idiopathic vestibular syndrome

[splashgirl45]

anyone else dealt with this. i got woken at 2 this morning and my old collie cross was staggering about in a very confused state. i phoned the vet and he said to keep her calm and monitor.and if no improvement bring her in.. anyway, she got no better and he has diagnosed the above, her eyes were flicking which i hadnt realised.... she is 13 and in good health normally, he said she should improve within 24 to 48 hours but it may be a bit longer. has anyone gone through this and how long did it last and did your dog ever get it again..? i feel exhausted with the stress of it all and i really thought i wouldnt be bringing her home, she is resting now and seems calmer....bloomin animals, who would have them!!!!

 

[meleeka]

Yes my dog had a couple of episodes. If you google it you’ll see some extreme examples which will make you feel better!

The first time it happened my dog was almost back to normal within a couple of days, and fully recovered by 5. I’m sure it was more distressing for me than her. The next time was a few months later and much milder. Both times was when she’d been left longer than normal so I’m not sure if stress was a factor.

Intimately she was diagnosed with high blood pressure which could have been an early symptom of tumours on her liver. She was eventually pts because of them but lived almost a year on meds quite happily.

I’d say don’t worry yet. If another episode occurs get her blood pressure checked but I understand they are very common as an isolated incident in older dogs.

 

[splashgirl45]

thankyou meleeka, i cant relax and am watching her all of the time, she sleeps for a little while and then seems to wake up and look around like she doesnt know where she is. i looked on the internet and one video said their dog took 7 days to recover and it did look worse than mine so i was hoping that someone could give me a more hopeful outcome...

 

[Stiff Knees]

Spot had this happen once when she was 14 years old, she took 3 days to recover but we kept her quietly for another few days afterwards. She only ever had the one episode, it was terrifying at the time, for me, she didn't seem very upset by it at all, she rallied very quickly. Good Luck.🐾
ETA: It was the flicking zig zagging eyes that alerted me that something wasn't right with Spot, hers was very obvious, you couldn't have missed it so perhaps your dogs was not as extreme an eye flick as Spot's. When she stood up she looked as though she'd had one to many G&Ts. 😱

 

[splashgirl45]

thanks SK, its horrible she is so wobbly on her back end and i feel so helpless. i drove to the vets in tears thinking i wouldnt be bringing her home, i am still feeling really upset , and wont be able to go up to bed tonight , i cant leave her in case she hurts herself....as i was up at 2 and didnt turn the light off till 12, i feel a bit like a zombie already...its good to hear a couple of positive outcomes so i dont feel quite so alone...

 

[gallopingby]

Hi, it’s probably more common than you think. I had a rescue dog who had two episodes, the first one was when l was on holiday and she was staying with friends who took her down to the vets and they said she’d be fine by the time l returned and they’d look after her. She then had another episode about a year later and we were going to give her a couple of days to see how she got on as she was about 13 by then, at the 11 hour she suddenly came round and lived another year. My 15 year old spaniel had an episode about 2 years ago, came on really suddenly and l rushed her down to the vets,she was back home the next day and didn’t require any meds after the initial dose. It’s scary when it happens but they seem to recover well, we did excercise with thecrescue dog but the spaniel is a little smaller and more active and she just bounced back in a few days.

 

[splashgirl45]

thankyou, my vet didnt give her anything apart from an injection to stop her feeling/being sick. what did your vet give yours?

 

[Stiff Knees]

Our vet simply advised to keep her quiet and well hydrated. She had small meals, her appetite didn't wane at all, but we fed her little and often. She did make a complete recovery so please try to stay positive. Keeping our fingers and paws crossed for you both. 🐾😍

 

[gallopingby]

thankyou, my vet didnt give her anything apart from an injection to stop her feeling/being sick. what did your vet give yours?

The last one didn’t have anything other than the anti sick jag. I was surprised she didn’t need anything but she was fine within a couple of days.

 

[splashgirl45]

well she has eaten a small meal this morning, just chicken and rice with added water, and she has had a slightly smaller one tonight, she doesnt want to drink so i have added water with both meals and have been using a syringe to trickle water in her mouth regularly during the day...i have an old car harness which i have put on her and used a towel for the back end and have managed to get her out in the garden a couple of times for a wee without her falling over. i dont know what else to do, i will be staying downstairs but cant imagine i will be able to relax enough to sleep, hope once it is dark she will relax and have a sleep...

 

[{97702}]

I’m sure she will settle as the evening goes on SG, a lot of people suggested this was what Flick could have when she had her stroke as some of the symptoms are similar. Certainly with Flick she settled and slept quite happily overnight (on my bed 🙄) even though I was worrying myself silly.....

I’m thinking of you tonight, it is horrible when you are so concerned ☹️ Try and get some rest, hopefully she will be a lot better in the morning xx

 

[splashgirl45]

she is a bit better this morning and much more alert, still wobbly but eyes not flicking quite so much. she wouldnt settle last night so i laid on the floor next to her and kept my hand on her and we both got some rest. i did sleep a bit on and off but feel rather stiff and have a lovely headache. its doing my diet good as i cant face cooking so had a jam sandwich for my evening meal!!!!

