Need Help- Circling - Page 1

I have a lovely 2 yr old bitch with great show potential. About two weeks ago she started going about in circles. The Vet seemed to think it was some parasictic infestation and put her on a course of Oxyteteracyclin. This seemed to help she improved but the problem never completely resolved. She has been through B12 injections, and Oxytetracyclin. The Vet is not quite sure what this could be. It is probably some neuro related issue. Any suggestions. She is otherwise healthy, eating and stooling well. Just keeps going about in circles.

Athreya, I remember your original post. I first suspected an inner ear infection, and past that a neurological infection or injury. I never agreed with your veterinarian's diagnosis of a protozoan infestation, but I am not a veterinarian so I kept my mouth shut. Protozoans can only live were there is much liquid, such as in the digestive tract or blood stream. Myself, I still suspect an infection of an inner ear, sinus cavity, or both. Past that I suspect an infection of the brain or spine, and that would only be known from the results of a spinal tap. I know there are several others here, especially Hodie, who can give you more advice than I can. I guess the only advice that I can give you is to find another veterinarian who might know more things than the veterinarian that you are currently using. Good Luck, Bob-O

Athreya, I had a critter who got infected tooth, (a horse) The infection caused an abcess to burst and then infection traveled to lower brain stem. So I am in agreeance with Bob-O, I would say spinal tap at this point may be prudent. I would also consider her eyesight, Circling is typical with failing sight, whatever the cause of the failing may be. Not to say that she has to be completely blind at this point but, maybe her sight is beginning stages of failure for whatever reasons. Good Luck, wish you the best.

Am I understanding this correctly, the vet put your dog on on a broad spectrum antibiotic not because the dog tested positive for parasites, but because the dog was walking in circles? Stephen

Athreya, I emailed you before, as well as posted on your last post, to try to help you. I never received a response except for you to say that the vet said it was a protozoan on your last Pedigree site post. As Bob-O has said, and as I said before, a protozoal infection is a very UNLIKELY cause of your dogs' behavior. The first thing we need to know is where you live? Secondly, does the dog circle always in a single direction? Does the dog circle constantly or is it only sometimes? If sometimes, when does the dog do this? If you call the dog, does she stop circling and come to you? What do you feed and what possible toxins are present in your environment? Do you have ticks in your area? Do you have other dogs and, if so, are they healthy? What medications, if any, is this dog on? What you are describing could be related to everything from simple boredom, to a dog with some infection of the nervous system, vestibular system, ear canal, sinuses, teeth, to a metabolic or renal disorder, head injury, to a form of epilepsy *(seizures) all the way to a brain lesion. Based on your vets' lack of success to date, after you give us more information, we may be able to provide more assistance as to where to look. However, I would say that unless this is bring caused by simple boredom, the longer this goes on, the worse the prognosis might be. If it is being caused by a medical condition, you must find the cause and treat it, if possible, and immediately. I certainly would be seeking a second opinion from a vet who has more experience. This is not normal behavior and a really good vet would be looking into all kinds of possibilities.

Just to let you know,my 2 year old did that as a young dog and then stopped when I started training in schutzhund.I recently had an injury to my leg and have not been training and SURE ENOUGH the spinning started up again.He seems to be fasinated with his tail.He even does it with a toy in his mouth.I beleive it is boredom MOST of the time.Maybe you can try to increase a bit exercize level and see if it is better.I do know what you are feeling since I too have had to deal with that same behaviour.

I have a female who does that in the play run. her circle is larger but definetly a circle. you can see it in the gravel. In the smaller kennel run she bounces back and forth off the kennel walls and spins. It's in her case alot of energy and bored. When let loose to run around she will run for hours being chased by 3, 4 month old puppies. She just seems to have unlimited energy. She does laps around the house and laps around the other play areas where some of the other dogs are. I would try alot of exercise and see if that does not slow it down a little. With mine, I just know it is boredom, not a medical problem. Too much energy. She is 18 months and has done this for a long time.

Hi Hodie, The last time things kind of resolved with a course of antibiotics to point that the tilt of her head improved quite a lot and she overall showed a lot improvement so I believed the infection process whatever it was, was resolving, but she never really totally recovered. This is not a case of bordem. She only stops circling if someone were to support or hold her. She circles only in one direction and it is like she has no control. We have other dogs on the Farm and none other show such symptoms. All are housed and fed the same diet of beef, rice and calcium and vitamin supplements. The dogs are at at my farm in India. If it were a ear infection should it not have resolved with a course of broad spectrum antibiotics? We dont have much of tick problem either. At the momment I am really sure what this is. The farm is situated far away from the City away from noice and sound pollution. It is in a sylvan setting and i believe free of toxins. I went a new Vet who suggest this may be trypanosomiasis and has started treatment for the same, she seems to show improvement on this but it is too early to be sure. She does not have any temp and her appetite is fine. If can think of something hell please let me know. Will keep you posted on her progress

What is the diameter of the circle? is she running or moving slowly? Did one of the vets inspect the eyes (reaction of the pupillae)? How does she hold the head, is she shaking? Inner ear infectons are rather rare in dogs, was there a smell from the ear? If the bullatympanica is hurt, there is no normal head carriage and the raction of the pupilla is changed. Were the ears thorougly inspected for a foreign body? Please let us know, good luck!!!

Athreya, I should have mentioned that it took this horse, 3 full treatments of Anti-biotics to clear the infection. Meaning I had to give him a normal dose of meds 3x's as long as normal. he was on meds for 3 weeks instead of 5 days. I also should have mentioned that it took him a little more than a year, to completely repair all the dammage done to the nerves by the infection. So if this was a serious infection, inner ear or brain stem settle, It may take her a full year or more to completely heal all the dammage done. In the time with this horse because 1/2 of his face was dammaged nerves, he did not eat properly and looked horrible, we considered putting him down, but he's a young horse and we like him so we babied him along best we could with vets beside us and sure enough just like they said he would, he did get better and now you can't even tell that he had this problem, We noted the following issues: face fell on one side, ear drooped, eye was droopy, lips would hang, All of this was on one side of his face, the other side was fine. He looked like a Stroke victim. Hope this helps, please look at her closely if you see any of these symptoms please contact me I'll provide you with all I know to relay to your vet. Good Luck keep us posted.