have been watching her like a hawk as I'm paranoid of pyo before I can get her spayed but fingers crossed she seems okay with that so far.

I will push for her heart to be checked again though - afterall the vets didn't seem to notice the cataracts until that day - and she had been in a month or so before that for her booster and the vet did the normal checks including eyes and didn't say anything then - so I'm not having faith that everything is picked up necessarily first time - cant do any harm to ask.

Thanks Jean!

From experience I would say without a doubt it is heart trouble.  It is probably a defect from birth.  Lose weight immediately but still keep to short, quiet, slow walks. There is a daily tablet that can be taken but what it is I can't remember.  After I lost my girl I destroyed all records.

Her senior health check is 3.40pm tomorrow - they do blood tests  - would blood testing help in diagnosing any heart issue or should I specifically ask for them to test her heart some other way?

P.S. She has always been a big girl but I have increased her exercise and decreased her food slightly for the last 12 months and got her to a good weight ready for spaying already.

It probably isn't this but there is a slight possibility that she is having petit-mal fits. That would give a momentary lapse of consciousness but so brief that she could just stand still, not fall down. Does she seem to be fully aware of you and her surroundings when she does this?
It could also be hormone based as her seasons don't sound "normal".  Hopefully you will get some answers after seeing the vet.

> There is a daily tablet that can be taken but what it is I can't remember

Vetmedin?

> would blood testing help in diagnosing any heart issue or should I specifically ask for them to test her heart some other way?<br />

When my vet detected that Gemma had a heart problem he asked me to get her heart scanned.  He didn't do the scan there and then.  He asked me to make an appointment with their heart specialist as she was the expert.  I'm just lucky that it's all at the same hospital.

Thank you all - I spent the night reading up on heart problems and petit mal seizures - so I know what I want to ask the vet to specifically to look at /discuss with me today. 

She does respond to me when I call her when she is standing staring - but I have been loathed to force her to hurry up or push her to move before she is ready until I know she isn't struggling medically with anything so I have been soft on her. She does seem to be aware I'm there though - or if not then she is only non-responsive for a split second and then takes a few more seconds to start walking again.

I have a sinking feeling that it may be her heart now though. I'll pop back in this thread after speaking to the vet or after getting blood results or any other test results back let you all know what it turned out to be.

Is this a Westie? The reason I ask is because my nine year old westie started doing the same in January.
Roly had cruciate ligament trouble and at first I thought the stopping was to do with that, but he is never lame and after what you have written, you could actually be writing about my boy. The way your girl stops, the way she stares, everything is identical. I think I will book an appointment at the vets tomorrow.

Yes, she's a westie

Went for the health check today and it was a bit of an odd outcome.

First - the slightly rolling gait I thought I was seeing was down to a tiny amount of dermatitis not around, but in and on the very tips...erm... bits of her erm.. vulva? And a small cut/ulcer on the very tip of her erm bits lips (I'm trying to be polite and professional but I don't know how to describe "that" area very well).  It was very hard to see though found after I pointed out that she seemed to be a touch red there longer than I would have expected after heat ending.  Me and the vet quite literally had to hold open bits and stare just a centimetre away to see it.  Pretty funny! There was no other nastiness down there (and no signs of pyo or infection, her temperature were fine, no swollen stomach etc etc)  and she didn't think it needed any treatment except gentle plain cool water wiping and see how it went.

Hips, elbows, ankles checked and all hunky dorey - vet said she was "well boned" (cue me trying not to giggle as that was said just moments after looking at my girls bits)

Vet listened to her heart and lungs and said they were both sounding super clear and strong and that she didn't feel there was any need to do any blood tests of any sort. She didn't think there was likely to be a neurological cause as there was no other strange behaviour and the stopping staring was only happening while on a walk and not at any other time. Which was great but I made her take bloods anyway for simple organ checks - things like level protein in blood and things to do with heart - diabetes check - all that stuff. Vet said that she felt it was unnecessary but I went there for a full health check dammit and I was getting one!!!!!!

