Why is my senior dog spinning, stumbling, and losing balance?

I would recommend that you have Sweety examined by a vet. Unspayed older dogs are at risk for developing a life-threatening infection in the uterus. Other possible causes for ataxia (walking drunk) are vestibular syndrome, ear infection, body infection, kidney or liver disease, etc. The vet will do a thorough physical and neurologic exam and may recommend blood work to see what could be going on.

She does need to see a vet as soon as you can as this sounds like a neurological problem. It may be a stroke, an inner ear infection, or vestibular disease. Your vet will examine her and start her on medicine to help with the dizziness and off balance so she can rest. Most regain normal function with time and treatment.

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.

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!

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.

It could be either a severe ear infection or vestibular disease, you must take him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated. If money is an issue please contact a dog charity in your area of living, they can help with costs of treatment in many cases. Many vets also have payment plans, and there is also a credit company that will land you money toward vet bills ( https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/) .

This could be anything from symptoms of poisoning to an ear infection or vestibular disease to a tumor or neurological condition. I recommend getting her seen by your vet as soon as possible for an exam, bloodwork, possibly x-rays, so your vet can determine the cause of Portia's balance problems and be better able to advise you on treatments.