Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My senior dog has a sudden head tilt and can't stand. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Cocker Spaniel | Female | spayed | 13 years and 2 months old | 26 lbs

My Cocker Spaniel is 13 yrs old and we have battled with ear infections (she sees the vet regularly but we aren't getting positive results on getting them under control with multiple antibiotics and ear drops) she is blind on one eye and limited vision in the other. She has lost her hearing but full of life. My concern is, last September 2017, something weird happened with her and she had a sudden head tilt, couldn't stand, lost control of bowels, her eyes were jumping side to side. Now again

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on March 16th, 2018

What you are describing with Shasta may be something called vestibular disease. I am attaching a handout with more information about it below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=564 If Shasta has a history of ear infections, she may have a middle ear infection that is causing her signs. That is discussed in the handout above. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Shasta and determine what might be causing her signs and the appropriate way to treat them. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 9th, 2017

    If she has vestibular disease, her condition should be improving over time. If the signs seem to be getting worse then it is probably not vestibular disease. It could be an ear infection, brain tumor, or other causes. You could have her evaluated by a veterinary neurologist for a second opinion if your vet is not able to diagnose.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Image profile

    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 19th, 2017

    It could be vestibular disease of old dog, this is a condition she might recover from (there is no treatment, they usually start getting better within 3 days), unfortunately it could also be a brain tumor or a severe ear infection that require immediate treatment. i have to recommend to take her to the vet urgently if you can.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Our dog 12 years old Pomeranian breed suddenly rolled down and fell on the floor while barking and now it couldn't get up.It keeps its head in a slightly turned position.Please suggest what can be done further.We are so worried.
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! It sounds like Bruno could have "old dog idiopathic vestibular syndrome". There is more information below but we don't know why it happens and in general it usually gets better within a few days. Of course, we can never rule out a middle ear infection, brain tumor, or other problem so I always recommend seeing a vet. Even if it is the just the old dog vestibular syndrome, your vet can give Bruno some anti nausea medication for his vertigo. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/vestibular-disease-in-dogs Best of luck to you and Bruno!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my dog is tilting head to one side and wont walk or eat. he did drink a little just now and eyes are the same . at first i thought stroke but he just drank and he will stand but not walk. any idea what this could be
There are various conditions that can manifest with those signs. The most common on would be vestibular syndrome, which is quite common in geriatric dogs. Another cause could be an inner ear infection or meningitis, a brain tumor or similar. Vestibular syndrome has a sudden onset, the dog (or cat) shows a head tilt, sometimes circles, and is nauseous or even afraid, as it cannot figure out why it feels strange. We do not know what causes this, however in most cases this will go away by itself within a few weeks. Sometimes the head tilt remains. I suggest you take Rex to your veterinarian for an exam and possibly some medication to take any anxiety caused by the condition, if needed. Your vet will also be able to rule out all the other conditions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
My dog ate the food after some time suddenly he is trembling , head tilt, back legs can't able to walk limbing, fingers stiffen . After 2 to 3 min he was back to the normal. Is there any major issues please i request you to answer the question as soo
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor Peter! How old is Peter? The most common condition that causes trouble walking, falling over, head tilt and trembling is Vestibular disease. This is a problem with the balance center in either the brain or the inner ear. Possible causes are an ear infection, stroke, low thyroid, a brain tumor or if he is just old it can be idiopathic (meaning we don't know why). I have seen dogs become Vestibular and then be normal that quickly, though usually the signs can persist for up to 2 weeks. I am not sure about the relation to the food you are feeding. If he shows the symptoms again I would immediately take him to your Vet for an exam. Consider video taping it so you can show them in case it goes away quickly again. I hope this helps and I wish you and Peter the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Original question-Dog with head tilt, walking in circles, & peed unaware of doing it. Just started this morning.In f/u to the response, do you think it’s safe to wait to take her to her regular vet in the morning since it’s the weekend & the ER vet w
It could be vestibular disease of old dog, this is a condition she might recover from (there is no treatment, they usually start getting better within 3 days), unfortunately it could also be a brain tumor or a severe ear infection that require immediate treatment. i have to recommend to take her to the vet urgently if you can.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Dog with head tilt, walking in circles, & peed unaware of doing it. Just started this morning.
I am so sorry Abby is going through this. It sounds like idiopathic vestibular disease. This usually happens in older dogs and they usually resolve well. I would recommend taking Abby to a veterinarian to have them prescribe some medication to help since she may become dizzy and nauseous from it. Some other differentials would be a brain lesion in Abby, but at the veterinarian they would be able to see which one would be more likely with her physical examination. Due to the sudden onset it sounds more vestibular though. Here is a website with some information on vestibular disease in dogs: http://www.petwave.com/Dogs/Health/Idiopathic-Vestibular-Disease.aspx I hope Abby feels better soon and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
My dog was fine last night playing as usual & eating as well, this morning she threw up her food. & I noticed right after she becoming super weak & fatigue, & has her head tilt to the side. I don’t know if she ate something she wasn’t suppose to or s
It sounds as Pelu is suffering from a gastrointestinal condition, possibly an infection. it could also be due to ingestion of a foreign body material. i would recommend taking her to the vet the first chance you get, she will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection she will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better. if the vet thinks it is more serious she will need a blood test and possibly an ultrasound in order to find out what is wrong.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
This entire past week I noticed my dog tripping over her own feet, losing balance and even falling over when she shakes her head. What is going on? I didn’t think anything of it at first but it’s been an entire week like this.
Hello, It sounds like Taisie is experiencing some neurologic abnormalities. It is hard to say without physically examining her what the problem is, but some possibilities are spinal pain, a herniated disc, vestibular (inner ear) infection or disease, or a brain tumor. Any of these issues could cause drastic changes in balance and falling, but the treatment for each one would be very different. I would recommend taking Taisie into her veterinarian to be examined. They can offer you the best diagnostic and treatment plan based on their physical exam. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
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 becau
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my dogs head is turned to the left suddenly and she has some pain I was away for 3 hours and came home to this sudden change in her. She ended up just lying down in an unusual place but where no one will bother her basically.
A head tilt can be a sign of various things such as ear infection, vestibular syndrome (a little bit like a stroke but not as serious), neck pain or a brain issue. Have a look at her eyes if they are moving oddly it is likely vestibular or a brain issue. If not ear infection or neck pain is more likely. It would be best to get her checked out as for each of these things she will likely need some pain relief or treatment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I was walking my dog today and he started to lose his balance and eventually fell over. Blood on his face. He’s been leaning and tilting his head every now in then ever since. I forgot to mention that he’s a 13 year old schnauzer. We can’t afford to
It could be either a severe ear infection or vestibular disease, you must take him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated. If money is an issue please contact a dog charity in your area of living, they can help with costs of treatment in many cases. Many vets also have payment plans, and there is also a credit company that will land you money toward vet bills ( https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/) .
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored