Loss Of Balance

[kayla1]

My older boy Coco has recently had a few episodes of what seems like loss of balance, where he will be standing still watching me and then suddenly fall over on his side. He gets up again straight away and doesn't lose consciousness. It has happened perhaps three times over the last couple of weeks. He has also developed a slight jerking movement, which may or may not be related (he shakes/shivers anyway, and has done this since I've had him).

He has a high grade heart murmur but is not on medication as he has shown no symptoms. I took him to a vet where he had chest xrays and there was no sign of fluid build up. Blood tests are all ok except for a slightly higher liver value, which may be caused by recently being on dexamethasone.

He has had issues with his back, earlier this year diagnosed with discospondylitis (now clear) and a major disc collapse (still a problem). He has been on various meds and is now on trocoxil, and is doing pretty well at the moment.

The vet said unlikely to be his heart based on xrays, and unlikely to be neurological. He said it may be pain related and to rest him - but this seems different, when he falls there is no warning that I can see. He's booked in to see his regular chiro vet, but that's not for another week. So I'm wondering if there are any other causes of loss of balance?

[ish]

Not vestibular syndrome? http://www.vetinfo.com/dencyclopedia/devestib.html

[kayla1]

Thanks for the link. Possibly, though he doesn't have some of the other symptoms mentioned - no vomiting or eye movement, and he's eating well.

[dancinbcs]

I know of an old Border Collie that does it from a heart arrythmia. The heart misses some beats and she faints. Then it starts beating again and she recovers. There is nothing they can do to treat it. In a human they would install a pacemaker.

[kayla1]

Thanks. That was my first thought actually, that it was fainting caused by his heart, but this vet wasn't so sure.

[Staff'n'Toller]

It may be worth doing an ultrasound to gain some more information on how well the heart is pumping, how efficiently blood is moving through etc.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Staff'n'Toller

[kayla1]

Thanks Staff'n'Toller. I was chatting to another vet who does Coco's acupuncture and she also suggested an ultrasound, so that may be the next step.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Thanks Staff'n'Toller. I was chatting to another vet who does Coco's acupuncture and she also suggested an ultrasound, so that may be the next step.

Yep, it will give you lots more info, and for a heart compromised dog it is generally done while awake. They just have to lay on their side. :)

[kayla1]

Thanks Staff'n'Toller. I was chatting to another vet who does Coco's acupuncture and she also suggested an ultrasound, so that may be the next step.

Yep, it will give you lots more info, and for a heart compromised dog it is generally done while awake. They just have to lay on their side. :)

That's good to know. :) He's had xrays with no sedation so he should be ok for an ultrasound too.

[Guest Augustine The Boxer]

Not trying to alarm you but I lost a dog two days after this started happening. I came home and she started doing exactly what you described. The hospital said she needed a blood transfusion but I lost her just before being able to rush her to another facility. From memory it has something to do with her becoming anemia.

[kayla1]

Oh dear, would anemia show up in the blood tests? Sorry to hear about your girl.

[Xyz]

I know of an old Border Collie that does it from a heart arrythmia. The heart misses some beats and she faints. Then it starts beating again and she recovers. There is nothing they can do to treat it. In a human they would install a pacemaker.

Dogs can have pacemakers installed!! They do really well with them :)