Why is my 9-year-old dog lethargic, off balance, and swaying when standing?

Hello. It sounds like she may have had a mild episode of a condition called Vestibular Syndrome, an imbalance in the inner ear(s). If it has been a while since she saw a vet, it would not be a good idea to have her checked out. At this age, 2chainz is considered a senior citizen & things can begin to change. A good wellness exam & geriatric bloodwork is highly recommended to make sure she is as healthy as possible going into her "golden" years. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Synis experiencing very general symptoms of disease, these symptoms could fit almost any internal condition, maybe he is suffering from nausea due to a gastrointestinal disease and maybe he is in pain, from the symptoms described it's very hard to know. i would recommend taking him to the vet as soon as possible in order to get him checked, if he doesn't show any other obvious symptoms during the examination, a blood test and possibly an ultrasound will be needed in order to try and find out what is wrong with Syn.

Poor guy. He certainly sounds like he may either be in pain or has some underyling neurological disorder going on here. Your vet should know where to start looking once a complete physical examination is done, because much more information can be gathered here. They will certainly want to start with some baseline bloodwork and possibly some x-rays if he seems to have any musculoskeletal issues as well. Some possible causes for these symptoms would be an underlying neurological disorder (i.e. IVDD), Addison's disease (disease of the adrenal gland), a toxin ingestion, or just pain from something internal. I do hope that your pet starts to feel better soon! Best of luck tonight at the vet. Take care.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would be worried about a few things regarding Bindi with what you are describing. One possibility if a bleeding tumor. If Bindi is older (>4-5 years old) this becomes more likely. You can look at her gums to see if they are pink or white. Otherwise, it is possible she got into a toxin (like marijuana) which can make her sleeping, be normal when 'roused' but otherwise be very flat and tired. If she is dribbling urine this is more likely. There are many other conditions as well. I would suggest calling the clinics in your area and finding one that does out of hours calls to see if they could see you. There are many other causes for her clinical signs, and without seeing her or knowing more it is hard to narrow it down. Best of luck with Bindi.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Charlie. He could have many things going on due to his age. Possibilities include toxin exposure, infection, heart problems, neurologic problems, endocrine/hormone problems, kidney/liver/gallbladder disease, cancer, etc. I would advise taking Charlie to your veterinarian right away to get him assessed. Your vet can gather a history, perform an exam and then advise a diagnostic/treatment plan based on their findings. Possible tests include fecal/blood/urine tests, x-rays/ultrasound. Once a diagnosis is made a treatment plan can be implemented. Good luck with Charlie

I'm sorry to hear Badger is having issues. There could be multiple causes for the dizzy-like spells you are seeing, including an orthopedic issue, an underlying medical issue, or a neurologic issue. Neurologically older dogs can get something called vestibular disease, which affects the inner ear and controls balance. When affected, this leads to vertigo like symptoms. Vestibular disease can be seen in older dogs with no apparent underlying cause, or can be secondary to an inner ear infection or growth in the inner ear. I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying causes for the issue he is having, have any necessary testing done (X-ray, bloodwork) and start any treatment that he may need. Good luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The falling/lethargy episode you described may have been a seizure. This may be due to toxin ingestion or epilepsy, which does occur occasionally in older dogs. Head shaking may be related or unrelated as an ear infection. I recommend having Sami seen by her vet who can perform bloodwork and x-rays and prescribe anticonvulsant medications if the seizures continue. I recommend bringing a video of the episode if you are able to, as his will be really helpful in determining if the episode was truly a seizure. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!