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Monday, October 20, 2014

Kane

Our doggy has been diagnosed with Vertigo. (Vestibular Syndrome.)
Kane began to stumble and walk in circles last evening. He was pacing up and down the hall which was not a usual thing for him. We took him out to the yard for his last pee break and got him settled for the night but the next morning once he stood up he began to stumble again. His appetite was fine and he did not seem to be in any pain but he was most definitely out of sorts.

Off to the vet he went and within minutes of describing his condition Dr. King said it sounded like Canine Vertigo. She gave him an examination and watched as he wandered around her office.
She then prescribed ear drops, antihistamines and three holistic pellets (a remedy) that should help stop the symptoms.

He seems to have settled nicely tonight and enjoyed a bit of roast beef (and his pill) with his dinner. We'll see how he is tomorrow.

                          "Don't get up too fast buddy or you'll get the dizzies."



I found this on-line...


Treatment

Your vet will need to do a full physical assessment of your pooch. This will probably include an ear examination and neurological tests to discover if the ear or the central nervous system is the cause of the problem. The vet needs to eliminate other possible causes of your dog's symptoms, so he could perform quite a battery of tests. Once he knows the cause, your vet will prescribe the right treatment. Motion sickness drugs help relieve your pet's nausea and if the vertigo stems from an ear infection, then he'll probably prescribe antibiotics for that. The treatment really depends on the cause, so there isn't one universal treatment for the condition. The good news is that vertigo usually only lasts for a couple of weeks at most, and you can play an important part in your pet's convalescence.


Care

While your furry friend is receiving treatment and recovering, he really needs you to provide a calm, supportive environment for him. Chaos will only make his feelings of confusion worse. You might need to carry him outside to potty. Also, you may have to bring him breakfast in bed and feed him by hand until he regains his sense of balance. Veterinarian Karen Becker suggests giving your pet calming herbal essences, such as chamomile, passionflower or valerian to alleviate the stress your pet feels during his illness.


"Breakfast in bed it is, Kanie"


hugs, Deb


38 comments:

  1. Poor guy! Didn't he have some ear issues a while back? I know he'll get the best care possible, and thank goodness it's not something "bad". {{hugs}}

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  2. If it's similar to the human version of vertigo, I've had it. It's disorienting, but medicine works. Left alone, it'll take months to sort itself out.

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  3. Never knew dogs got this but it makes sense. It's not fun, because I have had it. Glad isn't wasn't some this worse. He is beautiful. He might be a tad bit heavy to carry outside to potty.

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  4. I know Kane is in the best hands! But my prayers are with him anyway. Wonderful news about Mootie and Pip. We need some good news with everything that's happening on our planet.

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  5. Phew.....nothing serious.....awesome!
    My boyfriend had vertigo.....human vertigo!
    Not fun to drive with this malady.....
    Get some rest....
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  6. It is never easy when our beloved animals are ill or when they have to leave us. I hope Kane recovers and you have a few more years to enjoy each other.

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  7. Hey Kane,
    I'm thankful it sounds like something that can be remedied.
    You are in the best hands...and breakfast in bed =)
    (I'm giving you a pooch hug-but don't tell my kitty brats!)

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  8. Poor precious Kane. Hopefully he'll be able to relax and sleep until the vertigo passes. My late cat Misty had it. Ataxic gait, head tipped to the side. The vet said it was Feline Geriatric Vestibular Syndrome. The worst of it passed in 12h and she was totally back to normal at 36h. Vet said it's usually a one time thing.
    I have episodic vertigo too. When it strikes, I can be sitting in a chair and feel like I'm upside down. It's awful.
    We're keeping Kane in our prayers.

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  9. Oh I'm pleased for Kane that he has such caring yoomens who saw problems and are dealing with it. Here in Africa, this would not even be noticed. Or if it was, then the children and their elders would think the dog was doing a silly dance and laugh at his "antics" Thanks for being there for him, Debs and may the meds and calm surroundings of your home have him sturdily back on his feet again. (((Hugs for you both))) Jo

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  10. Ah!Bless! Hope Kane will be 100% soon!
    Perhaps Nurse Audrey could help out a bit to!
    I'm sure she has a good bedside manner, amoung
    ALL of her talents! :).

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  11. I had vertigo with a bad ear infection . I do hope Kane gets better . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  12. Poor old sausage...sending him a gentle hug and some nose kisses,
    Jane x

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  13. I have this problem at least once a year when my ears get plugged up because of allergies. I feel honored to have canine vertigo! Kane, we rock! Get better soon!

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  14. A prayer has been answered. This, you can deal with. Poor darling. What a beauty he is! I am most certain he is going to be fine, back at home with his family! Blessed!!!

