Why is my dog suddenly lethargic, disoriented, and can't walk?

Oh my. Poor guy. His symptoms unfortunately aren’t specific for one disease process to speak ok. Lethargy, shivering and weakness can be caused by just about any disease process including: toxin ingestion, underlying heart disease, or even anaphylactic shock is a possibility. But one thing is sure, Snoopy is in need of medical care if this has been going on for more than 6 hrs or so. He will need some diagnostic testing (bloodwork analysis to start) to determine what the underlying problem is so that we know how best to help Snoopy get better. I would recommend getting him seen as soon as you can. I hope that he is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best of luck to you and take care.

I would recommend that you have Charlie examined by a vet. The symptoms you have described can be cause by idiopathic vestibular syndrome ( http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=564 ), but this is usually seen in older dogs. Other causes could be a middle ear infection, an issue in the brain, or less commonly a stroke. It is possible that he is not reacting to the sudden changes in temperature, and I may be inclined to think this was the cause if he is much better in a couple hours.

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.

I'm sorry to hear that Spud is having this issue. It sounds like you need to get him to your vet for an exam. He may be showing early signs of seizure activity or vestibular syndrome. The other options are liver disease, heart disease, kidney disease, toxin exposure - just to name a few. His symptoms unfortunately are not specific for any one disease process or illness. It will take a vet exam and probably some diagnostics (bloodwork, maybe x-rays) to figure out what is going on. This is not something I would ignore in a dog that is almost 10 years old. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This sign as you described it seems to be compatible with a neurological problem, most likely affecting the spinal cord at the thoracolumbar level. Intervertebral disc extrusion, spinal cord infarct and spinal cord tumor are all possible differentials and immediate check up and neurological examination should be performed as soon as possible to be able to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Further investigations like x rays may be immediately needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian right away if at all possible. The symptoms you have described can be the result of an intoxication, orthopedic pain such as arthritis or a neurological problem. An examination will be performed and x-rays may be needed to diagnose the problem. From there, appropriate treatment can be prescribed. I hope this information helps!

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!