Although it may not happen often, there are many reasons why your dog may suddenly be stumbling or falling over including injury or stroke. Our Lacey vets discuss why your dog is staggering like they are drunk and why you should bring them to the vet.
If you notice that your dog has suddenly begun to stumble around or is falling over the could be suffering from a number of serious conditions. If this happens you should bring your dog to see a vet immediately.
Your dog could be suffering from a sensory dysfunction called Ataxia that results in a loss of coordination in the head, limbs, or rear end. There are three kinds of ataxia seen commonly in dogs: cerebellar, sensory and vestibular.
Cerebellar ataxia occurs when the cerebellum is damaged. Sensory ataxia is when the spinal cord becomes compressed due to a bulging intervertebral disk or a tumor. Vestibular ataxia is the result of an issue with the inner ear or brainstem.
Other signs of Ataxia along with staggering, stumbling and falling over could include head tilt, walking in circles, vomiting, nausea, and flicking of the eyes from side to side.
Dogs can suffer from a loss of balance due to inner ear infections. If your dog has an ear infection, you may also notice additional symptoms like head shaking and scratching, walking in circles, and eye flicking, as well as redness, swelling, discharge, and odor in or around the affected ear.
If your dog has suffered any trauma to their head or ears it can cause a loss of balance. Because dogs tend to experience pain while hiding symptoms this can be hard to determine. Signs that indicate a dog is in pain include heavy panting, slowed reflexes, change in appetite, enlarged pupils, biting or licking the wounded area, anxiety, and reluctance to lie down.
It can be rare for dogs to experience strokes but it is possible for this to be a cause of loss of balance. A stroke can be the result of blood clots, high blood pressure, hemorrhage, head trauma, kidney disease, or migrating worms. If your dog is having a stroke, you may notice a loss of balance, head tilt, circling, falling down, and loss of vision.
As your dog ages, their risk of brain tumors will increase, this can lead to staggering, stumbling and general loss of balance. The location of the tumor will determine the symptoms that your dog will experience and include changes in behavior and/or appetite, seizures, signs of pain, head tilt, swaying, a wide stance, lack of coordination, head tremors, flicking of the eye, and pacing.
Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) may cause a dog to stagger, stumble, or fall over. Encephalitis can come about as a result of fungal infections, tick-borne diseases, and parasites, among other causes. Other symptoms of encephalitis include fever and depression.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pets condition, please make an appointment with your vet.
Fainting or collapsing
This looks different to a seizure as the dog is usually still. Sometimes the gums will be a pale colour, rather than pink. The dog may appear wobbly and then fall to one side. It may happen during exercise, especially if the dog has been struggling to breathe.
There are a number of things that could cause collapsing and fainting, and it is important that your dog is examined by a vet. Your vet will perform a thorough examination, paying particular attention to the heart and may take blood samples as well as performing x-rays or an ultrasound exam.
Your Dog Has Vestibular Disease
Vestibular disease is often referred to as “old dog syndrome” and it’s a non life-threatening disorder that older dogs are more likely to get. Before we get into what vestibular disease is, it’s important to know what this system does and is responsible for. The vestibular system helps with the balance of the limbs, neck, head, and eyes.
There are both central components and peripheral components of this system with the central system being the brain. Peripheral components include the inner ear, and the function is to help transmit various types of information to the brain. Balance, spatial orientation, and motion are all a part of the vestibular system.
To put it very simply, vestibular disease is essentially vertigo, although it can be mistaken for other very serious health issues. Brain tumors and strokes are often times what is mistaken for a simple case of vertigo, also referred to as vestibular disease. Peripheral vestibular disease is the most common, but central vestibular disease also exists.
With central vestibular disease, it involves the brain, which could indicate brain bleeding, cancer, and many other possibly life-threatening situations. The good news is that central vestibular disease is rare in dogs and most cases are due to peripheral vestibular disease.
Q) My dog is acting drunk. │ Twin Trees Vet Talk (FREE VET ADVICE PODCAST)
Waking up and noticing that your dog is acting like he is drunk and wobbly is definitely cause for concern. There are a few different issues that could be causing your dog to act drunk and wobbly, but it’s usually not a life-threatening or serious situation.