Vestibular Disease Help Please!

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Paul Westwell - 20 Jun 2005 04:15 GMT

Hi all.

My 13 year old English Cocker Spaniel "Sandy" developed Vestibular disease
last Monday following a trip to the vets, I assume the trigger was anxiety.

From the signs I believe she most likely suffered peripheral vestibular
although I cannot be absolutely sure, I do not believe it was as a result of
an ear infection and she has never suffered with her ears in the past and
the symptoms came on abruptly.

Having read up on the internet what to expect in terms of recovery I was
pleased that after approximately 72 hours the Nystagmus reduced
significantly, she then started to walk from room to room (all be it a
little wobbly). This all happened by about last Wednesday but since I have
seen very little noticeable improvement in her stability/co-ordination.

I'm not sure now if she has just managed to overcome the lack of
co-ordination or if it has improved. When you lift her off the ground (front
paws) she in completely dis-orientated and unhappy.

I thought by now I might have seen some significant improvement, am I been
too impatient?

She is on antibiotics for a growth on her leg which was the purpose of the
original trip to the vets last Monday, the antibiotics are 150mg Antirobe
tablets. (www,antirobe.com) and she has one per day.

Any advice much appreciated.

Paul

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Janni Cone - 20 Jun 2005 21:43 GMT

Paul,
Do not despair - my 15 year old American cocker girl recently suffered a
bout of this scary disease, too. It WILL get better - although improvemnet
seems to be slow the older the patient. Her initial problem was exactly one
month ago today.

It took my girl over a week for the nystagmus to resolve. She wouldn't /
couldn't eat, so I was force feeding her with a syringe filled with broth
and Science Diet A/D food - again - for a week. I kept her confined for that
period, as well and she mostly slept.

GRADUALLY, she became interested in walking / moving on her own. I was
carrying her EVERYWHERE and she too would try to alligator roll while in my
arms. I found that supporting all her feet (making fake "contact" with the
ground) would help her adjust.

As soon as she showed interest, I allowed her to walk, stagger, fall, etc.
And she has gradually improved. this started to occur at about 10 days.

She then started eating on her own, but so far is only interested in canned
i/d dog food and treats. (Wouldn't eat the chicken and rice I cooked!)

Currently, she walks with a pretty goodhead tilt, but she's much better at
aiming where she wants to go and getting there. it was not an exact process
for quite some time - she would turn very easily in one direction and
struggled to head up the small hill of my driveway. Now, she's fairly
proficient at uphill and downhill, although she still staggers and might
half fall occasionally. But - she's barking at the other dogs, eating like
a champ (has regained all the weight she lost), broke into an awkward
run-like gait the other day. Still can't go up stairs, but she's starting
to attempt the three that bring her into the house.

It can be a long road, but if she's pretty healthy in other areas, you
should be good to go - although she may never fully adjust and may have the
head tilt. But, since I know she isn't in pain, and she's wagging her tail
and doing the things she did pre-disease, then I have no issue continuing to
provide the supportinve care that she needs. VERY draining thing to go
through, though - I feel for you.

email me off list if I can help.

Janni

> Hi all.
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>
> Paul

Reply to this Message

Paul Westwell - 20 Jun 2005 23:01 GMT

Janni,

Thanks for the response, this is reassuring and your description is
perfect... I can relate to so many things you talk about!

Sandy's nystagmus was around 72 hours, she won't eat her usual dried food
but will eat chicken and rice until she exploaded, she is also not
interested in her usual treats such as a "pigs ear". Today she spent
virtually all day out on the garden sleeping and avoiding the sun, normally
she would be in the house following one of us around and never been far out
of sight.

Sandy started to walk on about the 4th day (its 1 week today since it
began), you could have written the description of her progress with regard
to walking for me, its identical!

The scary thing for me is when I pick her up and she turns into an
alligator, I try to avoid this but she sometimes needs help getting over the
step when going to/from the garden, this is obviously distressing for her
also. I did try lifting her front paws over the step by putting my hands
underneath them with some success. Sandy can go up the staircase but cannot
get down, we are keeping her away from those for now as the experience of
carrying her down is not nice.

I'd love to keep in touch if we can and compare notes, I really appreciate
you reply. You can contact me at pw@westwell.nospam.me.uk and remove the
nospam.

Regards,

Paul

> Paul,
> Do not despair - my 15 year old American cocker girl recently suffered a
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> that
> period, as well and she mostly slept.

> GRADUALLY, she became interested in walking / moving on her own. I was
> carrying her EVERYWHERE and she too would try to alligator roll while in
> my
> arms. I found that supporting all her feet (making fake "contact" with
> the
> ground) would help her adjust.

