Suddenly disoriented.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hmm...these are unusual symptoms.

While I won't be able to tell you for sure what is going on I can give you a few ideas.

My first thought was that he may have something called vestibular syndrome. We usually see this in elderly dogs, but I have seen it in 8 year old dogs as well. We don't know exactly what causes vestibular syndrome but somehow a part of the brain is affected and we can see dogs be very disoriented. They often will walk in circles, but not always. If this is vestibular syndrome then most dogs make a complete (or close to complete) recovery within a few days.

The next possibility is if he has a problem with his inner ear such as an inner ear infection. This can cause disorientation and could cause a fever as well.

It's also possible that he had a seizure. Often we don't know why seizures happen. But, when they do, it's not uncommon for a dog to be very disoriented for hours afterwards. If this was a seizure then it is not likely an urgent situation, but if he is having more of them then it is something that needs to be addressed.

It is also possible that his blindness has progressed. If this happens quickly then dogs can be very out of sorts. It shouldn't explain why he feels warm though.

And one final thought. Have a look at his gums. Do they look pink or white? (Sometimes with schnauzers it's hard to tell because they may be black due to pigment). If they look white then it's possible that Archie has some internal bleeding. One possible reason would be a spleen tumor that has ruptured. The blood loss into the abdomen can cause him to be disoriented and distressed and can affect his breathing.

At this point, what you do depends on how he is doing. If he seems to be getting better then it is ok to wait and see if he continues to improve throughout the day. But if you feel like this is not getting better then I would definitely have your vet take a look at him.

I hope that everything is ok! Please let me know if you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.


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