Why is my senior dog weak, lightheaded, and nearly fainting?

I'm so sorry that happened! That is so scary and stressful. It may be a good idea to talk to your vet about having some chest X-rays taken. If her heart is enlarged, an echocardiogram (sonogram of the heart) would be indicated to see if she has heart disease. Other things we may find on chest Xray would be possible concern for cancer. Since Tally is 8, she is at an age where that has to be something on our list of concerns. Even without a heart murmur, she may have some heart dysfunction that lead to collapse. Additionally, though her ECG was normal, sometimes arrhythmias are not persistent, and a cardiologist may recommend telemetry (wearing an ECG for an extended period of time). Its even possible to have a significant arrhythmia abnormality without an enlarged heart on Xray, so if a cardiologist consult is in your budget, you might talk to your family vet about a recommendation. Please watch her closely at home. If she is vomiting or is not eating, if she seems very dumpy and lethargic, or if she is having a hard time breathing or is breathing very fast at rest, please have her seen today instead of waiting until Friday. I hope she is doing well today; thinking of you guys. My best to Tally!

Poor Zoe! I would be very concerned that she has a serious medical problem causing her symptoms such as heart disease, which is common in senior dogs. Heart disease leads to exercise intolerance, and it would cause her to become weak during normal activity and fall over. These symptoms are certainly not normal, and she needs a visit to the vet as soon as possible for a physical exam, routine blood tests, urinalysis, and chest x-rays. Once the cause of her symptoms are found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you. Heart disease cannot be cured, but it can be medically managed. I would get her into a vet tomorrow or first thing Monday. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Tyson urgently needs to be seen by your veterinarian as he could be suffering from so-called syncopes. As he is a geriatric dog, his heart may be compromised, so when he gets excited when you get home, it may not transport enough oxygenated blood to his brain and he faints. This is called a syncope. There may also be other reasons for this, and a veterinary exam will help find the cause for the "losing consciousness". Epilepsy may be another cause. Your vet may want to do chest x rays and blood tests.

Difficulty breathing and panting could be a sign of heart disease or respiratory disease. Congestive heart failure would be the most common heart problem, while pneumonia, bronchitis, pleural effusion/fluid in the lungs would be some common respiratory problems. I would recommend seeing an emergency veterinarian as soon as possible if you feel Rex is having trouble breathing.

I am sorry to hear that Max isn’t doing well. Collapsing events are commonly associated with heart disease, but other problems such as anemia or cancers could cause similar signs. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. X-rays and/ or Blood work may be recommended to help define the diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I recommend to have both your dogs examined by the veterinarian. Just like humans, many diseases can have the same clinical signs and so it is impossible to know the cause without a physical exam and likely some diagnostics. Being unbalanced and collapsing is extremely concerning for an issue with the heart, blood pressure or the brain. Other conditions can also cause collapse. Fatigue can be seen with many conditions as well and it could range from internal parasites to an autoimmune condition. Have both pets seen within the next day. Diseases tend to have the best outcome if they are dressed early. I hope this helps.

It is quite possible that your dog is suffering from congestive or another type of heart failure or condition. When she exercises, the heart may not be able to pump enough oxygenated blood to the brain and then she would faint. I suggest you take your dog to a vet for an exam. If there is a heart condition present then medication can make your dog feel much better and prolong her life.