MaggieDog Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 One of my friends has an old dog (16yo) just diagnosed with a vestibular disorder. It's been about a week with very little improvement and she's starting to think about "the big decision" but I told her I might have some resources for her via you guys. If you have any suggestions for things she should look into it'd be greatly appreciated. This dog is her heart dog and she wants him to stick around as long as possible, though she's also very aware of his quality of life, too. her dog is currently on several meds and gets weekly acupuncture, but she's pretty open to anything at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeptramp Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Try dramamine One of my friends has an old dog (16yo) just diagnosed with a vestibular disorder. It's been about a week with very little improvement and she's starting to think about "the big decision" but I told her I might have some resources for her via you guys. If you have any suggestions for things she should look into it'd be greatly appreciated. This dog is her heart dog and she wants him to stick around as long as possible, though she's also very aware of his quality of life, too. her dog is currently on several meds and gets weekly acupuncture, but she's pretty open to anything at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 That was not the problem with Fergie. Although she sure did have the right symptoms, she recovered way too fast. He did say that Dramamine was a solution if it were vestibular disease. But he said that the first treatment would be to get the dog into a comfortable place and give lots of love and attention. The big problem is the panic because of the basic problem. Crating can be a big help if it is not a new idea. He said it can take about 2 days to get the dog back to normal. My vet said they don't know what causes vestibular disease - so they really don't know how to cure it. But they have experience in how to make the dog feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Stein Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Dramamine is a good suggestion, but the main thing is just hold on. It almost certainly will get better, it just takes a while for the dog to adjust. It's too soon to think about putting him down. If he can wobble around, give him a few weeks, and keep him safe and comfortable in the meantime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieDog Posted February 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Yea she went to the vet yesterday at the end of her rope, worried that she was "waiting too long" in terms of his quality of life and the vet said that they needed to give the dog at least 2 more weeks to recover before thinking that way. He's lost 5lbs because he's not eating so I'll ask her if perhaps they've considered dramamine. I've had vertigo before so I explained to her that once he finds a comfy place he's not likely really having to much of an issue, it's just when you move that things get really topsy tervy. her dog is blind, so I don't know whether that helps or hurts, but my vertigo was always better in the dark, so hopefully that's the case with dogs too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberviewfarm Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Yea she went to the vet yesterday at the end of her rope, worried that she was "waiting too long" in terms of his quality of life and the vet said that they needed to give the dog at least 2 more weeks to recover before thinking that way. He's lost 5lbs because he's not eating so I'll ask her if perhaps they've considered dramamine. I've had vertigo before so I explained to her that once he finds a comfy place he's not likely really having to much of an issue, it's just when you move that things get really topsy tervy. her dog is blind, so I don't know whether that helps or hurts, but my vertigo was always better in the dark, so hopefully that's the case with dogs too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberviewfarm Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 I had a dog with this. We actually kept him on a high dose of Benadryl for a 2 week time frame. He is fully recovered but boy it was scary when it was going on!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb Scott Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Someone on this list was a great help when our 14 year old Blaze had it: they suggested a seatbelt-type (padded) harness so Blaze could walk without being carried. Something about being lifted in the air makes them even more dizzy (makes sense). Also raising the food and water bowls was a help. Blaze improved a lot in about three weeks. Unfortunately, he then totally shut down and we let him go to the bridge. Barb S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokjbc Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Hi, My 14 year old, Rhett, had this almost exactly a year ago- I thought for sure it was the end as well, had my partner say good bye as I headed to work with her (I work for a vet). The first words out of my vet's mouth was "not as bad as it looks", gave her an injection of Cerenia and send her home with steroids and she was improved quite a bit by the end of the first week and almost normal in two weeks. She had a mild relapse (I could tell at home, but when I brought her in, he could not find any neurological deficits) but has been completely normal for at least 6 months. I say hang in there- Rhett is doing great right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCjetta Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 Being blind will make it harder for the dog to figure things out with the vestibular issues and therefore make the recovery longer. The vet I work for told me their sense of space/balance is totally thrown off by it and they use their sight to figure out where things are again (ie where to place their feet and where they are in relation to the ground etc). We recently had an old airedale in with it and she was almost blind. She was not eating or drinking and could not even get up or move much at all for a good 5 days. After that, if we stood her up, she could stand on her own but would fall if she tried to take a step. She's been slowly improving but it is slower than most of the ones we see because her eyesight is so bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denice Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 I have had quite a bit of experience taking care of dogs with this as a vet tech. Raising the food bowls or Hand feeding helps the dog can lie down and be comfortable while you are feeding them. Walking them with a bath towel under their belly so you can hold both ends for support and then a leash to guide them works pretty well. Mostly I have prednisone and supportive care used and most of them come out of it but it can take a couple weeks for some. good luck, Denice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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