Dog's Loss of Equilibrium

Older dogs often times partially lose their equilibrium. Sometimes their legs just don't function properly, or they sway their head or bodies and roll on their side. If this has happened to your dog, it was probably a very alarming situation, especially if it seemed to come out of nowhere. If this happens or happened to your dog it's important to talk to your veterinarian as soon as possible. Avoid your dog from getting hurt, and always take him on a leash whenever you leave the house.This behavior sometimes happens because of a disorder that affects the brain and it can also affect the dog's ears, and this in turn alters the dog's equilibrium. The dog's equilibrium organ is located in the inner ear, and it consists of several mechanisms that allow the dog to differentiate all the movements of its head and it sends out information to the brain and takes care of coordinating the position and movement of the dog's body. The most frequent equilibrium loss disorder is called vestibular syndrome. When this happens to a dog, it tends to have difficulty standing straight and it tends to sway from side to side. The cause of this disorder is unknown and normally with time, it goes away on its own. However, sometimes the dog's head stays slightly tilted to the side for the rest of its life.