2921. A much loved 13-year-old Sheltie has a right head tilt - vestibular disease

Jan 16, 2016

The 13-year-old Sheltie has a right head tilt, became off-balance. What is the cause and solution?
Some old dogs suffer from chronic ear infections. The infections rupture the ear drum and affect the middle ear where the organs of balance are located. Many old dogs suffer from vestibular disease.

In this Sheltie, the first vet did not resolve the loss of appetite and balance to the owner's satisfaction. The owner consulted me on Jan 2, 2016.  I anaesthesized the dog and irrigated the right ear and did a dental scaling. There was fresh blood deep inside the right ear.

Around a week later, the lady owner phoned me saying that she cleaned the pus discharging from the right ear every day.  I checked the dog's right ear on Saturday Jan 16, 2016. There were thick plugs of brownish yellow purulent exudate. These were flushed out. X-rays of the ear showed some masses at the horizontal canal area.