I think honestly to have her ears re-checked...sounds like to me that was helping but it didn't get fulling cleared up so it came back...RUN don't walk to a experienced large breed Vet.....If it is the ears, it is painful and can lead to the dog being deaf....she may not show ANY signs of pain, this breed (and a lot of others) has a really high pain threashhold...could be other things going on, but if the medication helped then it came back, I would say it could really still be the ears.....I'm sorry for your heart-ache...I know how sad it can be to not know how to fix them BUT truly want to. On Poseidon's post.....Well......He/she has good points...but not a great place to put them! IF you knowingly buy a dog from a shady breeder your giving them the opportunity and funds to keep breeding...SAME with purchasing a dog from a dog store...keeping money in the pocket of miller's.....
Recheck the blood...Go to the specialist (make sure the spine is checked, along with the head and back end)...And it never hurts to consult with alternative practitioners...You can feel a lot with massage, and help the body to relax and recoop.
Ataxia indicates a central nervous system problem. I doubt the antibiotics did anything more than clear up the head tilt which was likely a coincidental finding. If this is Wobblers the dog is likely paddling in the front - lifting the front legs higher than normal and "prancing". They will have more trouble turning corners when they are running.
Now a lot of dogs will zig-zag when they walk IN FRONT of the owner. This is simply a way to keep themselves in front and they will block the forward progress of the dogs/people behind them.
Falling easily is a worrisome symptom and coupled with the ataxia is more concerning for Wobblers. I would get this dog to a vet that can do an MRI and a neurologist should read this...not the everyday vet.
Good luck and keep us apprised of your dog's outcome, OK? Dog bless, McK
We are leaning torward wobblers as well just wanted to thank everyone for their post we really appreciate it. We will be going to the University of Mo for an mri and a full neurological workup on Wed. Hopefully we will get a definite answer then. Once again we appreciate the concern and information.
Hello- My pup was about 4 mos old and experiencing a zig zag pattern of walking, he was not showing any pain and his energy was normal and he was eating normal. Our vet was at a lose as well so we did bring him to a neurologist b/c the more we researched wobblers the more it seemed that was the problem. The neurologist w/ one look said No wobblers and he thought for sure there was an infection in his central nervous system. After MRI, Spinal Tap and Bloodwork nothing showed up. but in the waiting period for the results he put him on two anitbiotics that clearly helped. I asked the specialist why nothing showed throught the testing and his answer was that he truely believed it was an infection but unfortunatley b/c there are so many types the tests cannot test for everything. the week before our dog had had surgery on his cherry eyes so the doctor said that there is a possibility that an infection had started that way. in the end our dog got better. its a emotionally and financially stressful situation but i'm glad we pd the right attention to it. Good luck and hope this helps ease your mind in the meantime.
We took Ruby to the neurologist today. We didn't get great news but they don't think it's wobblers. As clb777 posted about her pup, we think it's the same thing, infection. They put ruby on strong antibiotics today. The neurologist wanted to do the spinal tap and joint tap tomorrow but we couldn't. We are giving the antibiotics for at least a week and then we will do all of the necessary tests, spinal tap, etc. They took bloodwork and did titers test. We received some of the bloodwork this afternoon. It didn't show anything specific but did show inflamation. We will get the other bloodwork resutls later this week. I am crossing my fingers that the antibiotics help! Thanks for all of the information, personal stories, and support. We will keep you posted.
Hopefully those antibiotics will kick the infection. I feel your worry. It was tough waiting for the test results and frustrating that they didnt show anything but in the end everything worked out so I wish the same for your pup. good luck and keep hope. Carly
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