Conclusion about the walking stopping thing..... she did say that heart congestion can cause that and that it was a good catch to think of it (and yeah - I took all the praise you should've all had for that  - cause thats the kinda girl I am! lol) but unless the bloods reveal anything untoward she thinks the stopping is entirely eye related as she feels that the cataracts may be affecting her vision fairly significantly at mid-range distances and in certain lights because of the position of it in one eye in particular and the fact it is mostly in one eye  - but she also said that the sight issue may also in turn be creating a behavioural issue where she wants to stop me to get my eye contact and reassurance - which I have to admit makes sense if I think back to how she was when she was young - but still seems at odds with the massively over confident little madam she normally is now. 

The vet said she wanted me to get her seen by the eye specialist so that better tests can be done rather than just wait to see how much bigger it gets as the first vet said as she feels it may be quite fast developing and a specialist can tell me exactly what degree and in what way her sight could be expected to currently be affected, and discussions as to if and when treatment or an operation may be appropriate. Until I see eye specialist she couldn't say for 100% certain that the stopping on the walks was definitely the eyes but she didn't feel there was any other possible medical cause that she could see at the moment, subject to the blood test results.

So - I have an appointment with the eye specialist at 10am on Monday - blood test results should be back by next Friday with any luck and I will see what I'm up against.

She did also say that my girl may be massively hormonal since this was her first proper full on heat in a while and she may have a hormonal issue during her heat - but any permanent hormone abnormality should also be shown on the blood tests she ordered - and even if that were the case once spayed that would sort that out and calm down any moodiness, change in temperament, or insecurities that she suffered this time - unless she suffers now from a phantom pregnancy which is always a possibility of course (but god I hope not!)

All in all - my girl is demanding MY eye contact because SHE has an eye problem... and has a bit of an itchy froo froo!

> and has a bit of an itchy froo froo!

     

Sorry for laughing but last year I had 2 bitches with the problem and I have always called it their foo foo!!!!!

ROFL.

Ha! JeanSW I think we're a dangerous combination - we definitely have the same sense of humour!! You were right in the crufts thread - I'm your CD sister! lol

Good luck on Monday, hope it all goes well.

Thank you Lynn

A little update and a request for some tips/advice.

My girl has seen an eye specialist and then saw the eye surgeon and the upshot is she has cataracts in both eyes, one worse than the other. The eye surgeon said, and showed me, how her cataracts was unusual in that its not visible to the naked eye at all which is unusual, and when you look at her eye (magnified, after drops to dilate etc and through a sort of contact lens put on her eye) it looks like a snow blizzard in one eye and a gentle snow fall in the other. Upshot is that she needs to have cataracts surgery to both eyes but we are going to play it safe by doing her worst eye first in a couple of months, by which time we will be able to figure out if it is fast progressing in her better eye or not progressing at all (as vet couldn't say if she has always had it or if its recent because its developed in a strange way). If its not progressing she may not need the second eye done, if it is then she will have to have the second eye done 6 months or so after she has recovered from the first eye and we know all went well.

However - she also has to get spayed. Long story short is that I have been trying to get her spayed but one thing after another has cropped up and there were concerns about it exacerbating her skin condition when she was younger creating this delay. I in fact took her for a pre-op appointment for her spay when the cataracts was discovered at the end of Jan.  My girl had at that time not had a coloured heat since she was 18 months - all subsequent heats (if she even had real ones) were pretty much undetectable or very short and clear. However - she came into heat with her first coloured heat straight after that pre-op check. Therefore she cannot be spayed until the end of May now or the beginning of June. But it is important that I do that op then since we don't know if she is going to have a definite heat like the last one again or when. So - she has to be spayed end of May beginning of June.

The bottom line of it all is that I need to spay her first - then as soon as she has recovered take her to the eye surgeon who will check on the progression of the cataracts and schedule the op for the first eye to be done 4 weeks later. She then has to have drops in her eyes for 4 weeks leading up to the cataracts op.  The second cataracts op would not be for at least 6 months after she fully recovered from the first, if it is still needed.