 

[Aru]

Wait it out. It's often awful initially but many recover quite quickly and feel better once you fix nausea. Most show improvements usually by day 2 or 3. Quiet days of rest and give her body time to heal.

decent handout below on what to expect-
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/neurological/vestibular-disease-dogs

 

[splashgirl45]

thankyou aru, she had an injection to help with the sickness and although has been licking her lips a bit has shown no sign of being sick so far. i feel a little bit more relaxed today as she seems more like my dog and is more relaxed herself....i still feel shattered though and it will take me some time to be confident enough to go upstairs to bed and leave her...

 

[Stiff Knees]

she is a bit better this morning and much more alert, still wobbly but eyes not flicking quite so much. she wouldnt settle last night so i laid on the floor next to her and kept my hand on her and we both got some rest. i did sleep a bit on and off but feel rather stiff and have a lovely headache. its doing my diet good as i cant face cooking so had a jam sandwich for my evening meal!!!!

Sleeping on the sofa when one if the dogs is ill quite often releases a troublesome trapped nerve in my shoulder...look for the positives...every cloud has a silver lining. Hoping you have both had a decent day today and that tomorrow s even better🐾😍

 

[splashgirl45]

if anyone is interested my dog is much better, cant same the same for me as i have hardly slept since friday, her eyes are almost back to normal, she is still a bit wobbly but is very keen to go in the garden and i am having to stop her from jumping out of the kitchen door and up the 2 steps into the garden so she is mentally feeling more like herself. i now have a bed in the living room, as per pic, but still cant relax yet, but i feel more positive that she will recover. thanks all for the support.

 

[splashgirl45]

and someone is enjoying sleeping on the bed

 

[{97702}]

Awwww she is beautiful SG, I’m so so pleased she is picking up 😊😊😊 I’m sure she will go from strength from now on, I’ll keep my fingers tightly crossed for you both (and please try to get some rest xx)

 

[splashgirl45]

thanks, i have been trying to rest but it is difficult when she gets up and wanders about..my little terrier is loving the bed and is now sprawled out on it again..she is on the floor by my feet and is fast asleep which is what i should be doing...

 

[Stiff Knees]

That's great news SG, I think you can probably relax a bit now and begin to look after yourself, you'll be no good to her if you're exhausted...sending virtual hugs to you both. 🐾

 

[splashgirl45]

a little update, it has been six weeks since the nighttime dash to the vets., she has improved a little bit every day and this morning she walked for half an hour with only a few wobbles, so getting back to normal, she sometimes just stares into space and doesnt seem to be with it and as the nerve connects to the brain i assume it is a bit of a side effect . i think it happens with people who have had vertigo as well so that may mean she will always do it...at least she now has a good quality of life again and i can put any dark thoughts out of my mind., phew!!!!!!

 

[Sprout]

SG I am so glad your dog is making such a good recovery, as many do, its such a horrid thing to witness and nurse them through.
Our fit as a flea 13 year old collie had a Vestibular Episode 3 weeks ago and was very badly affected, I nursed her for a week, day and night, and she was making a degree of progress, but she then had another awful episode, and with the vets advice, we came to the heartbreaking decision to let her go with dignity as she was so agitated by it all and vet thought recovery to a quality of life was almost impossible.

Thinking of you and hope you have many more happy times together. Xx

 

[Pearlsasinger]

SG I am so glad your dog is making such a good recovery, as many do, its such a horrid thing to witness and nurse them through.
Our fit as a flea 13 year old collie had a Vestibular Episode 3 weeks ago and was very badly affected, I nursed her for a week, day and night, and she was making a degree of progress, but she then had another awful episode, and with the vets advice, we came to the heartbreaking decision to let her go with dignity as she was so agitated by it all and vet thought recovery to a quality of life was almost impossible.

Thinking of you and hope you have many more happy times together. Xx

I am so sorry to hear your news, Sprout.

OP, It's good to hear that your news is better. My Lab lived a good life after her episode and was pts aged 15 because of her arthritis.

 

[meleeka]

SG I am so glad your dog is making such a good recovery, as many do, its such a horrid thing to witness and nurse them through.
Our fit as a flea 13 year old collie had a Vestibular Episode 3 weeks ago and was very badly affected, I nursed her for a week, day and night, and she was making a degree of progress, but she then had another awful episode, and with the vets advice, we came to the heartbreaking decision to let her go with dignity as she was so agitated by it all and vet thought recovery to a quality of life was almost impossible.

Thinking of you and hope you have many more happy times together. Xx

I’m sorry for your loss . I would suspect something else going on there (mine turned out to have high blood pressure causing the episodes, because she had internal rumours on her liver and spleen).

OP I’m pleased your little one is pretty much back to normal.

 

[splashgirl45]

so sorry sprout. mine is also collie and age 13 and when i drove to the vet i was convinced i wasnt bringing her back...i had thoughts of PTS during the first couple of weeks as i felt her quality of life wasnt as good as i would have liked. i have already decided that if she has another one before she has fully recovered from this one i will consider PTS.... it is horrible to have a fit healthy dog when you go to bed and suddenly that all changes.....i still watch mine all of the time in case she gets another one....