kayla1

This is probably a long shot, but does anyone know anything about the causes of vertical nystagmus? My older girl Kayla had a vestibular episode nearly five weeks ago - this episode was put down as idiopathic vestibular. She had all the usual symptoms of horizontal nystagmus, head tilt, vomiting, staggering. She has improved somewhat but is still quite tilted and wobbly. She also still shakes her head and only eats out of one side of her mouth (bowl). However she's also had several shorter episodes which all follow a similar pattern where she has vertical nystagmus, weakness in her hind legs, tilting, staggering, trouble getting up, urinating. These episodes don't last very long, and she sleeps afterwards and then wakes up fine. My first thought with the shorter episodes where she has vertical nystagmus was central vestibular disease, but maybe there is something else that looks similar? Stroke, seizures? The vet's not sure but is thinking neurological. At the moment I'm just monitoring but I keep wondering if there is anything else I could be doing.

OT but along the same lines, I heard her on the radio a while ago trying to make a joke of how she got rid of her cat because it was such a bad apple.

I recently bought the VIP dry too. I got it for my older girl who has become quite fussy with her food, and she loves it.

I hope everyone in here is looking after themselves. We spend so much time focused on our dogs during these stressful times and often forget about ourselves. Hope Struppie and Lucy are doing ok, and shepherds I hope you are managing to get through such a difficult time.

Kayla had another check up today and she's doing reasonably well, but she's had three separate episodes of vestibular now. One was the episode she had four weeks ago that she is still recovering from, and two other slightly different shorter episodes. It's most likely neurological. The only way of knowing is an MRI but it requires a general anaesthetic. So at the moment it's just watch and see and hope she continues to improve, but may have to do something further if the episodes continue.

I paid roughly the same price for the cans. I don't know the vets in that area but I imagine they would all charge a similar price. Even the online prices are similar.

Ok thanks. It was different with Coco because he had started on it for a heart problem but stopped it, on specialist advice, when he went into kidney failure. Different circumstances though. I hope it helps your girl, playful.

Sorry to hear about your girl. Renal failure is tough. Can she keep food down or is she vomiting? Apart from the Hills dry, there is also the Eukanuba Renal Plus dry. My vet didn't have the Eukanuba in stock but ordered it in for me, and my boy preferred this to the Hills. The RC dry has been discontinued, unless you can find some old stock somewhere. Both RC and Hills make the renal wet foods. I did try the home cooked also - my boy ate it but wasn't too fussed about it. I didn't make enough of the home cooked to work out what the average cost would be, but it would work out cheaper than the cans. My vet said you can mix them too, canned plus dry or home cooked plus wet/dry. Re making it more palatable - I asked a couple of vets about this, one said no other food can be added to the diet, and the other said small amounts of cheese, yoghurt, vegies are ok (for my boy anyway). So I added small amounts of those things to his meals. Weekly vitamin b injections may help with your girl's appetite too. Is the fortekor for a heart problem?

I'm so sorry to hear that shepherds. Just take one day at a time and look after yourself.

To add, when chatting to others about this since, the first reaction seems to be that the vet has been a bit overzealous with the cleaning.

Thanks Jules, hope the cat recovered ok. It's pretty worrying - my heart just sank when I saw him. Having one dog already with vestibular is more than enough! Thanks megan, not sure - when I got there his ear was flushed again but with warm saline. I guess if the ear drum is ruptured and the fluid got through then that could cause it. Not sure about fluid still in the external part of the ear though, whether that could cause the symptoms like nystagmus. Actually I've been wondering if he has some hearing loss in that ear because he seems to react differently to noise, or maybe I'm worrying too much.

My older girl is still recovering, her symptoms started three weeks ago. She still has a head tilt and staggering, but is improving very gradually. The first six days or so were the worst with the nausea and vomiting. She has her appetite back now, but has become quite fussy with her food.

