Candy Health Update

I have eluded to Candy being very ill but haven’t discussed it. I want to now. Candy has a significant heart murmur, but she also has Idiopathic Vestibular disease. Candy is 13 yrs., and the doctor refers to her as her geriatric patient. How can my baby be old enough to be a geriatric patient? Candy has experienced two episodes of the Idiopathic Vestibular disease this year. The first time was the end of May, and at that time I was sure that we were going to lose her. Candy could not stand, and she wasn’t eating or drinking water. Her head had a severe tilt to the right, and her right eye was not open completely. I wondered if she had a stroke. She was dehydrated and weak by the time we got her to the doctor. Luckily the doctor recognized the symptoms and knew how to treat it. Candy recovered after a couple of weeks but did not lose her head tilt or the tendency to stumble. Finally, we were able to walk around the park again, and I could tell she enjoyed doing so. It was our time together. I was thrilled!

Candy’s recovery lasted for 2 ½ months and then suddenly she collapsed and couldn’t get up again. In retrospect, I now realize that I should have understood it was occurring again as soon as her appetite diminished. Candy’s doctor prescribed meds to have on hand in case the symptoms returned, and I think that this quick application of the meds helped Candy immensely.

So what is Idiopathic Vestibular Disease? Before Candy became ill with Idiopathic Vestibular Disease I’d never heard of it. So after searching the internet for answers, I can share the following. Idiopathic Vestibular Disease is similar to Vertigo in humans. I’ve copied brief information from a couple of websites below. If you’d like to read the entire reports please click on the links or copy and paste into your browser. So having said that below are two descriptions of the disease that I found to be clear and easier to understand.
“Is It a Stroke or Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome?“

Thursday, January 25, 2018

https://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/health/strokhttps://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/health/stroke-old-dog-vestibular-syndrome/e-old-dog-vestibular-syndrome/

“One minute your dog is fine and the next they are staggering with their head listing to one side. It looks like the canine equivalent of a human stroke. What’s going on? While it could be a stroke or other serious condition, in a gray-muzzled dog, it’s often idiopathic vestibular disease, more commonly known as what’s called old-dog syndrome. And that’s good news.”

“Located in the inner ear and brain, the vestibular system helps dogs maintain balance and coordinate the position of the head, eyes, and legs. Anything that disrupts this system can throw your dog’s balance out of whack. And in older canines, it’s not rare that this happens. This syndrome is considered to be “idiopathic,” meaning that no one knows, exactly, what causes it. While old dog vestibular syndrome generally affects older dogs, it can occur in cats of any age.”

“You’ll know it when you see a sudden head tilt, loss of balance, falling or rolling to one side, circling, trouble walking and abnormal eye movement, often from side to side. As you can imagine, these symptoms are often accompanied by dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.”

“Although these signs can be frightening, the good news is that most dogs recover from vestibular disease. While some may retain a head tilt, they seem to regain their sense of balance and do just fine.”

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“Peripheral vestibular disease occurs when there’s an irritation to the nerves connecting the inner ear with the brain. The result is a loss of balance and other symptoms resulting from vertigo and dizziness. Peripheral vestibular disease can look and feel pretty dramatic to the dog owner, especially the first time it occurs. But fortunately, most cases improve quickly with supportive care and treatment, and of course, addressing any underlying cause for the condition.”

“Vestibular disease in geriatric dogs is often mistaken for a stroke. Vertigo caused by the disease can be particularly intense in older dogs with symptoms of nausea, difficulty, or complete inability to stand up, head tilt, nystagmus, and circling. The disease in geriatric dogs can make eating and drinking or even going outside to potty very difficult or even impossible. Supportive therapy in the form of IV fluids and supplemental nutrition may be needed.”
Dr. Karen Becker, Mercola Healthy Pets

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/06/04/canine-vestibular-disease.aspx

Please notice in the picture below (taken this morning) that Candy’s head is no longer tilted to the right side and her right eye is now fully open.