June's
Pet of the Month
Meet
our June Pet of the Month, Hank! Isn't he a handsome guy? Hank is a
14.5 year old Lab. He is a loyal brother to his litter mate Cody and to
his human brother Parker. He's a major treat seeker often found under the
high chair or with his head in purses and strollers looking for morsels.
In his younger days, he helped his owner train for four marathons, clocking
about 40 miles per week!
Our
buddy Hank, has had quite a time over the last few weeks including an episode
of "bloat". However, Hank is here to talk to us about this
month's topic of vestibular disease.
Vestibular
disease is the dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus. The vestibular
apparatus is a system of structures within the ear of animals and humans that
help send signals to the brain allowing the body to maintain orientation and
balance while in motion as well as while standing still. This apparatus
basically allows us to determine where we are in the world and helps keep us
physically steady and grounded.
If
the vestibular apparatus is not functioning properly, the patient will feel as
though his or her world is spinning topsy-turvy. Hank came to us recently
when his owner noticed that he was vomiting, was unable to walk normally, and
seemed to be suffering from vertigo.
Vestibular
disease can be caused by inner ear infections, brain lesions, but most commonly
the cause is unknown. Symptoms include lack of coordination, walking in
circles, a persistent head tilt to one side, motion sickness, falling over, and
nystagmus which is a rapid movement of the eyes from side to side.
Oftentimes, people will confuse these symptoms with that of a stroke, although
strokes are uncommon in animals.
We
treated Hank symptomatically for his nausea and recommended that his owner give
him a medication for motion sickness and keep him quietly resting at
home. Hank has recovered well since this incident and is also recovering
well from his unrelated bloat surgery.