Has anyone experienced or heard of vestibular syndrome being caused by an ear flush? One of my dogs had a general anaesthetic a couple of days ago and the vet checked his ears while he was under. One ear was fine and the other had some debris, some of which was cleaned out. When I picked him up he was showing vestibular symptoms - nystagmus, head tilt, staggering. Symptoms cleared within 24 hours. But nobody really knows what caused it - no symptoms of any sort beforehand and swab taken before cleaning showed no infection. As I understand it could possibly be an ear drum perforation which was either there already or irritated by the cleaning, or inflammation?? He was given antibiotics (iv and injection) just in case of infection. The vet said it is quite rare but now I'm concerned about future ear cleaning, especially with that ear.

I know it doesn't help to dwell on the what if questions...but there was so little time between starting the kidney diet and him stopping eating altogether that I kinda wish I had ditched the kidney diet and just given him all his favourite foods. But I guess you just don't know how much time is left, and the diet is said to be so important. It's an awful disease.

Hi guys, glad to hear that Struppie is feeling well enough to take a dive in the river and that Adi is improving. Re the head shrinking issue, I have noticed the same with Lucy - head and neck area. I've had to adjust both her collar and car harness. My vet told me it's a side effect of the prednisone, as they get muscle wastage and it's very visible on this part of their body. I think Lucy's has improved a bit these days, she doesn't seem so 'sunken' around this area, but maybe that is just wishful thinking? Must compare some recent and old photos to see the difference. I just arrived home after 5 nights away without the the girls (took my elderly parents on a short break) and it's so lovely to be back with dogs at my feet :) My son does a great job as dog sitter and general spoiler. Just want to add...I found the same thing with my boy who was on cortisone long term, the muscle wastage around his head was very noticeable. Hope all in this thread are doing ok.

Thank you for your kind replies. Coco certainly was a fun character! I wish we had met when he was younger. But even though he was only here for just over three years, the bond we formed was just as strong.

Thanks Sheridan and shepherds. You know, the house feels empty. Trying to get into a routine now with my other dogs. I'll be picking up Coco's ashes from the vet this week. It's been such a long thirteen days (lost count then) since Kayla came down with this. I hope her head tilt and staggering resolves soon. How is your boy going shepherds?

Just popping back in to say thanks for thinking of Kayla. Good news is she's finally accepting food so I no longer have to syringe feed her. She's a bit fussy but at least she is eating. She's still very tilted and wobbly but I can see small improvements each day and that's the main thing.

Coco, do you remember the first day you came here? You were nearly 11 years old at the time your previous owner surrendered you, after having spent your entire life alone in the backyard. When the call came out for a foster home, I knew in my heart that you would come here and never leave. You were here with me for three years and two months. From the moment you arrived, you settled in immediately. You started to put on weight and your beautiful coat grew soft. You loved your new brother and sisters. You were so happy! As time went on, your personality began to blossom. You were such a character! The way you would thump, thump, thump around the house, and have no hesitation in yelling for your dinner! On our car trips you would make people smile and laugh as you hung your head out the window and squealed with excitement whenever we drove pass someone walking on the path. Heads of both people and dogs would turn and wonder what the noise was! At home you loved to make your bed. Blankets, pillows, and couch cushions would fly across the room as you made your bed. And the way you talked for your supper…I would say, are you talking Coco? And you would turn your head from side to side with various tones of ruff, RUFF, ruff. The ruffs would then give way to you throwing your head back and bellowing at the top of your lungs! You fought through so many health problems in your short time with me. The vets were constantly amazed at your ability to pull through. The specialist vet said you were a legend because despite everything you faced you battled on and remained the happy boy you always were. You were a fighter until the end, when you faced your final short battle with kidney failure. Again, you defied the odds and remained your happy self, right up until the end. When the time came, you told me very clearly that you were ready to go. You were so, so tired. You were comfortable in own bed at home, and our goodbyes were very peaceful. Mum was there waiting for you Coco, to give you a big cuddle and to show you the way. From the moment you left, I could see you smiling. I could see so clearly that you were happy and free. I can still feel you with me now Coco. You are sleeping in your favourite bed, barking for your dinner in the kitchen, talking for your supper, lying at my feet, sitting beside me with a big grin on your face, and nestling your head into me for cuddles. Words cannot express how much I love you, my beautiful, beautiful boy. I am so proud to have spent the last three years with you, and so grateful that we could share our journey together. You have taught me so much about having patience and a sense of humour. I love you and miss you so much Coco. You are in my heart forever. xxxxx

