Going in Circles - Page 1

One of bitches seems to be gooing in circles and is crooking her head to one side. What could this probably be? Called the vet who thinks this may be some protozal infection. Any ideas.

It sounds to me like it is an inner ear infection, rare, I know, but extremely possible. You veterinarian must see this girl as soon as possible. You may wish to see my long thread titled "Unnaturally Dirty Ears" that I am dealing with at the moment. Perhaps something very different. Whatever it is, please let us know the outcome. Bob-O

Hi, can I ask how old she is? I have never experienced this myself, but I have a breeder friend who has. This could be some kind of neurological problem and in the older dog is usually a sign of stroke. Dogs do not seem to show the same signs as in people as per paralysis, but the head going to one side and the going round in circles could be a clot or bleed in the brain or tumour growth. Going round in circles with the bleed/stroke is usually due to vertigo or a balance problem probably caused by same in the brain stem. Unless of course she has an ear infection which could be the cause of unsteadiness and tilted head. Is she scratching her ear or is it full of wax or smelly? If the infection gets into the middle ear it can cause vertigo, unsteadiness. If she is young it is unlikely to be a stroke like problem, and unless she has a head injury it is unlikely to be neurological at all. There are numerous things it could be. Not sure if dogs get meningitis or brain infections like humans either. Have only worked in the human field myself. Hope you find out the cause soon as this sounds distressing for you and the dog. Best wishes

She is a very you bitch, younger than 2 yrs. Does not look like a ear infection. The doc has put her on antibiotics and B-complex. May need to do some blood tests to find out if it is protizoan infestations. I suspected tic fever but could find no tics on her. She has been this way for one full day now.

AileenJim, I had a bitch who suffered a stroke, and yes, some of the behaviour is very much as is described. Other behaviours were a sudden loss of balance, bewilderment, and an occasional loss of all leg support causing he to fall on her belly. This bitch was approximately nine and one-half (9 1/2) years old at the time, and made a full recovery within three (3) months, living just past eleven (11) years when she succumbed to kidney failure. This was the only time that I ever saw this with any dog, and I have not seen it since. I agree that this bitch seems very young for a stroke, however it could be a neurological issue of some type, perhaps due to an unseen injury or infection. Now we know that the bitch is already on antibiotics, so that should take care of many types of bacterium, but of course may require as many as three (3) days to begin to work. Past these issues, perhaps a sinus infection? Athreya, please keep working with your veterinarian until you determine the cause. I suggest that you contact Hodie, as she has a wealth of experience with canine maladies. Bob-O

Is it a young puppy? If so I probably know what it is. I will look the name up and they typically outgrow it with no lasting problems.

Friends, Dogs do not really have strokes as do humans. However, older dogs can get a syndrome called "geriatric vestibular disorder". Bob-O, it does sound like this is what your older female had. It is characterized by loss of ability to stand or walk, falling down, tilting head to one side, vomiting and nystagmus (meaining the eyes rapidly move back and forth laterally, in this condition). It comes on suddenly and will scare the hell out of you! No one knows what causes this syndrome and supportive treatment is all one can do. Generally steriods, antibiotics and anti-nausea drugs may be called for. It will resolve in time, although some dogs always have a slight head tilt. Helping the dog stand and walk with some sort of supportive device may be necessary until the condition starts getting better. In a young dog, this is not likely the problem, and I agree that it is probable that she either has some infection of the ear, vestibular system or the brain or a brain lesion or tumor. Yes, dogs can and do get a variety of infections of the brain, but the most likely problem is an ear infection caused by a fungus or bacteria. Protozoans do not generally affect the ear. How suddently did it start? What other signs does the dog display? Some tick bites could cause an infection that might result in signs like this. It is important that your vet carefully evaluate the dog. If the vet is stumped, find another vet. This could resolve quickly, but the longer it goes on, the more chance permanent damage could result. Keep us posted.

Well The bitch is doing much better after two shots of oxytetracyclin and b-complex. Per vet it is a protozaon infestation. Anyway she seems to be improving. Doc says it will take up to a week to completelt clear up.