Why is my senior dog circling, leaning, not eating, and confused?

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!

Poor Milly! That is very concerning. I would recommend taking her in for an examination by a veterinarian. Falling can be a sign of cardiac disease or neurological disease. Sometimes it can be something like Old Dog Vestibular disease which causes severe neurological signs like circling, nystagmus (eyes bouncing back and forth) head tilt and falling over. This condition usually self resolves, but needs a veterinarian exam to differentiate from a more serious condition. Sometimes it can be a heart problem which is causing poor circulation which would require medications. A veterinarian will do an exam to localize the problem to a system and then blood work . Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Lucy! This could be a few different things. The most common things would be geriatric vestibular disease, an inner ear infection, a cerebral vascular accident (stroke), or a brain tumor. A lot of times it is geriatric vestibular disease which is a disorder they get when they get older that causes imbalance, but it improves with time. Unfortunately, they usually need supportive care to prevent dehydration. If she were mine, I would take her to your vet for an exam. Your vet may want to run some blood work to ensure her organs look okay and there is no toxins involved. Your vet will likely recommend supportive care and possibly antibiotics or steroids to cover all the possible problems. They may want to keep her there to watch her closely. I would give her a few days to see if she improves. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Whitey is not feeling well. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. She may be quite ill with these symptoms. I would recommend having her blood tested and having abdominal x-rays taken. I hope this helps and that Whitey gets better soon. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I’m wondering if you’re dog might be showing signs of a neurologic problem. I would recommend checking in with the vet who performed an exam when the blood work was checked to see what they would recommend as the next step. Referral to a neurologist might be recommended, or they may have another thought as to what is causing these signs.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Since Macho Man is walking in circles, I would be worried about a possible neurological issue. Especially if he is having urinary and fecal accidents in the house, I'm worried he either cannot control his bowel movement, or is unaware that they are happening. Circling (walking in circles) could be a sign of forebrain disease, meaning something is wrong in the front part of Macho Man's brain. Since he is older, there is a chance his signs could be due to something like a brain tumor. I recommend having Macho Man evaluated by either your veterinarian or a neurologist, if your veterinarian is not comfortable with neurologic exams. I hope this is helpful.

There are various conditions that can manifest with those signs. The most common on would be vestibular syndrome, which is quite common in geriatric dogs. Another cause could be an inner ear infection or meningitis, a brain tumor or similar. Vestibular syndrome has a sudden onset, the dog (or cat) shows a head tilt, sometimes circles, and is nauseous or even afraid, as it cannot figure out why it feels strange. We do not know what causes this, however in most cases this will go away by itself within a few weeks. Sometimes the head tilt remains. I suggest you take Rex to your veterinarian for an exam and possibly some medication to take any anxiety caused by the condition, if needed. Your vet will also be able to rule out all the other conditions.