My dog is circling, head down. Is it a stroke? Should I go to ER?

Hello, I am so sorry for your concerns about Doofy. This may not be a classic seizure, but this is definitely an indication of abnormal neurological behavior. She is an extremely old dog, so this would not be totally unexpected. It is very important to have Doofy seen as quickly as possible. She needs immediate care, otherwise she will literally walk herself to death. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, & I am very sorry that Doofy is not well. I hope you can help her as soon as you can. Take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bundy! I am very worried about a sudden behavior changed and circling in an older dog. I am concerned about a central nervous system (brain) problem like a stroke, brain tumor, dementia/cognitive dysfunction, sudden blindness, or vestibular disease. I highly recommend an exam by your Vet. I wish you and Bundy the very best!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Baby Girl is beautiful, I am sorry she is feeling sick. Dogs can have episodes where they suddenly become very dizzy, (head tilt, circling, 'horizontal nystagmus' which is the eyes flicking back and forth). This can be caused by many different things, including strokes, brain tumors, inner ear infections, etc. There is also a condition called "Idiopathic Geriatric Vestibular Disease" which means "we don't know why but old animals get dizzy". One cause of this condition is a stroke. This condition can resolve on it's own with time, and you usually see a drastic improvement over the first 24-48 hours. In the mean-time, we usually provide a drug called "prochlorperazine" which makes them not as nauseous. You can get this, or a version of this drug, from your vet. There is no treatment aside from making them not feel nauseous from the dizziness. Time is the only healer. If the cause is this vestibular disease, your little girl could get better and have a good life otherwise. This condition can re-occur at any time. If she doesn't get significantly better over the next couple days, then the problem is likely more serious and won't resolve. At that point you have to assess if her quality of life is affected. This will be determined if she has other disease processes going on. You will also need to provide nursing care in the mean-time, making sure she doesn't pee and poop on herself, bringing food and water to her. I hope she feels better soon. Best of luck with Baby Girl.

Hello. While possible, it is unlikely. I'd be more concerned that Brucie got into something, such as garbage, something toxic, or found some medication of drugs that had been dropped. We also see something called vestibular syndrome which causes an imbalance in the inner ear. If you can have Brucie examined tonight, that would be best just in case this turns into a more serious situation. I hope he is doing better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. With these symptoms, this could be due to a primary neurological disease or heart condition. I would recommend having Scooter examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having his blood tested and chest x-rays taken. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Trixie it’s hard to be sure what’s going on. It sounds like vestibular disease. This is an inflammation of a nerve that runs near the ear. When this happens the pet has a head tilt, can’t stand or walk well and is dizzy. I would recommend keeping her calm and away from anything dangerous, like stairs, until you can get her to the vet. You don’t need to give her any medications and it’s ok if she doesn’t eat for a couple of days. Keep water close by. Good luck and kisses to Trixie!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like an emergency. A visit at your local vets is recommended as soon as possible. The symptoms that Doofy is showing are not specific for one particular disease, but they could be due to stroke, vestibular syndrome, intoxication, twisted stomach. All of these conditions are serious and require immediate vet attention.