My mother has a male Shih-Tzu that is 14 years old. This Saturday he was limping on his right front leg. (thought it was arthritis) When we arrived home around 2 p.m. from Christmas shopping he could no longer walk. He has had two petit mal seizures in the past two years, thinking he may have had another we gave him a phenaborbital to help relax him (vet's instructions) By the next day he was completly lethargic, but could walk. He could not eat or drink unless you hand fed him. He seemed to be drunk. When he would try to walk, his eyes would twitch, as if trying to focus. It has been 4 days not since his attack. If anyone has any information or has experienced this, please let me know.

Thanks,

Shon

Hi Shon

My old boy had an attack of vestibular syndrome - it is really frightening at the time - he had similar symptoms to your mum's dog - drunken, kept falling over sideways in his case, a typical symptom is the eye flickering. I was convinced we would have to have him put down. But after about a week he was completely himself again - he had some medication to help his circulation (can't remember the name now) but the vet said that he would've recovered without treatment anyway.

He lived another 7 or 8 months with no problems and was 14 and a half when we lost him in August - not related to the vestibular - just old age.

Good luck - I am sure he will be OK. He just needs time.

Janet

Hi Shon
Lots of info on this site about Vestibular Syndrome. Type in the search (top of page) "vestibular syndrome."
I've had 2 dogs with this over the years,the last was March 2002. She's still going, at 13 and a half.

Lots of tips under the threads which may help.
Good luck, hope he's better soon
Sami

My mom wanted me to thank you for replying to her problem. She wanted me to see if you could answer a few questions about your dog.

1. what breed of dog was he?
2. What made the vet come to this diagnosis over another disease?
3. Did he have chronic ear problems before being diagnosed?

Her vet told her that he thinks her dog "bear" has what is called "Addison's disease" but the blood work bear has had done does not indicate this. He said that it couldn't be idiopathic vestibular syndrome because he did not have chronic ear problems before. If you could answer these questions for her we would appreciate it.

Thanks again for your time

shon

Shona there are a couple of us on here with a human vestibular disorder and believe me you don't need to have had problems with your ears prior to the disease manifesting itself. The very fact that your mothers dog is a pensioner would indicate that he had vestibular rather than adrenal problems, his symptoms are more typical of a vestibular disorder.

I would agree with the others go get a second oppinion from a different vet as you get the feeling this guy is out to make money from a problem found in both humans and dogs in old age.

Hi Shona
The reason a lot of vets look for ear infections contributing to Vestibular Syndrome, is that inside the ears is the organ responsible for balance. A dog with a bad middle ear infection can have vestibular syndrome, caused by the infection, but it's not always so. I had had previous dog with this, so recognised the symptoms.
They are sick and wobbly because it feels to them, as if they have just stepped off a roundabout. It's like sea sickness. They can't eat or drink unaided, because they lose the coordination for putting their head down into a dish. You usually have to hand feed them and syringe, very carefully, small drops of water into the side of mouth, NOT down the throat, as they could choke.
Some cases get better by themselves with 72 hours. They may be left with a lop sided mouth, and get food stuck in the side of the mouth. The eye twitches either from side to side, or up and down...usually only one eye.
Look on Google search for "Vestibular Syndrome Dog" (miss out the "idiopathic") . Some vets refer to it as "Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome". You will find lots of info.
The only drugs given to mine were a shot of steroid and a course of Vivitonin, which is supposed to avoid a reoccurrance.

Basically, if it's vestibular syndrome, they either get better, usually of their own accord, or get worse.
The last dog of mine to get it, was 12, a cavalier king charles spaniel, and was healthy up til then. (She is still here, now age 13 and a half, sleeping next to me as I type.) There was never any doubt about what she had...I took her straight to vet, telling them that I'd just arrived home, found that she'd been sick, was wobbly, couldn't walk, and her eye was twitching, and I'd recognised the signs of Vest. Syndrome. They just confirmed what I'd thought.

She had no tests, and is still on the medication to avoid having a further episode.(Which she hasn't had.) (Unfortunately, she's got something worse:Leaukaemia, now, but that's nothing to do with the syndrome.)
Tell your mum I'm thinking of her and her dog, and hope he's better soon.
Sami

Sami, I am wondering, since you seem to have had a lot of experience with vestibular syndrome--my dog, an Aussie mix, got it two weeks ago, and though eyes have resolved and walking improves all the time, has not gotten back his appetite. He will eat, but only from my hand, refuses it if it's on a plate, elevated or on floor. And will only eat a few very particular things, is being particularly finicky. I am wondering if it took any of your dogs a long time to get normal eating habits back?
Thanks!
Melissa

Hiya
Yes...the dog was always finicky anyway, and since she had VS, and her other problems,I have resorted to feeding her anything from cat food to a whole joint of freshly roasted beef(!!) to chicken to sausages to ham.....the list is endless! ANYTHING, just to get her to eat!

I actually wonder whether the nausea they suffer when they first get VS, sort of makes them think that if they eat certain things, they will feel sick again.

Thankfully, we are going through a period when mine will eat her NatureDiet again.......never from a bowl....only from WHITE kitchen roll (!!)
She prefers being spoon fed, and to be quite honest, it save so much time, that's what I usually do.
Perhaps putting their head down to eat makes them giddy???

Anyway, that was just over 2 years ago now, she was 14 yesterday, and hopefully has recovered.
Hope yours continues to get better
sam

Thank you, Sami, that's very helpful. Ernie has always been very finicky too, but now it's ridiculous. He won't even eat anymore the freeze dried liver treats that used to be his favorite thing in life before he got the VS. I think you're right, I think they associate things they used to eat with when they got sick? And when I put things on an elevated plate, wet food in particular, the last couple of days, he licks at it but can't seem to grasp it and then of course it gets all over the rug. So yes the hand feeding continues...we're getting quite adept at it, he likes to cock his head a certain way as I aim the spoon in.
What is a white kitchen roll? I'm American, maybe that's a UK thing.
One last question--did the balance in your pooches seem to totally get back to what it was before? Or were they always thereafter a little shaky?
Congratulations on the 14th birthday! That's how old my boy is too.
Thanks again for your response!
Melissa

Hi Melissa
White kitchen roll is ,er....kitchen paper on a roll....like a large toilet roll? You know, for wiping stuff and spills in the kitchen?
Well, mine will only eat her food herself if I put it in little piles, on kitchen roll paper...but it's got to be WHITE!
I still find it quicker and easier to spoon feed her....much easier than when my child was a baby!!!!

(I'm sure she just enjoys the attention, but so what...if it makes her happy!!)
Mine regained their balance, except when they got tired, then they would sometimes stumble a bit......but at 14, I don't expect her to be foot-sure. I just make sure things aren't left in the way for mine to trip over.
Glad to hear Ernie is recovering!

Sam

He was a Maremma Sheepdog. He was diagnosed as he had classic symptoms - falling over, diorientation, rapid eye movement. He did have chronic ear problems but there was never any suggestion that these were the cause - and he recovered within a week.

I don't know why the vet should suspect Addisons - but there may be some other symptoms?
I don't think chronic ear problems are a prerequisite to IVS - certainly my vet never suggested such a thing. A good sign that it is IVS is that he is likely to have improved by now if it is. If he is not improved then I would be investigating other things.

Good luck, Janet