10 minute read
Vestibular Disease in Dogs
What's in Your Wallet?
It Pays to be Generous
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Does your dog training wallet contain the right kind of Canine Cash? Does it have suffi cient purchase power to turn your dog's head? Does she light up with excitement when you invite her to join you for training games? Does she say, “wow!”? Appropriate Canine Cash can transform ho-hum training into joyful, highly effi cient, eff ecti ve, and engaging sessions. But what is “appropriate”?
“Meh” vs. “Wow!”
I was walking Skipper in Freeport the other day and a couple came along with their lovely young foster dog. The man asked if he could off er Skipper a treat and I said yes. He reached into his pocket and presented him with a teeny, ti ny, pale, dry, milk bone - his treat of choice (“his” refers to the man). Skipper took it politely but only ate half of it; the other half was unceremoniously ejected onto the ground and no att empt was made to retrieve it. He eff ecti vely said, “meh” to the man’s "favorite" dog treats. The foster dog, meanwhile, was pulling on leash, focused on the acti viti es around him despite the fact
Basic Training Tips
by Diana Logan
that his human had a pocketf ul of the equivalent of unsalted Salti nes. Slightly fl avored pieces of cardboard. Anemic dry nuggets of boringness. Would you go out to eat at a fancy restaurant and order a bowl of cereal? Get excited about playing a game that bores you to tears? Probably not. Likewise, your dog won’t be excited about learning if the rewards don’t moti vate her in the environment in which you are working. What we assume should be suffi cient payment isn’t necessarily how the dog feels, and our dogs are unapologeti cally honest about their feelings. While boring nuggets of dry tasteless cardboard might excite your dog at home (are you sure about that?), they are unlikely to be valuable in other situati ons. I gave the man a small handful of treats I had in my treat bag and his dog instantly erupted into a jumping ball of enthusiasm. The diff erence could not have been more striking. The dog went from viewing his humans as annoying weights at the other end of his leash to being relevant creatures he wanted to interact with. “I want that! I want that!!” he clearly said.
How will you know when your dog says, "wow?"
If you are off ering treats, she will quickly eat a treat and then immediately turn back to you as if to ask, "how can I get more of THAT?" If it’s a toy or a game, she will orient towards it, her ears will be perked, body acti vated, att enti on focused on what she wants.
Percepti ons
The man liked the milk bones because he could put many of them in his pocket. They were small, dry, easy to handle and to dispense, but he was eff ecti vely trying to pay for real services with Monopoly money.
We Get what we Pay For
A simple way to describe how we invest in behavior is that we grant the dog a reward for behaviors we want and we withhold payment for behaviors we don’t want. The more ti mes we pay for specifi c behaviors, the more likely we will get them in the future.
Does it always have to be Food?
Heck, no! We can use anything our pup values as reward for a specifi c behavior as long as we control the ti ming of it. The reward must come within two seconds of the behavior to be eff ecti ve. It can consist of initi ati ng a game of tug, tossing a toy, att enti on, food... whatever your pup loves! But food.... our pups need food to survive so it tends to be a good way to get many repeti ti ons in, and a pup needs lots of repeti ti ons in order for a behavior to start to gel.
It Pays to be Generous
Now, check your wallets and make sure you have “Wow!” rewards.
If you want ideas for treats, please visit my website and search for "treats and rewards." You'll fi nd a list of recommended store-bought treats and even some recipes for making some at home. Happy Training and Bon Appeti t!
Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certi fi ed Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed Pet Connecti on Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine | www.dianalogan.com | 207-252-9352
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VESTIBULAR DISEASE IN DOGS
“DOC, WHY IS MY DOG SO DIZZY’?
