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Old July 17th, 2009, 03:05 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 413
Jennifer,

I saw your message. I don't know if I'm the person you were trying to email, but I don't remember leaving an email at this site. I want to encourage you not to give up hope. Sometimes this is all we have!

The medication prescribed is Bonine (an over-the-counter travel sickeness medication available in the US.--I'll need to remember that it isn't available in Canada if I ever come visit--I get car-sick myself.)
http://www.drugs.com/pdr/bonine.html

My mother has migraines with vertigo and her doctor prescribed a medication called antivert:
http://www.rxlist.com/antivert-drug.htm

Both these medications are meclizine HCl. I'm very surprised some form of this isn't available in Canada.

If the ear stinks something is going on. Personally, even though your dog was prescribed an antibiotic, I would request a swab/culture of the ear to find out what type of bacteria is involved. By doing this, "they" can determine the appropriate antibiotic to use. Not every infection responds to every antibiotic. And very bad infections do not always clear up in one week's time. (I saw this with my beloved Scottie girl who had a UTI that took 4 months of antibiotics to clear up so she could have bladder surgery.)

I believe that the MRI/CT type scans require anesthesia. It is not a choice I would make at this point for my 14-year-old. Right now, he is doing pretty good, but, since he had a re-lapse or re-occurrence my vet does feel that more are highly likely. Right now it is a day-at-a-time. We did have the eye movements with the second episode (9 days after the initial). My dog is deaf and when I woke him for a walk it really startled him and he jumped 2 inches off the floor and the episode started. He wasn't as fearful. I know my vet asked about the eye movements, since he said that the eye movements tend to appear with vestibular, but don't with strokes or brain bleeds.

I'm going to include a couple of links that helped me when Mac came down with this:

http://lassiegethelp.blogspot.com/20...-light-on.html

http://dog-care.suite101.com/topicli...bular_syndrome

When I discussed my dog's relapse with my vet, I could tell he wasn't happy that a second episode happened so close to the first. He did assure me that if he was able to eat and drink that he was not suffering. Keep doing research. There is some question as to whether the vestibular attacks can be triggered by antibiotics. My dog had finished a course of clindamycin the Friday before his Monday attack. My dog also developed sneezing and a snotty nose a few days after the initial attack. There's also some question as to whether respiratory infections/issues can trigger attacks. The peripheral vestibular disease is caused by an inflammation of a nerve in the ear. From my research, the dog's sense of balance basically needs to "reboot" like a computer. This can take days or weeks. The following quote is from a golden retriever rescue group:
"Please note that a serious inner/middle ear infection (which can occur without the customary smelly ear) has the same severe and frightening symptoms. An infection can usually be cured with antibiotics and the dog have a complete recovery. As always, check with your vet. "
http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/health-vestibular.html

The dog in the story above took 5 months to recover. Your Mandy is in my prayers. It is so hard, but stay strong for her.

You are right. We are never prepared to say goodbye. I know that at 14, my sweet little guy is in his twilight and I love him more every day. He is the first dog I've ever shared my life with--and because of him, I have my life-long passion for dogs.

-Sandra (ScottieDog)
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