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  15. Oh no! I am so sorry, poor Kane, but of course he is in the best hands (and hearts). Wishing him a nice quiet time resting and being loved, and a quick recovery. He is such a handsome man.

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  16. I'd never heard of such a thing. Does it come with age? It seems to have struck Kane suddenly. I am glad to know that there is an effective treatment for it and that he will be all right. The poor fellow must have been very confused at the abrupt shifting of the world whenever he walked.

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    1. Yes, John, it does happen mostly in older dogs. It can be caused from an inner ear issue. He is on meds now and seems to be better this morning. Still not walking right but not stumbling around like a drunken sailor. He had a good breakfast and is now heading out for a car ride.

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  17. We are sending our prayers and hugs to both you and Kane. I hope the medications help him feel better. He couldn't have a better Mom to love him and nurse him back to health.

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  18. Good luck -- I hope things level out. I'm just relieved that it isn't something like a brain tumor or similar. He's so pretty and I know you love him so much. He's lucky to have you!

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  19. Hope Kane feels better soon! I'd like breakfast in bed too...

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  20. I went to bed thinking of you and Kane so I'm glad to see this post! Vertigo is not fun but he might just enjoy some pampering and breakfast in bed! Big hugs to all of you and especially Kane! Love and Healing thoughts heading your way.
    hugs,
    Linda

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  21. I do hope that Kane is feeling better! We love our fur babies so much and we all want them to be happy and healthy every day. It's the very least we can do to repay them for all the love they give us. Kisses for Kane!

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

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  22. Poor Kane! Dizziness is awful. Hope your beautiful boy feels better soon!

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  23. So glad that the diagnosis was something that is not life-threatening. It seems as though my mantra for dealing with health issues is "at least, it is not life threatening". Like many commenters, I have had the human version of vertigo and it's like the room is just spinning around but no pain. Praying for a quick recovery for Kane.

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  24. Aw Kane, I hope you feel better soon. I do understand what you are feeling, I think. For the last several years I havehad vertigo every now and then. Even crawling on all fours I have "tipped over" so I know you having 4 paws on the floor isn't always enough.
    Love to you, Sweet Dog,
    Lily

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  25. Poor pup. Like having another kidlet, isn't it?

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    1. Yes, it is. I spend most of my day watching over him and helping him get from A to B. I even served his dinner to him on his bed tonight. He is improving but at his age this might be a slow recovery. I'll be his assistant, though.

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  26. I hope Kane recovers quickly. Im thinking a little dish of ice cream might help?? :-)

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  27. Oh Dear, I occasionally have something called BPPV which presents with severe vertigo so I can relate. Just on a whim, I googled if dogs can get it too and apparently they can. The human treatment is amazingly effective and it appears it might work for dogs. Ask your vet about it. http://www.caninefitness.com/docs/Vestibular_Dysfunction.pdf

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    1. Thanks Diane. I appreciate the information.

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  28. What a sweet pooch he is - hope he's doing much better by now Deb.
    Mary x

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  29. Sending well wishes to Kane!

    A couple of years ago my family's old dog (who is sadly no longer with us) suddenly came down with vertigo, which her veterinarian called "Old Dog Vestibular Disease". We happily babied her and spoiled her even more than usual while she recovered. She did well on her motion sickness medication, but she still wobbled and had difficulty walking. We aided her and carried her as needed, but she was a large dog (roughly 70 lbs at her heaviest). So, to make it easier on both her and us, we got a vest with handles for her to wear, and when she needed help walking we would use the handles to help keep her upright and steady. And the best part was that she seemed to really enjoy wearing the vest (it seemed that she knew it helped her and that she felt more secure when wearing it)!

    Some articles I read claimed that it's rare for dogs to come down with this vestibular disease more than once, but our old girl came down with it again about six weeks after recovering from the first bout. We already knew the drill at this point, though, so all went much smoother that second time around. Our old girl lived for another year after that, perfectly happy and perfectly spoiled (although never quite as steady on her feet).

    Get well, Kane!

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  30. Poor Kane! He must wonder what the heck is going on. Poor you if you have to carry him outside for the potty. He's not exactly a lap dog size. Hope the treatment works and he's back on steady feet soon.

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  31. Sure hoping Kane feels better soon. Dizziness is such a horrible feeling to live with. It has taken me a while to catch up reading your posts. I'm so happy about the kitty cats going to their new home at Knatolee's World. I looked at her blog from yours and really like her blog too. So thankful for people with kind hearts. Glad your tears turned into happy tears.

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  32. Hope he's better already! Vertigo is horrible for humans..and I'm guessing just as irritating for dogs!

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