One way or another my poor girl is going to be spending a large amount of time unable to go for walks. She lives for walks. She goes stir crazy without walks even for just a day. She has no interest in anything to do with toys and never has done. She play wrestles occasionally with my little boy and that's about it.  Her only interests in life are walks, continual tummy rubs all the time, and food. 

So - any ideas how to amuse my girl - stop her going nuts or stir crazy or depressed being kept indoor  - without increasing her food or her weight (she is a good weight now & I need to keep it that way after the spay) whilst she is recovering from each op. Because as much as I love her I don't think my arm will survive tummy rubs 24 hours a day for months on end!

Just wondering why she can't be walked on a lead after her operations? Our girl recovered very quickly from her spay and was able to have on lead road walks about a week after her operation.

oh yeah - sorry - forgot to say - she did get her blood test results and they were all A-Ok - she then had a second set done by eye surgeon and everything came up perfect with those too - so no issues with heart, diabetes etc etc etc

> Just wondering why she can't be walked on a lead after her operations? Our girl recovered very quickly from her spay and was able to have on lead road walks about a week after her operation.

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I've never had a girl before so it will be my first spay - but they told me that she shouldn't be walked for 14 days minimum after spay and only gentle short walks for 10 days after that before going back to normal - but in her case it would be then that she would be going to get the cataracts op booked - and they said the same again after cataracts op (14 days no walks)  - but also after cataracts she cant have normal collar and lead - it has to be a harness so as to not put any pressure on eyes. (She normally has two walks a day - one 30 min stroll and one 45 min power walky thing)

I have never not walked my dogs after a spay just kept them on a lead and no jumping on or off furniture etc in the house.   Was it the vet who advised no exercise for 14 days?

My vet always says no off lead walks for 10 days.

> no off lead walks for 10 days.

So would you be able to walk them on a short lead within the first week then?  Even a small dog close to the ground?  Because I would gladly walk her - with a cone on her head & a wrap around her tum - if it meant she got her walks............in fact I would gladly where a cone on my head and a wrap around MY tum if it meant I could walk her because I know my girl and she is going to go bat-crap-crazy if she doesn't get walked and see's me still walking my boy..........

> Was it the vet who advised no exercise for 14 days?

Yep - his exact words were "no walks for 10, preferably 14 days" and then pointed out that both normal spay and lap spay should both still have the same sort of aftercare - the lapspay not making the recovery any different (which confused the bejeezies out of me since I though lapspays had a faster recovery then traditional spay).

>> no off lead walks for 10 days.

> ............in fact I would gladly where a cone on my head and a wrap around MY tum if it meant I could walk her

PMSL       

Now this I would pay to see!! 
When my vet says no off lead walks for 10 days I have always taken it to mean that they could have on lead walks.  Albeit for a much shorter distance.  If I hadn't given my Bearded Collie any walks at all I am sure she would have eaten me so she could get out of the house.

You so have my sense of humour. 

Please do be sure and let me know where and when you will be walking.

> Please do be sure and let me know where and when you will be walking.

oh you'll know - I'll be the woman on news at 10 with a strait jacket on as she gets dragged off by a bunch of men in white coats whilst screaming "JeanSW made me do it!! "

P.S.  relieved to think I can walk her because the little madam is like a blind Houdini if I don't walk her I think she will no doubt make her escape and take herself.

Sorry to revive this old thread.

My girl had her spay - and she was fantastic, she didn't need her collar at home at all, didn't even attempt to touch the stitches once, she just lapped up 4 days of belly rubs and attention and it was all done - dissolvable stitches dissolved fast &  the tiny scar shrunk and returned to skin coloured in just 7 days.  But - she did escape at the vets (I told you all she was a Houdini!)- they saw her asleep after op, opened gate of kennel to check on her - she bolted straight out the kennel door (having faked being asleep it seems) -and had to be caught - vets called her a "devious little actor". 

