Vascular Accident After Dental?

[Guest jerrybird]

Ten days ago, my 9 year old grey had a dental. He had six extractions done by a very grey-savy vet and was discharged on Clindamycin. Everything seemed to be fine and he did eat that evening. The second day, a bit groggy but was eating, drinking and all was normal. He picked up and carried a soft toy around. On the third day after surgery, he was still groggy, and unsteady on his feet with some tilting of his body to the left. He was eating a soft diet and was totally normal other than this strange body tilting and appeared to be having dizzy spells. The body tilting and sideways walking continued and my mobile vet gave him a neurological examination. She suggested he had symptoms of either FCE, GME or a return of Toxoplasmosis which he had been treated for one year earlier). The dog had a wellness check and blood work done before the dental and everything was within greyhound parameters. We are waiting for the latest blood work results and they should be back next week. In the meantime, he is still tilting and has the crab-like side walking. He is able to do stairs normally and there is no knuckling. The very weird thing is that between episodes of this dizziness, he appears to be perfectly normal and will actually trot around the back yard with a good gait once he is in motion. He is in no discomfort whatever, is alert and happy and functioning normally in all other ways. If indeed it is a vascular accident in his spine, would he be able to move normally when he moves faster? I should mention, that when these symptoms first appeared, we stopped the Clindamycin for 42 hours with no change in his strange behaviour. He is back on the Clindamycin. He is also on the standard treatment protocol for glaucoma. I would appreciate any input/ideas that you have! Thank you.

[Fiona3]

I'm not sure if this applies to your grey - our Hobbes had a vascular incident last August that left him with dizziness and trouble when walking slowly. He could pick up his gait and trot normally but did have knuckling when walking. He was treated with Prednisone for the inflammation and eventually we noticed improvement. He previously had suffered two bouts of Vestibular Disease which caused extreme dizziness and disorientation. These both resolved themselves within a week.

 

Hope you can find the answers you need. Keep us posted.

[Burpdog]

Which teeth did he have pulled?

 

Sending prayers.

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

Did he have any molars pulled?

 

I'm wondering if it's more of a vestibular imbalance. Is there any knuckling of the feet?

[Guest jerrybird]

They were all molars that were pulled. And they had extremely long roots. There is no knuckling of the feet and there is no head tilting. Yesterday, when he was lying on back, all feet in the air. He could roll over both to the right and the left on his own. His right front leg seems to go stiff, comes up off the ground and then the tilt begins. He has not actually fallen right over and always manages to catch himself in time. He continues to eat, act happy and shows no pain. His mouth looks pretty much healed, he has no temperature, and is bright and alert. He is on Clindamycin/Antirobe for another four days. He has been blind in right eye (glaucoma) for approximately six months so this confuses the issue. We have also noticed that when handed a treat, he seems to be a little off centre when taking it into his mouth. I appreciate the input from you, Thank You.

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

I would definitely question more vestibular issues than anything else, especially knowing that they were all molars.

[Burpdog]

Have you talked to the vet about this? Has he been checked since the dental? Is he getting better?

 

Might want him to be on antibiotics a little longer.

[Guest jerrybird]

Yes, he was seen by the vet for a neurological examination last week and she thinks that it is a vascular incident. The blood work results came back this afternoon, and everything is totally normal. There is no head tilt. He appears to have dizzy spells when the body tilting/staggering begins. He leans heavily against wall/furniture/people etc. His eye movements when this happens are normal. Eating, drinking normally. BM and urine fine. Once he gets moving, the dizziness and tilting stop. The vet will be coming to check him again on Wednesday. She is suggesting another week on Clindamycin. There has been no 'facial' paralysis; no sagging of head muscles and he is bright and alert. There is no knuckling, no hind limb weakness and he is able to do stairs unaided. To me, he looks like someone who got up too fast, and took a little time to regain their equilibrium! His blood pressures were normal during surgery. He still seems happy and is eating/drinking. Vestibular disease sounds dead-on actually-the only thing missing is the head-tilt. Thank you and I'll keep you updated.

[Guest jerrybird]

There have been some very small improvements but the circling, leaning and tilting continue. The veterinarian had a look at him yesterday and prescribed another two weeks of Clindamycin. She stands by her diagnosis of a vascular accident and not vestibular disease. She advises the best course of action, is to keep him moving and perhaps he will compensate for any lost function.