Other signs include tilting of the head, uncoordinated muscle movements on one side of the body, falling, rolling, deviation of one eye in a given head position, circling, disorientation, and nystagmus (an involuntary eye movement where the eyes rapidly move back and forth or rotate, commonly described as flickering). Emmas staggering was a classic sign of vestibular dysfunction, but dogs may display varying degrees of loss of equilibrium and balance. Problems in the vestibular system typically reveal themselves suddenly, as the dog abruptly experiences problems with his balance. They also transmit this information to the balance systems control center, the cerebellum and brain stem, which sends messages to the muscles in the body to maintain the dogs posture and equilibrium. Hair cells deep inside the ear function as sensors, detecting the position of the dogs head. The vestibular apparatus encompasses the labyrinth of the inner ear along with the cochlea of the auditory system. Other cases, however, can be much more serious.Ī dogs balance is provided by a network of interactive anatomical structures that permit the dog to perceive his orientation in space and inform his extremities as to how to move appropriately. Schemm describes the sudden onset as very scary for Emma and me, too. Emma, fortunately, has not had another episode or shown any residual signs she could be a poster dog for the most transient and benign form of vestibular disease. The duration of these incidents varies so does the wide array of symptoms, with some dogs having relapses while others do not. After a visit to her veterinarian, Schemm learned that Emma suffered a bout of vestibular syndrome, a common condition in geriatric dogs stemming from inflammation in the nerves connecting the inner ear to the cerebellum, the control center for balance and spatial orientation.
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