And now as of last Tuesday she has also had her cataracts op. Her CO2 levels went a bit crazy after they did her worst eye so they played it safe and stopped there and I have to decide when to do the other eye and if I want to or not. She was supposed to stay in overnight and until the next afternoon but vet rang me on the day of the op and told me to pick her up in 20 mins or so (this was at 5pm) because "Lottie has made it clear that she doesn't think much of her accommodation and wishes to check out". Turns out she had been up to various antics trying to break out and asking to be let out of the kennel to potty - every 5 mins -just as a way to make that happen. So she was home the same day with me so I could keep her calm and make sure she didn't bark.  And she has been good in some respects - I say "eye drops" and she comes running, goes into the sit and holds her head up for them every time - even though its 6 times a day and an additional drop before any walk. She takes her pills no problem. Doesn't bark or charge off running in the garden when I tell her to stop just before she tries to. All really good. Good that is except for the walks and the dreaded cone-torture I am sure she thinks I am putting her through..

She's been out for gentle walks on a harness like the vet said I could .................. but when I started this thread it was about her stopping for no apparent reason..............that hasn't changed - in fact.... she stops more!!!!!.......greeting every single person and animal in the park - staring at grass - staring at the birds - trying to dive into the duck pond to get to the ducks - staring at the sky - the benches - the dog poo bin - and I mean stare - not sniff and walk on - no - a full on stare intently and refuse to move on (its like she knows I cant put pressure on the harness to get her going and she takes absolutely NO notice of any commands once we are out - apparently she now likes to pretend she's deaf!) its never ending!  And all this, with a cone on her head that I have had to get replaced three times already and is still having to be held together with masking tape because if she cant get it off - she smashes it off!  And if I fall asleep at night it is apparently her duty to jump up next to me and headbutt me with the cone to wake me up just so that she can ask for me to scratch her ears..............

I'm so tired its not funny - and several months on from the beginning of this post she has been spayed and given clear eyesight - but still stops for no reason on a walk..............

Anyone else out there had a cataracts op on their dog? How long before the cone could get thrown away? How long before she stops thinking absolutely everything is fascinating and needs studying.......... she spent an hour yesterday following a spider around the room!!!

I have absolutely no idea and can't help you but thanks so much for the entertaining post.  It so cheered me up.

When I thought about it, I bet she is mesmerised being able to see clearly.  It's a whole new world for her, but this cannot possibly last.

Can it?   

Bless her! Can't help about the cataract op per se, but a dog I look after had a skin graft on his eyeball to repair a very deep hole from injury that was on the brink of rupturing the eyeball recently.

He didn't have a cone, instead the vet wrapped his leg in bright, colourful, annoying bandages to distract him from the fact that his eye felt a bit funny.

Your dog sounds quite crafty though but maybe an idea for some point in her recovery!

Slightly off the OPs post but daughters Rott used to get 'hotspots' occasionally, quite often on her shoulder area and she would scratch till it was 3 times the size and raw!
We made a boot out of sheepskin (fleece inside) for the back foot on the relevant side. People would say 'oh dear what has she done to her foot'  you then get 'crazy lady' look when you said 'nothing wrong with her foot' so then explanation of what and why she was wearing a boot!!
It did work though

> I have absolutely no idea and can't help you but thanks so much for the entertaining post.  It so cheered me up.<br />

Glad my misery is funny - lmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

> When I thought about it, I bet she is mesmerised being able to see clearly.  It's a whole new world for her, but this cannot possibly last. Can it?<br />

Please god don't let it last otherwise it will take an hour to take her on a five minute walk forever - if that happens I think my boy dog will abandon me and adopt another owner who can walk at a faster pace!

Thanks for the advice on the distraction/boot - I'm going to give that a go this evening (when she is at her worst when it comes to the cone) - I will have to see what truly hideous looking thing I can make and hope it distracts her from the cone-bashing -  with any luck she will sit there all night staring at it like she does with everything else at the moment!

I know this isn't dog related, but my Mum had her cataracts done and went from having really poor eyesight (-5) to being able to see a good distance without her glasses. She was absolutely entranced on the way home in the car as she could see properly for the first time in many years, even to the extent of reading out all the road signs because she could. So I am not surprised that your walks are taking so much longer, your pooch must be chuffed to bits at the difference in vision quality. Really pleased for you both.

