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help!! my 9 1/2yr old great dane woke this morning act strange,.... wobbly, unable to keep her balance, panting a little unable to stand or walk without falling. What is going on?!!? Jacqui
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Great Dane Gender: Female Age: 9 1/2yrs Name of Dog: Syndey Already Tried: she wanted to go outside so I supported her back using a towel. she didn't want to drink. I gave her a baby aspirin. She's on glucosimine, her right back leg was giving her a little trouble in the past year or so. (she's a rescue, I've had before she was 1yrs old)
Hello, I am Dr. Peter a licensed Veterinarian. I would like to help. I need to ask you a few questions to be well informed and give you the best advice. There is no additional charge for information request.1- Does she have a head tilt?2- Did the symptoms just start this morning?3- Is she walking as if she was drunk?4- Take a look at her gums and see if they are pink or pale?
she's not walking,if she could it would be extremely "drunk". She doesn't seem to want to raise her head if she doesn't have to. Yes, it started this morning. She was fine last night. Her gums are pink. The same pink as my 3yrs old dane. She vomited a little earlier.
The symptoms that you are describing could be related to a condition called "Vestibular Disease." This is when the system that controls balance in the brain goes off. Possible causes could be ear infections, hypothyroidism (low thyroid), brain tumors, idiopathic (unknown), etc. Other possible causes could be primary neurological disorders like compression of the spinal cord by a collapse disc, systemic diseases, cardiopulmonary disease, tumors, etc. In this case, I would highly recommend to have her checked by a veterinarian as soon as you can to rule in Vestibular Disease. Dogs with idiopathic vestibular disease (most common) usually get better within 2 weeks. To determine the exact underlying cause she will need to have blood work (chemistry profile, CBC & T4), urinalysis and +/- xrays as initial screening test. Treatment will be determined by clinical and diagnostic findings. Follow up with veterinarian. Hope the above helps, if you have additional questions I will be glad to answer them. Dr. Peter
Experience: 12 years of internal medicine, surgery, and preventive care.