How to Treat a Vestibular Disease in Dogs

The vestibular system in dogs--and people--is the part of the brain that keeps the body and head oriented in its space. In other words, the vestibular system helps keep a person or dog upright and balanced, and helps coordinate head and eye movement.

With vestibular disease, this ability to stay balanced is compromised. Once the vet has diagnosed your dog as having vestibular disease (which affects older dogs more than young ones, but not always), there is much you can do at home to help your pet recover.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• dog crate
• well-lit room

1. Make sure your dog rests. Your dog will need time to rest to recover from this disease. Crate her in a quiet part of the house, and only let her out for brief trips outdoors to relieve herself.

2. Light up the room. The room your dog is resting in should be well-lit.

3. Avoid carrying him. Unless absolutely necessary, i.e., your dog does not have enough balance to walk on his own, don't carry your dog. Lifting him in the air is disorienting and delays recovery. If you must carry your dog outside, keep him upright and put your hands on the pads of his feet to help keep him oriented.

4. Feed small meals. Nausea is common in dogs with vestibular disease, because the disorientation makes them "sea sick." Feed your dog small meals three or four times a day to keep massive vomiting to a minimum.

5. Love your dog. Just because she has to stay quiet and rest doesn't mean she wants to be ignored. Take a book, magazine or your Web-connected laptop into the recovery room and keep her company. Pet her. Talk to her.

Tips & Warnings

• Dogs can benefit from anti-nausea over-the-counter medications like Pepto-Bismol. Check with your vet for the proper dosage amount for your dog's size.

References

• Information on vestibular disease in dogs
• More information on vestibular disease in dogs

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