My dog shakes head, can't hear, has enlarged heart. Is sedation safe?

Question

My vet think something is lodged in my dogs ear or that he might have a tooth infection. He gave him meds and its getting worse. He shakes his head as if there is a fly in his head, and his hearing is now bad, and he can't tell which direction sound is coming from. If I am talking to him from behind him he looks straight forward trying to find me. If I am at top of stares I see him turn in confusion wondering where I am. His heart has recently enlarged too so putting him under is a risk. Pet's info: Dog | Japanese Chin | Male | neutered | 11 years and 5 months old | 17 lbs

Christie Long, DVM · Accepted Answer

Certainly head shaking can be the sign of an ear infection, however dogs typically get infections in the external ear, which are very easy to detect and diagnose with an ear exam and a cytology (examination of the debris from the ear under the microscope). Foreign objects lodged in the ear canal (small sticks and pieces of landscaping bark can do this) can cause head shaking as well. If Bodhi needs to be sedated for your vet to get a good look in the ear, the fact that he has an enlarged heart doesn't necessarily make this impossible. Many dogs with heart problems can be anesthetized safely, if the veterinarian is competent in using anesthetic drugs, and the vital signs are carefully monitored during the procedure. Other considerations in Bodhi's case could be that perhaps he has an infection in the middle ear. These can cause hearing loss, and are usually pretty obvious on examination of the ear, as the ear drum is typically ruptured. Sometimes x-rays can help to make this diagnosis too. It sounds like Bodhi does need a thorough exam of the ear canal, and this make take a bit of sedation or even general anesthesia. While he's under his mouth can also be thoroughly examined to look for problems in the mouth as well.

My dog shakes head, can't hear, has enlarged heart. Is sedation safe?

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