The vestibular system helps provide balance and a sense of spatial orientation to dogs. But a dysfunction can have serious effects on the balance systems of the dog’s body. This system includes the parts of the inner ear and the brain, which are responsible for balance and eye movements. If the network is damaged by disease, aging, or injury, serious disturbances can occur and are often associated with one or more of these signs, including but not limited to: Vertigo and dizziness.
There are two types of this disorder in dogs:
- central vestibular disorder
- peripheral vestibular disorder
The former is a less common but more serious form of this disease that originates within the central nervous system.
The second type of this disease occurs when there is a disturbance in the nerves that connect the inner ear to the brain. This results in poor balance and other symptoms that result in vertigo and dizziness. This disease can seem quite melodramatic to the dog owner if this is the first time the dog has been affected. But most of the time the dog recovers with supportive care and treatment.
Causes
- Chronic and perennial infections of the inner and middle ear
- Excessive cleaning of the ears leading to perforation of the eardrum
- Head injury trauma
- race
- tumors
- polyps
- hypothyroidism
- Meningoencephalitis
Signs and symptoms
- head bowed
- loss of coordination
- spinning and stumbling
- staging
- falling and rolling
Congenital vestibular disease is seen between birth and three months of age. Certain dogs are more predisposed to this condition, including Doberman Pinschers, English Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, German Shepherds, Tibetan Terriers, and Smooth Fox Terriers.
This disorder is often mistaken for a stroke. The vertigo caused by this disease has an adverse effect on older dogs with symptoms such as difficulty standing, spinning, nystagmus, nausea and head tilt. Older dogs are more stressed due to this disease, so it is necessary to reduce their stress through calming agents such as amino acids, L-theanine and herbs, such as hops, valerian, chamomile and passionflower . Other remedies, such as GABA, flower essences, tryptophan, and homeopathic remedies, are also good for calming overwhelmed dogs.
Diagnosis
The vet will perform a physical exam to determine if the disorder is peripheral or central. In case a peripheral form of the condition is found, the vet would use an otoscope to look deeply into the pet’s ears. There are times when x-rays are required. The vet would also take the help of blood tests, culture, sensitivity, and cytology to get rid of other probable causes of specific symptoms. For tumors and polyps your veterinarian will propose a surgical biopsy. In the event that central vestibular disease is determined, the vet would use an MRI or CT scan along with cerebrospinal fluid shots to find the root cause. If it is due to an infection, then it needs to be resolved.
Treatment
It is possible to relieve nausea and vomiting with motion sickness treatments, but there is no specific treatment to manage Congenital Vestibular Disease. For middle or inner ear infection, antibiotics may be required to improve the condition. In case the reason is an underactive thyroid, the disorder will resolve itself when the metabolic condition is accurately managed. If treatment is the primary cause, discontinuation of treatment may achieve complete resolution. But there are times when there may be some residual hearing loss. To completely cure this situation, the vet would remove the polyps, but if there are cancerous growths, the conclusion is generally less positive.
This disease has a worse prognosis than the peripheral form due to potential dangers to the brainstem which can be quite devastating. If an infection is found, it must be treated. In case of an inflammatory condition, it may react to treatment at first but may progress to a point where it might be untreatable. But the most common form of vestibular disease, the peripheral form, improves rapidly once the underlying cause is addressed and vertigo symptoms are controlled with supportive care.
