My dog is suddenly dizzy and restless. Could it be a stroke or heart attack?

Poor Bruice! This could be a serious neurological issue caused by age, a stroke, cancer, toxins, geriatric vestibular disease and more. I would have him seen by a vet as soon as possible as quick intervention may be necessary. Your vet may want to run blood work to make sure everything look okay. I hope this helps!

Little Baby Boy needs to see the veterinarian quickly. Weakness/neurological signs are never normal and can indicate many things including toxin ingestion, drug exposure, an infection in the brain, low blood sugar, a middle ear infection or liver dysfunction. Vestibular disease affects older dog but an infection in the middle ear is similar. A stroke would be very unlikley unless he got into certain medication or had a congenital abnormality. Also, yes, there are classic presentations to these diseases but not all pets read the book about how they should look so other presentations are possible. A physical exam and bloodwork is needed to begin figuring out the cause and the best treatment. Other diagnostics may also be indicated. I hope it's nothing too serious and that he gets back to normal quickly.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hunter. I recommend seeking emergency veterinary care for him. Strokes are actually very rare in dogs, but can happen. More commonly, dogs will experience vestibular disease. This is a problem with balance that will result in nystagmus (eyes twitching back and forth), a head tilt, walking in circles, stumbling and falling down. This can be caused by an inner ear infection, hormonal disease or a brain tumor, but is usually idiopathic meaning there is not identifiable cause. This is referred to as Old Dog Vestibular disease. This is usually a condition that can be treated and the dog will do well. If this is not the case, he could be experiencing a toxin exposure, trauma or an infection. It is important to have him evaluated so that treatment can be started. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Wow! I am glad to hear that Bailey is alive still. Great job with resuscitation! There are many causes and the heart could be the problem. If Bailey has a congenital heart problem, this most certainly could have lead to this. Walking Bailey may have over-exerted him, especially if he has a heart problem. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Bailey so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The sooner he is seen the better! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

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.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry for your concerns with Ziggy, but any acute change in behavior & mentation indicates a possible neurological disturbance. It would be in yours & Ziggy's best interest to have him seen this evening rather than waiting til morning. Not only can they make him more comfortable, they may be able to address some issues that may become irreversible as the hours pass. Hopefully, he will be feeling better soon. Take care.