> I know this isn't dog related

Sure is - afterall it is exactly the same op for dogs as people :)  It's good to hear how your Mum's sight was restored - afterall my dog cant tell me so I have been puzzling over what she can and cant see.

I am really pleased with how the op went, although I know recovery takes a long time before you can feel 100% happy nothing untoward can happen - but I get the feeling I will have to start from scratch and retrain her after this week since it appears I now have an 8 year old puppy rather than a 8 year old senior dog.

That's really good to hear, sounds like she's got a whole new lease of life! Long may it continue!

tatty-ead

That so brings back memories from over 20 years ago when I took on a Jack Russell when the owner died and nobody wanted her.  She wasn't used to having the freedom of such a huge garden and loved being out with me when I was gardening.  She scratched herself raw on the side of her neck and was really bleeding.  The vet reckoned that it was most likely due to an insect bite.  She was put on antihistamine and the back foot was bandaged to stop her from doing any more damage.

I nearly wet myself laughing when we walked out of the surgery.  She limped badly due to her poorly foot.  It looked hilarious to me (as I knew there was nothing wrong with her foot.)  You just brought back memories . 

lol, yes been there done that more than a few times, thats why we made the boot, it fitted either foot and was reusable

The vet reckoned that it was most likely due to an insect bite
had to take a previous dog to vets at about 1/4 to midnight one Sat evening as he started coming up in little bumps - while you watched . on call vet was at a dinner and turned up in black tie/DJ.
turned out dog was going into anaphalactic shock probably from something as simple as an insect or ant bite
had shot of antihistamine and 2 other meds and a comment that if we had left him till next morning we would have lost him. He was fine next day.

apologies to OP for going off topic - again

Went to the vets today - drops have increased from 6 a day to 14 a day as her eye pressure has risen and she has developed a miniscule eye ulcer which has to be got rid of fast - and I have to go to the vets for her to see every day this week. Vet didn't seem worried though - but I definitely am.

But the worst news.....on top of all that.......... the dissolvable stitches take 6-8 weeks to dissolve...........cone has to stay in place for a minimum of 4 weeks or the full 6 weeks............... god help me!!

One of ours had an eye op some years ago for the removal of a growth & had to stay with him 24/7, as the little sod would lay down & rub his eye inside the cone!!
Good Luck to you both.

Oh Tina I'm so sorry.  I would be worried too if I was told to take her daily.  Although I guess it is routine to a vet.  We have a lot of fingers and paws crossed for you this end.  88 paws in fact!!

Crossed paws must've worked - all her eye pressures are down to normal now and the ulcer has gone - pretty big turn around in just a couple of days :) Thank goodness.  Now if only I could just get her to walk without stopping and suddenly not despise her cone life would be good...... wishful thinking!

I've been thinking of you.  I am so glad that the ulcer has cleared, it's amazing how quickly things have happened.  I hope that you can relax a little very soon and get some sleep.  Tell her I'll send the heavy gang round if she doesn't buck up. 

Hope all goes well for you both. It's horrid seeing our loved pets ill or in pain. Wishing a speedy recovery for her x

I swear the girl is trying to give me a heart-attack. We got her eye pressures down and ulcer gone at lunchtime yesterday - by 5pm I was at emergency vet because she was vomiting and her stomach was growling so loud you could hear it across the room - and as well as barking the one thing really bad for her eyes is vomiting - so off I went again to the vets - she gets some shots to stop the vomiting with a diagnosis of a "Virus" (which means no-one actually knows why) and now have to give her zantac before meals. She's fine and stomach thing not serious - but come on now - she HAS to be trying to kill me with all this worry!!! At this rate she will be on zantac antacid for her stomach and I will need it for the ulcer she is determined to give me!!

I feel so sorry for you.  If you didn't take care of your dogs and didn't give a damn they would probably never be ill.

> If you didn't take care of your dogs and didn't give a damn they would probably never be ill.

Aint that the truth!!