Pets such as dogs can become vulnerable to vestibular ailments; these conditions may disturb the balance of your pet and such ailments are grouped as vestibular diseases in dogs. In clinical terms, it is labelled as idiopathic vestibular ailment among canines. Like Meniere’s disease, this condition often arises from your pup’s middle or inner ear. Similar to humans, pets – like your pooch - depend on their vestibular mechanism to maintain their balance. An impairment of the vestibule can make it difficult for your pooch to walk straight. You may also see your pup experiencing spells of dizziness as well as drowsiness. Can you administer drugs like betahistine to your pup? It is a wise thing to know more about this. A vestibular condition in your pet can be distressful to both your pet and to you. Its onset can occur all of a sudden, mainly due to problems associated with your pup’s inner ear. The likely reasons for this condition include infections in your pooch’s middle or inner ear, damage of your pup’s eardrum, drop in thyroid level, tumor(s) in the neck or in head region, etc. In some cases, a few dogs have experienced vestibular dysfunction owing to an excessive intake of antibiotic drugs or other disinfectants. Younger pups are unlikely to be affected by this condition. It is often an older pooch which is more likely to get this condition. Among the various breeds of dogs, Doberman pinschers and German shepherds face a bigger risk of being afflicted by this ailment.
How to know if your dog is having a vestibular condition?
A vestibular condition may show up through a few characteristic signs. If you witness one or more of the following symptoms, you are advised to rush to a vet without much delay. The signs one needs to be wary of include – a slanted or a tilted head, stumbling movements, abdominal discomforts like vomiting or nausea, lack of coordination, eating problems, repeated falls, fast eyeball movements, etc. In some cases, you may find your pooch standing with its legs wide apart and your pup may opt to sleep on a harder surface.
Treatment options available
Those who have pets with periodic ear ailments need to take added measures to keep their pup healthy. As vestibular conditions are non-progressive in nature, they can appear suddenly without prior indications. Your vet may administer anti-sickness medicines; these are provided to reduce motion sickness or to decrease dizziness levels. Diagnosis can be painful and may be costly; however, if you decide not to investigate further, your vet may prescribe a few steroids. Often, these powerful drugs are given to your pooch for curing neurological conditions, if any.
In some rare cases, your vet may offer drugs which can enhance the flow of blood. For instance, medicines like vivitonin and the likes are provided to boost circulation of blood to the brain. However, there is little proof for the efficacy of such drugs. As these drugs do no major harm, use of these drugs is generally considered to solve blood circulation-based problems of your dog. In the same light, brain-boosting drugs – such as selgian, aktivait, etc. are also administered. You need to remember that vestibular syndrome is also called as old dog disease. It is called so because older dogs are likely to be affected by the condition. Intake of boosters of brain activity can help minimize aging problems – especially, senility among older dogs.
Use of betahistine for dogs
A few vets may also provide doses of betahistine. This drug is commonly used among humans to treat vertigo. Among drugs administered for the treatment of dizziness and nausea – often associated with the incidence of vertigo - betahistine is a widely used medication. It is taken to decrease vomiting, nausea, inner ear discomforts, dizziness, etc.; in short, this drug is used for the treatment of vertigo caused by Meniere’s disease in humans. The key cause of this ailment is the drop in inner ear pressure level. Use of betahistine among dogs is restricted mainly for idiopathic vestibular problems – i.e., when your vet is not clear about the underlying cause and the nature of the ailment.
Things you must know about vestibular condition and likely risks of using betahistine
It is the vestibular system which guides your orientation in relation to the earth. This system guides your optical system as well as other sensory organs to move appropriately. It plays a critical role while your pet runs, and it also helps follow items (such as a ball thrown up) or objects, etc. The constituents of your middle ear and the nerves attached to the ear play an active role in sending needful signals about your orientation. These signals are received at your central nervous system (CNS) and brain; the final outcome is to ensure balance, even while you are moving on uneven surfaces or slippery grounds.
You may also need to remember that betahistine is likely to cause some adverse side effects in your pet. It is essential to tell your vet if your pooch has any prior allergies or known hypersensitivity to betahistine. If your pet has peptic ulcers as well as a few stomach conditions, you must not give this drug. Discomforts triggered by betahistine can be acute, at times. Some of the common side effects of this drug are bloating and abdominal problems like vomiting, nausea, etc. If one or more of these side effects is turning into an acute condition, you need to consult your vet as quickly as you possibly can.
You also need to be careful while treating pets with pre-existing respiratory problems. So, if there are prior conditions related to your dog’s lungs, you must inform the vet about such conditions. On the same note, pets with liver or gastric disorders must not be treated with betahistine; dogs with liver conditions may develop build-up of active ingredients of betahistine. If left unattended, the levels can move up to a toxic scale - causing a few other acute complications. If your dog is pregnant or nursing its babies, your vet must be informed of such conditions. As an added safety measure, it is a good practice to keep this drug far away from reach of pets.
In sum, vets may provide doses of betahistine to your dog if the condition is diagnosed as a vestibular problem. You need to know that this med is used for treating vertigo in human beings. Administration of betahistine is recommended for dogs with idiopathic vestibular problems; these are conditions when the vet is not clear about the cause and nature of ailment. You may know that intake of betahistine may trigger a few adverse reactions in your dog. The vet must also know if your dog has prior hypersensitivities to this drug. Active ingredients of betahistine may turn toxic if your pet already has ulcers, stomach problems, a few liver conditions, etc.
Discomforts may also include abdominal problems such as nausea, vomiting etc. If these reactions turn into acute conditions, you need to talk to the vet without any delay. Last but not least, if your pet is nursing its younger ones, your vet must know about it. In general, prescription of betahistine is avoided in those instances. Above all, if you need understand more about the safety of betahistine for dogs; it is a good practice to talk to your vet about this drug’s safety.
