Middle Dog Syndrome

A friend loaned us a wagon so
that Roxy can join us on walks

Yesterday morning was difficult for Roxy. I think she was having another vestibular episode. She didn't want to eat and couldn't seem to get comfortable. Hubby and I gave her a steroid pill, turned out the lights and loved on her as best we could. By lunch she was relaxed and napping. She even ate some chicken.

Old dogs come with issues. Bathing and grooming are more challenging (though Roxy has never be easy to bathe, brush or trim nails to begin with). Mobility is more difficult. And making sure Roxy gets outside to go potty regularly is important. She's had a few accidents in the house because she didn't tell us in time. Her care has become more time consuming.

Don't be fooled by the cuteness,
this guy is a handful!

Trooper takes up a lot of time too. Making sure he gets outside to go potty regularly is equally important -- but sometimes it's best not to take him and Roxy out at the same time. (Puppies can be annoying and overwhelming for senior dogs.) We're also working on Trooper's manners training and making sure he doesn't teethe on unapproved items. Trooper is also time consuming.

This leaves poor Jedi in the middle, wondering what's left for him. My mother (a middle child) used to talk about Middle Child Syndrome. According to Wikipedia:

Middle child syndrome is the feeling of exclusion by middle children. This effect occurs because the first child is more prone to receiving privileges and responsibilities (by virtue of being the oldest), while the youngest in the family is more likely to receive indulgences. The middle child no longer has their status as the baby and is left with no clear role in the family, or a feeling of being "left out".

Jedi puts up with it all

I wonder, does this happen with dogs too? Does Jedi feel like this? Hubby has gone out of his way to give him more attention when I'm dealing with the puppy. And I always have special one-on-one time with Jedi at bedtime (both Roxy and Trooper are confined at night, whereas Jedi has free roam.) Sometimes I'll take him with me to run errands after work, leaving the others at home. Despite this, I feel I should do more. Any suggestions? -- K

P.S. Dog Mom guilt is no easier than Kid Mom guilt. This sucks!

Vestibular Disease in Dogs

Roxy in her favorite spot

Roxy gave us a big scare several months back. She was restless and appeared queasy. She wouldn't lay down and couldn't stand straight. She kept walking in circles and occasionally fell down. Scariest of all, her eyes were jumping back and forth. This went on for about 30 minutes. Then the episode passed as suddenly as it came on.

Hubby and I weren't sure if she was having a stroke or if she had a brain tumor. It was 9:00 at night and we were at a loss. We called her favorite person in the whole world (Son #2) and asked him to come spend some time with Roxy. We were up well past midnight just loving on her. I really thought that was our last night with the old girl.

I called the vet's office as soon as it opened Saturday morning. I told the tech that Roxy was a 13ish year old German shepherd and described the symptoms. She said "Oh, sounds like vestibular. Come on in." She didn't sound nearly as worried as I felt.

The vet gave Roxy a thorough once-over. The official diagnosis was idiopathic vestibular disease -- the best possible option under these circumstances.

Roxy left with a bottle of ear drops, steroids (for other old dog issues), shorter toenails and a belly full of cookies. The vet said she looked great for an old girl. (Yea!) We were warned that Roxy could have another episode. Should this happen, we were instructed to keep her comfortable, try to prevent her from hurting herself and give her anti-nausea medicine (i.e. Dramamine) if she looked queasy. However, there was no need to worry.

Idiopathic vestibular disease -- sometimes called "old dog disease" or "old rolling dog syndrome" -- is actually a sudden, non-progressive disturbance of balance. Vestibular disease is diagnosed after a complete physical examination and other possibilities, like a stroke or ear infection, are ruled out. 

It's called idiopathic because no one can really identify why this happens. As the AKAs imply, it's usually seen in older dogs. It's also more common in large dogs. And if you believe the internet, German shepherds are often affected, though no breed or size of dog is immune to it.

Roxy has had a couple minor episodes since that night, however she seems normal (at least as normal as a 13+ GSD can be.) Oddly enough, I have two friends whose dogs were diagnosed with vestibular disease about the same time as Roxy. Their dogs are worse off than mine. One (an 11 year old German shepherd) has a permanent head tilt now and the other (a 17 year old terrier mix) has lost his appetite.

Vestibular disease is scary and I'm still learning about it. Has anybody else experienced this? Please share! -- K