Though it might be most instantly associated with a popular film directed by famed director Alfred Hitchcock, vertigo is a serious condition that can affect anyone in a household, including the family dog. Also known as vestibular disease, vertigo primarily affects older dogs.
The vestibular system helps dogs maintain their balance, and vertigo is marked by the sudden disturbance of that balance. According to Union Animal Hospital in Spokane, Washington, dogs afflicted with vertigo usually stagger, but some may be unable to stand and, in rare cases, dogs may roll over and over. VCA Animal Hospitals notes that head tilt and irregular jerking eye movements known as nystagmus are additional symptoms of vertigo in dogs.
Various factors can cause vertigo in dogs, including inner ear infections, drugs that are toxic to the ear, trauma or injury, tumors, and hypothyroidism. Though symptoms of vertigo can be unsettling for dogs and their owners, VCA Animal Hospitals notes many pets begin to improve within 72 hours, and most fully recover within two to three weeks.
Treatment for vertigo can be discussed with a veterinarian, and the persistence of symptoms for more than two to three weeks may indicate the presence of another underlying disorder.