Thank you Sheridan and PuddleDuck.

I don't recall anyone saying that they didn't want it to happen but rather that they didn't necessarily think it was helpful. Please remember also that this forum has had many of tales of sadness and that after a while, you run out of kind things to say. After 10 years of membership I have been supportive in so many threads, that quite frankly, I don't always feel I have anything left to give. Have you got any idea how many hundreds of threads of tragedy and loss there have been here over the years? And of course, when you do it in real life and tragic things happen to people with dogs that you know, sometime you're all "supportived" out from time to time. So please don't blame people for not being as supportive as you'd like - sometimes it's not about you and your thread quite so much as others not feeling that they have anything to give. Yes, I do have an idea of how many tales of sadness there have been. I may not post very often, but I have been reading for many years. Of course my situation is not unique, there are many people here that have gone through it far more times than I have, and this topic was about all of those threads that may get missed. The point I am making is that, in my case, it is not about having any expectation of replies, nor is it about placing blame on anyone. It's about a feeling of disheartenment when you think you have reached a dead end, through any avenue - it's the helplessness you feel because you haven't been able to find an answer to help your dying dog.

Thanks shepherds and JulesP for your kind thoughts. Sorry to hear about your boy shepherds. I hope he is improving, it is certainly frightening. I've never experienced it before either, but I remembered reading a recent thread on here about vestibular, so I recognised the symptoms with Kayla and didn't panic as much as I otherwise would have.

Should one have to ask specifically for support to get it? General question, not related to any thread in particular. I'm certainly very grateful for the support I've received now in my own thread, and I post replies of sympathy in other threads where it hasn't been specifically asked for. But clearly there are some people who would prefer that not to happen.

Thanks for asking JulesP. Kayla is still wonky on her feet and her head is still very tilted but she is managing to get around a bit more and toilet by herself now. The vomiting has stopped and she is drinking, but she's not eating much at all. There is some improvement each day, but Coco not being here is a big change for her too and I think she's feeling that on top of everything else.

Specific to just being old?? I posted my boy's kidney failure thread in palliative care because that's exactly what it was, palliative care. I had already posted two other related threads in health with limited response. It's not about an expectation of replies, but a hope that someone somewhere can share some advice or thoughts. So if you're in a situation with a chronically ill dog and feeling desperate and getting nothing, of course you can feel disheartened. I do read the palliative care threads, same as I read rainbow bridge. My heart aches for people in those situations. I very rarely have any constructive advice other than to express my sympathy. But as Sheridan said, some threads get more support than others. I tend to post in threads where it looks like there is not as much support, but that's a personal choice I make because I really feel for those people. You chose to put your thread in a section that has little traffic, so you shouldn;t expect lots of replies, esp on a subject where there is limited number of people with experience. If you wanted an - oh dear, there there set of replies, utilise a forum that gets more traffic! It;s like saying you are disheartened not getting a lift hitch hiking, when you are stood in a country lane! Goodness, what an incredibly insensitive thing to say about anyone that comes here to seek support in a situation like this. My post clearly states...it’s not about an expectation of replies. When you are trying to make your dog as comfortable as possible until the end, you post in the hope that someone out there has some advice or thoughts or support to share. Then we are two very different people. But if there are people who feel that way then I guess in future I'll need to be more careful about posting replies of sympathy in case they just get in the way.