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Dog wobbly and unsteady on feet periodically--could it be neurological?

Published on: December 10, 2024 • By: pdxj · In Forum: Dogs
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pdxj
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December 10, 2024 at 05:57am
I have a 6 year old intact male Vizsla.  He eats a raw diet, gets exercise needs met, sees the vet whenever needed.  He has had some digestive issues on and off.  Over his lifetime, it is thought he has possibly ingested something (marijuana? or human feces with marijuana?) at least 5 times.  We have not actually seen him eat anything ANY of these times except one time he ate human feces just prior to one of these wobbly episodes.  All the other times were just suspected ingestions based on symptoms--wobbly on feet, dilated pupils, seeming "off" and they typically resolved prior to or within 12 hours. Recently, he had a similar, but worse symptom episode before he ever went outside even to pee for the day--first thing in the morning.  We have no marijuana, nicotine, or other drug substances in the house or on the property.  So no ingestion of anything that morning.  The evening prior is the only time he was on a neighborhood walk with a last potty around 11pm just in our yard.  The episode in question happened around 10am. See this video for how he looked that day. https://youtube.com/shorts/wMR7F7LFaBs?si=od6Ymcso4QfqcS5R He was taken to the emergency vet this same day and they did vitals, general bloodwork, EKG, and chest x-ray--all were normal and his symptoms were resolved by the time the vet examined him.  He has recently been tested for Addison's disease, which he does not have.  The only other thing is that he can seem moody at times.  It is subtle, but we can notice it.  Other than this, he seems in good health.  His vets all say what good shape he's in and how good he looks for his age. The ER doctor recommendation is to see a vet neurologist, which we will do.  They said if our dog has had these similar episodes multiple times, they could be related to each to each other and not to intoxication/ingestion. While we're waiting to see a neurologist, I am wondering if anyone has any clues as to what this could be if it's not ingestion/intoxication.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
December 18, 2024 at 02:50am
Hello - and thankyou for this video.  It would be an odd coincidence for a dog to get hold of marijuana quite so many times without you perceiving it as a strong possibility, so it is a good idea to look for other causes.  I can see that your dog looks conscious and alert throughout the film; indeed, that he is moving about and interested in his surroundings, which might perhaps make both seizures and being (stoned with marijuana) unlikely; it brings to mind movement disorders.  I also see him shifting his weight between his feet to stay in-balance and, when he moves, that there is possibly a high-stepping gait, especially in the forelimbs.  This suggests to me that his body is not regulating movement normally; he is almost 'over-moving'.  This may also be evident in the exaggerated facial twitching.  I wonder when these signs are appearing - in relation to food, for example, or to rest or to exercise?  Keeping a rough diary might prove interesting and help you to spot patterns.  Unfortunately there is a genetic mutation that is passed on through some Vislas, which may look like this and which may get worse over time.  Movement disorders can look very similar to one another; your neurologist would be a good person to speak to, regarding reaching a diagnosis.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
December 18, 2024 at 02:50am
Hello - and thankyou for this video.  It would be an odd coincidence for a dog to get hold of marijuana quite so many times without you perceiving it as a strong possibility, so it is a good idea to look for other causes.  I can see that your dog looks conscious and alert throughout the film; indeed, that he is moving about and interested in his surroundings, which might perhaps make both seizures and being (stoned with marijuana) unlikely; it brings to mind movement disorders.  I also see him shifting his weight between his feet to stay in-balance and, when he moves, that there is possibly a high-stepping gait, especially in the forelimbs.  This suggests to me that his body is not regulating movement normally; he is almost 'over-moving'.  This may also be evident in the exaggerated facial twitching.  I wonder when these signs are appearing - in relation to food, for example, or to rest or to exercise?  Keeping a rough diary might prove interesting and help you to spot patterns.  Unfortunately there is a genetic mutation that is passed on through some Vislas, which may look like this and which may get worse over time.  Movement disorders can look very similar to one another; your neurologist would be a good person to speak to, regarding reaching a diagnosis.
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