Hi can anyone help me ... my friend has a Lurcher dog of around 8 years of age. In the last few months he has become very ill ... head tilts to one side, is unsteady on legs and gait. He has undergone the following veterinary consultations with no success:

Grass seeds removed from ear
Steroidal treatments
Spinal Tap for Meningitis ... results negative

He has visited a specialist in Manchester and has cost over £1300 so far, but nobody seems to have any suggestions. It is not the usual vesticular elderly dog problem ... don't know if that is right ..old dog rolling syndrome.

Help

I'm almost certainly wrong so don't panic. It's almost impossible to diagnose without seeing the dog and I'm no vet but the thing which springs to my mind is brain tumour! I imagine I'm way off beam though because a vet would no doubt have checked for that.

I hope things are soon sorted for your friend.
Regards, John

So do we all ... you would certainly think that this would have been checked out ... at the money spent hardly anyone will talk to her about what it might be. They have now suggested a scan at a cost of £700 ... but the dog is not insured, and my friend is not an endless pit .. you do what you can for your dog so doubtless she will. It is certainly a huge arguement in favour of insurance!