Dog falling over.. help!

[carolwilts]

Hi all you doggy people..

Just had a scare with my flat coat (retriever)... out in the garden picking lettuce for lunch and I came back to see him staggering sideways and collapsing. Trying to stand and just lurching over again to the right. This lasted for about 10 seconds.. He then righted himself and looks normal.... he's not done it again.

Not quite sure what to do.... phone vet? observe him and see if he does it again?

Any thoguhts?

c arol

[EMW-UK]

Carol, first thoughts are thus, check his ears, he may have an infection which can easily cause imbalance. More serious could be a mild heart attack, a trip to the vet would be best.
emw x

[carolwilts]

Trouble is. it being bank holiday monday, the vets are closed unless I deem it an emergency (and of course pay the huge fee). I don't begrudge the fee, but am in two minds about whether just to observe him for the next few hours and take him tomorrow for a checkup, or to phone the vet now....

he's fast asleep now, of course.... when he wakes up I'll have a look in his ears just in case.

[joc]

I think keeping an eye on him would be fine as long as he has settled down and is not in distress.

[ponypit4got2log]

Carol

I have a dog that has done exactly the same thing, frightened my dad to death as he was babysitting at the time, I called vet and he said it was a dizzy spell! Apparently dogs can have them as well as us but because they don't understand what is going on, they tend to panic a little hence the wobbling around and falling over, we humans recognise the signs and stay still. My little man has never had another and recovered within minutes so not to worry unless it keeps happening and then they can give mild controller tablets which re-balance them.

Hope he's okay .

XX

[sharon]

If he appears normal now there will little the vets can do, my thought was a little fit?

How old is he?

I had a dog staying with me that did this, although for a little longer than you describe and she lost control of her bladder, I rang the vet who said if she was appearing normal when I spoke to him to let her rest, she was tired after and also sick once, then 12 hours later completely back to normal.

Hope your dog is fine from now on.

[carolwilts]

thanks peeps!

He's been fine since the event.. but very frightening at the time!

No reoccurance, so I'll phone the vet tommorrow and have a chat and get him checked. keeping my fingers crossed that, indeed, it was a one -off event

carol

[varkie]

Just wondered if you'd had any news Carol?

[reg anon]

sounds like an epiliptic fit (SP) our old boy suffers from them and he symptons you describe are similair to what happens with him. Speak to your vet, and monitor to see if it happens again.