Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome

There is a syndrome, variously referred to as Canine Vestibular
Syndrome, Peripheral Vestibular Syndrome (the current "preferred
name"), Geriatric Vestibular Syndrome, and Idiopathic Vestibular
Syndrome. Vestibular syndrome is usually a rapid-onset attack that
causes a head tilt and loss his balance. The disorder is more common
in older dogs and thus the name "Old Dog" or Geriatric Vestibular
Syndrome -- but it can occur in middle aged dogs, too, so the name was
changed. It is not a life threatening condition. It has been suggested
that there is a correlation between old dog vestibular syndrome and
hypothyroidism, so blood work should be done to rule out this problem.
What it is
Vestibular diseases can be classified into three major disease
processes: idiopathic vestibular disease, inner ear disease, or
central vestibular disease. Vestibular means "a problem with the
connections between the inner/middle ear and brain" causing ataxia.
Generally, it is an inflammation of the inner ear, the vestibule being
a cavity at the entrance to the cochlea of the inner ear. Vestibular
disease will clear up without treatment in most cases, but it may be
sometimes coincidental to other illness....

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