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My senior dog is falling, off balance, and throwing up. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pekingese | Female | spayed | 18 years and 5 months old | 16 lbs

Hi, my dog is 18 years old and his back and tail twisted and locked to one side when he walks sometimes he falls down on that side. Sometimes he gets spasms when whole her body is bended to that side too, I can tell that her head is spining too because he can't keep his equilibrium, sometimes he vomits. He eats and drinks I don't know what could be wrong with her I'm thinking its neurological disease.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 24th, 2017

Poor guy. I suspect he may have severe spondylosis of his spine and also it’s possible he may have vestibular disease which is a neurological condition that can cause pets to lose their balance, get nauseous and walk in circles or to one side. This conditon usually also causes pets to have a head tilt. Here is more information on this disorder. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=564 Many cases of vestibular disease are self limiting and go away within a few weeks, but treatment with anti-nausea medicine through your vet can help pets cope with the disorder and eat normally. Spondylosis of the spine however isn’t something that will go away, but you can manage the pain with pet friendly medications (i.e. Rimadyl, Tramadol, etc) through your veterinarian. I hope this helps you find out the next best course of treatment for your pet Hexa, and hopefully she can get some relief soon from her debilitating disorders. Best wishes and take care.

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