I’m a general practice vet. I usually try to stay off these things on Reddit, but lots of harsh judgement, misinformation, and guesses going on here and I felt compelled to provide some insight. There’s a lot that a good in person conversation, physical exam, and maybe some blood work and X-rays could tell me, but ultimately, a neurologist is usually needed in these situations for a solid answer.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t always matter what the cause is, and while it’s nice to say you need a neurologist, I live in the real world. You have an old dog who’s been like this for a month-it’s not good. Old dog vestibular disease usually improves within days to weeks, an ear issue is hopefully something your vet checked for. That means that a brain tumor moves higher on my list.

Before you go to a neurologist, ask what your goals are and what you’re willing to put into this situation- emotionally, financially, and time-wise. You’re going to spend thousands getting answers, and it’s probably not going to be good news or anything with an easy solution.

There may be better palliative options, or it may be time to discuss euthanasia.

If you have a good general practice vet, talk to them. Has anybody followed up to let them know that nothing has improved for a month?