Dr. Gail Mason, DVM, MA, DACVIM Staff Internist, Portland Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Care
The vestibular system is comprised of neurological components responsible for perceiving one’s body orientation relative to Earth. In simplest form, it is the electronic system which maintains balance, informs your brain, eyes, and extremities how they should move according to your position in space. The vestibular system has central components located within the brain, as well as peripheral components which are in the inner and middle ear canal. Vestibular disease is defined as sudden non-progressive disturbances of balance. It is most common in older dogs and more common in medium to large breeds. Most dogs present with sudden loss of balance, disorientation, head tilt, and irregular rapid eye movements called nystagmus. Many dogs will be reluctant or unable to stand (referred to as “ataxia”) and will lean or fall to a preferred side. Nausea, drooling, and vomiting are not uncommon. The symptoms are so dramatic and sudden that many owners believe that their pet has had a stroke. The term “stroke”, however, refers to a vascular accident, which is an extremely uncommon event in canines.
What Causes Vestibular Disease?
By far, the most common type of these symptoms in dogs is referred to as “old dog vestibular syndrome,” or ODVS when the exact cause is idiopathic or “unknown”. It may result from abnormal flow of fluid within the semicircular canals of the inner ear. The symptoms can happen extremely rapidly, even over several minutes, and can cause severe incapacitation. However, this syndrome tends to be self-resolving with improvement beginning within 72 hours. Most affected dogs will be clinically normal within 1 to 2 weeks after onset. Occasionally, the head tilt will persist but does not negatively impact the animal.
Inner & Middle Ear Inflammation or Infection
As mentioned, the vestibular apparatus also involves structures within the middle and inner ear. Damage to these structures by inflammation, infection, or trauma can also cause signs of vestibular disease. Less commonly, certain systemic drugs or topically applied ear medications can cause these symptoms. In the latter case, the risk is higher in patients who have ruptured eardrums which allows easy access of medications to the middle and inner ear structures.
Hypertension
In general, hypertension as a primary disease would be a very uncommon cause of vestibular signs in dogs. There is a rare tumor of the adrenal gland, called a pheochromocytoma, which can produce extremely high systemic blood pressures to the point where a vascular accident occurs within the vestibular system.
How is Vestibular Syndrome Diagnosed?
The first step in making an accurate diagnosis of ODVS is to give your veterinarian an accurate medical history, including past and present health issues. Typical history will include a sudden onset of imbalance, disorientation, a head tilt, and irregular eye movements. Many patients are unable to stand and will fall to one side. While this is alarming to watch, remember that in most cases it is benign and reversible. The next step in the process is a thorough physical examination. The veterinarian will attempt to determine if there has been any trauma or any history of ear infections (especially those that have been chronic). The exam will often include a thorough inspection of the ear canals. Lastly, a neurologic examination helps determine the cause of the vestibular signs. The veterinarian assesses the overall mental status of the patient, the direction of the rapid eye movements (usually horizontal or rotary, with the fast movement away from the most affected side), the direction of the head tilt (usually towards the more severely affected side), and whether there appears to be deficits of any other neurologic functions. In most cases, the cause can be sourced to either “central” (within the brain) or “peripheral” (nerves near the inner/middle ear apparatus). At this point, a preliminary diagnosis of ODVS may be given at this point. If this diagnosis is correct, then the patient should be given “tincture of time” to recover. If your veterinarian has concerns that the cause may be central in origin or from a more concerning cause, then additional diagnostics may be requested. A database consisting of a CBC or blood count, plus a chemistry panel to determine organ function can be helpful in eliminating other serious illnesses. In certain patients, blood pressure measurements and/ or radiographs may be indicated. If the dog’s symptoms do not improve, and / or worsen, or become recurrent, then more sophisticated diagnostic Imaging such as a CT scan or MRI would be appropriate.
Treatment
For dogs that have vestibular symptoms secondary to disease of the ear canal, the recommended approach may include examination of the ear canal under anesthesia, X-rays of the skull and ear (bulla), as well as culture and biopsy of the affected area. Deep infections of the inner ear can be difficult to eradicate and may require a surgical procedure called a bulla osteotomy for drainage. For dogs that are severely affected or that may have additional health issues, temporary hospitalization and supportive care may be helpful. This would generally be in the form of fluid therapy to maintain hydration and anti-nausea drugs to reduce vomiting and dizziness. Fortunately for you and your best canine friend, most vestibular patients will recover fully on their own.
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