Dog question

MAYNARDSMOM

MAYNARDSMOM

Cathlete
Hoping someone can shed some light on this for me. Sunday our 9 yr old female lab had something going on w/her. All 3 of our dogs were out in the back yard, I went outside & they all came running up on the deck. Molly (dog in question) fell. I din't think to much of it at first thinking the other dogs knocked her off balance. Once out in the yard I thought she looked funny so I put the other dogs up & watched her. She seemed off balance, like her equilbrium was off. She was panting some but not to awful much. When she walked she staggered to one side & when she tried to shake her head she couldn't. It reminded me of a child who has been spinnig around & around then tries to walk, they are off balance. We kept an eye on her & it seemed to get better & by bedtime she was fine & has been since. She is pretty active for 9, still plays ball alot & runs with the younger dogs in play.
I have not called my vet since she does seem better. No offense to any vets out there, I have a wonderful & very knowledgable vet clinic we use. But also a very expensive one. I know they will tell me to bring her in for tests. She does seem fine now so I'm not keen on taking her in.

Thanks for any help you may offer.
 
Hi Tami..I would definitely keep my eye on Molly for the next few days. I know that back issues aren't very common in labs but I've had a lot of experience with it having gone through three back surgeries with my doxies. When my boys hurt themselves they also had similiar symtoms as Molly but were also showing signs of being in a lot of pain and discomfort.

I really hope that Molly is okay and it was just a one time thing but if she acts that way again I would definitely take her in because she could have something neurological going on. {{HUGS}} to Molly. :)
 
Thanks Chastity,

She never acted like she was in pain during her wobbliness just off balance. Something to keep in mind though. Sorry you have had such a hard time with your babies. I will definately watch her & call vet if it ever happens again. We will be going to visit the breeder we got her from this weekend (they have a new litter & I just love seeing those puppies :D) & I will mention it to her & see if her mother ever experienced anything like that.
 
Hi Tami! I had a barn cat do the same thing except it was chronic. We had made the decision to put her down, but one of our boarder's volunteered to pay for vet costs. It was some sort of odd infection, put her on antibiotics, she was fine in about 2 weeks and still lives on in MI!

Becky
 
My cat experienced something very similar. I'm certain she had a stroke. They can't test for that in any way without putting them under and doing an MRI. Then all they may be able to say is yes or no, it was or wasn't a stroke. Can't do anything about it. Apparently, animals can recover from that fairly quickly (although my cat did not - she started have diabetic seizures two days later and I had to put her to sleep :-( ) Do keep an eye on her. I would possibly call the vet and just talk to them briefly to make sure there isn't any virus or anything weird going around your area, though, and just to keep them aware so they can revisit that next time you do go in.
 
I think you should call the vet. Years ago I had a dog who had a stroke, the symptoms were very similar. I won't go into details b/c it's not my intention to freak you out, but it didn't have a happy ending.

Better safe than sorry when it comes to our furry babies. Call your vet Tami, & keep us posted!
 
I agree: take her to the vet just to make sure.
Staggering can also be a sign of poisoning, or a neurological problem. A quick trip to the vet can reassure you, and perhaps prevent any further problems that might occur by doing nothing. Better safe than sorry.
 
Hi,

She could have had a seizure, and you came at the tail end of it, once she recovered and got up...still wobbly /dizzy...? I would call the vet and have her checked out.
 
Thanks for all of your concern. I had initially thought a seizure/stroke also Laura. Especially at her age.
Heidi, I did look up geriatric vestibular syndrome which is what I had come across while looking up strokes when it happened. Like I said she has been fine since, eating well, no vomitting & getting extra lovin's!! ;)
I will give the vet a call & see what they say & go from there.
Thanks again everyone!
 
My little Betsy, our Beagle, had something that sounds very similar happen to her. She was completely fine after it was over. The vet said that is was most likely a seizure. She has been fine ever since. Hope everything turns out OK
 
fox2star said:
Hi,

She could have had a seizure, and you came at the tail end of it, once she recovered and got up...still wobbly /dizzy...? I would call the vet and have her checked out.
Click to expand...

+1 - this was my first thought. Sounds just like my Eskie when she had a seizure. There are many many reasons for seizures and only your vet can tell you which one caused hers. Unfortunately, yes, get out your check book. The tests are pricey.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top