> As soon as she showed interest, I allowed her to walk, stagger, fall, etc.
> And she has gradually improved. this started to occur at about 10 days.
[quoted text clipped - 65 lines]
>>
>> Paul

Reply to this Message

TheAmazingPuppyWizard@Mail.Com - 21 Jun 2005 00:36 GMT

HOWEDY paul,

> Janni,
>
> Thanks for the response,

Your pal jannie's dog GOT THE SAME PROBLEM, paul.

> this is reassuring

INDEED?

> and your description is perfect...

Of curse...

> I can relate to so many things you talk about!

You mean, like the dog flippin like a fish HOWETA watter
when you pick IT up on accHOWENT of he's in a PAINCK.

<snip>

> The scary thing for me is when I pick her
> up and she turns into an alligator,

You mean, she bites like a alligator and flips
arHOWEND like a fish HOWETA water when you pick
IT up, paul.

> I try to avoid this but she sometimes needs help getting
> over the step when going to/from the garden, this is obviously
> distressing for her also.

Your dog has STRESS INDUCED AUTO-IMMUNE DIS-EASE, aka
The Puppy Wizard's SYNDROME. We don't know HOWE COME
your dog GOT STRESS INDUCED AUTO-IMMUNE DIS-EASE, but
we DO KNOW HOWE COME your punk thug coward mental case
pal janie's dog GOT IT on accHOWENT of it's IN HER OWN
POSTED CASE HISTORY, paul...

> I did try lifting her front paws over the step by
> putting my hands underneath them with some success.
> Sandy can go up the staircase but cannot get down,
> we are keeping her away from those for now as the
> experience of carrying her down is not nice.

INDEED? THAT'S on accHOWENT of SHE DON'T TRUST YOU, paul.

> I'd love to keep in touch if we can and compare notes,

Oh please post to The Amazing Puppy Wizard's Forums, paul,
your posted case history will heelp someWON else avoid the
same PROBLEM you an your pal jannie got.

> I really appreciate you reply.

LikeWIZE.

> You can contact me at pw@westwell.nospam.me.uk
> and remove the nospam.

You mean, like THIS?: pw@westwellme.uk

> Regards,

LikeWIZE.

> Paul

Here's HOWE COME your pal jannie's dogs are DYIN from
STRESS INDUCED AUTO-IMMUNE DIS-EASE aka The Puppy Wizard's
SYNDROME <{); ~ ) >

Newsgroups: alt.pets.dogs.pitbull
From: "jc" <j...@invalid.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 12:57:50 -0700
Subject: Re: New pup

well, with "hard" breeds in particular, i prefer not going
straight into alpha bites with the 8 weekers.

with a pup that young, i briefly cover the muzzle with a
firm hand and say "no bites".

then i temporarily remove myself from their entertainment.
repeat as often--sometimes dozens of times a day--for a month.
with no success, i would then consider alpha roll, scruff
shake with "little feet" dangling in the air, or ear nip and
then brief time-out isolation from me. good luck nipping it
in the bud, so to speak. j

From: "jc" <j...@invalid.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 12:47:53 -0700
Subject: BigAl and any others with crystal ball gazing--males fighting

oh, big al,

what a nightmare! prob. is too late to neuter and expect them
to mellow at all. brain completely testosterone hardwired now.

God love you, what in the world made you optimistic enough to
think you could keep the two boys as pals?

i've had 30 years of living with 4 or more dom. breeds
simultaneously and successfully. however, i was a total
"bambi in the woods--pollyanna" regarding the pit breeds.

thought i could pull it off. my story below--may help others
and hopefully, others may help you and i.

i identify, as i started fostering two litter boys 6 wks ago-
-16 wks old now. the litter was found in a dumpster at 3 wks
old, hand reared and vet tech loved, but they kept them all
seperated after 6 wks.

pit littermates have been known to try to kill each other....sigh.

anyway, these boys were neutered at 12 wks--thank God--and
i put them together as soon as i got them home. a little
hairy, but only for a couple days. now they pile on us or
each other to snooze. however, since their play can get
rudely intense, but easily broken with mild intervention
from me--"boys, boys, boys" does it so far.

i'm terrified that if we can't place at least one,
they will have to be separated as they reach maturity-
-whenever we can't watch them.

don't look forward to that prospect at all. we love them both,
but based on the breed type--chances are strong that they will
tend to fight as adults. we also have a g.shep male rescue-
-neutered as adult and a spayed rottie/shep mix rescue.

for all i know, while extremely submissive with the big
dogs now, they may big time challenge them in the future.

we'll--looks like we both have our problems. me, because i've
never had pits before and plead abject stupidity. but, you!
my goodness, you certainly look at the world with the "glass
half full".

what i see now, with some pit reading and experience under
my belt, what i see is "a broken glass and a bunch of sharp
glass shards".

good luck to both of us. j

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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / June 2005

Vestibular Disease Help Please!