[SOLVED ] Q. Tilted head and drooling, 6 month old puppy

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. I would be suspicious that your puppy has eaten something that hasn’t agreed with it or is potentially toxic. It would be wise to contact your vet especially if there are any other symptoms such as muscle tremors.

How to Identify Common Pet Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

One of the most common causes of head tilt in dogs is due to geriatric vestibular disease. This is also known as Idiopathic Vestibular Disease. This disorder typically affects older dogs (usually over the age of 5) and can result in head tilt, falls, and imbalance.

A dog tilts his head to show that he is engaged much the way a human would nod during a conversation to indicate that he is listening. Social dogs that enjoy human interaction usually tilt their heads more often to encourage the continuation of the conversation and prolong the human contact.

The primary reason for a dog to exhibit a head tilt is dysfunction of the vestibular system. The vestibular apparatus is responsible for an animal`s maintenance of balance and the spatial orientation of the eyes, head, trunk and limbs relative to gravity.

Potential causes include inner/middle ear infections, intoxication, strokes, tumors, infectious or inflammatory diseases (meningitis), idiopathic vestibular disease (also called “old dog” vestibular syndrome), or other less likely causes.

Facial paralysis is quite common in dogs, particularly in middle to old-age. The term is simply the description of drooping of muscles in the face, which is caused, not by damage to the muscles themselves, but to the nerves supplying them.

Brainstem and Cerebellum Stroke Symptoms in Dogs

Your dog is having a problem with balance, which may include a head tilt, falling or rolling to one side, and inability to stand.

Vestibular syndrome refers to a group of diseases that affect the balance system (also known as the vestibular system). Download PDF. Common signs of vestibular syndrome in dogs and cats include loss of balance, falling, rolling over, abnormal flickering of the eyes and general wobbliness.

It puts himself in a position that tells others it means no harm. Submissive behavior is a choice, not something a dog is forced into. This behavior may be exhibited around people, dogs, or other animals. A dog displaying submissive behavior may hold its head down and avert its eyes.

Often dogs show signs of improvement from an episode of vestibular disease within 72 hours, and recovery should happen within one to two weeks. After recovery, most dogs live a long life with vestibular disease, despite some persistent symptoms such as a head tilt and nausea.

Symptoms can include collapsing, jerking, stiffening, muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, drooling, chomping, tongue chewing, or foaming at the mouth. Dogs can fall to the side and make paddling motions with their legs. They sometimes poop or pee during the seizure.

There are lots of possible causes of drooling that require veterinary treatment, such as dental problems, poisoning or heat stroke, so if you`re not sure whether you should be concerned then it`s a good idea to get advice from a vet. It might be nothing to worry about but it`s always best to be safe.

Puppies who are teething tend to have a lot of pain in their gums and mouths. Because of this, they usually drool more often than they did in their earlier days. Even if your puppy is a breed that tends to drool excessively, you will likely notice an increase in drooling while she`s teething.

This results in an inability to blink the eye or the ear, and typically a lip droop. The droopy lip usually results in increased drooling from that side of the mouth as well as possibly dropping food and water from the mouth. Chewing and swallowing are not affected.

Sudden development of facial paralysis is a common presentation of stroke in humans. However, in most cases, facial paralysis in dogs and cats is not associated with brain disease, but rather with direct damage to the nerve that controls the muscles in the face, known as the facial nerve.

Dogs who are dehydrated may start to drool excessively. This is because they are trying to cool down their bodies through the best method they have. Excessive drooling is any type of drooling that is not normal for your dog.

Is your dog losing balance, shaking, or falling over? Your dog`s loss of balance could be the result of a serious medical issue, such as poisoning, stroke, injury, or an infection. Today, our Winston-Salem vets explain why you should head to an animal hospital right away if your dog is experiencing balance issues.

Can my dog or cat have a stroke? Cats and dogs can have strokes, but they seem to occur less frequently in pets than in people. Pet owners often don`t notice signs of a mild stroke in their companions since animals can`t tell you when they feel dizzy, lose sight in one eye, or have memory problems.

Loss of balance in dogs often occurs due to inner ear infections. If your dog has an ear infection, you may also notice additional symptoms such as odor in or around the affected ear, head shaking and scratching, walking in circles, and eye flicking, as well as redness, swelling, or discharge.

The word ataxia means incoordination within the nervous system. The abnormal movement can occur in the legs, the head, the torso, or all three. There are several different forms of ataxia, depending on where in the nervous system the abnormality occurs.

The most common sign of a brain tumor in a dog is seizures. Any time a new onset of seizures is observed in a dog 5 years of age or older, a brain tumor must be considered as a possibility. Additional signs of a brain tumor may include: Abnormal behavior/mental activity.

Symptoms and Identification

In the case of this congenital disease (acquired in utero), vestibular symptoms that presumably compare to those of the human condition we call vertigo are observed in young puppies, usually before 20 weeks of age.

Certainly behaviour in relation to eating and drinking may change, including increased food aggression; or showing appeasing behaviour after soiling in the house. Equally, lethargy and lack of exercise tolerance are known clinical signs of Cushing`s.

14-18 Hours a Day.

Most patients are completely recovered within two to three weeks, although some will have residual symptoms such as a head tilt or mild “wobbling” for life. If the patient fails to improve or worsens, then a more severe underlying disorder should be suspected, and advanced diagnostic testing should be pursued.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. How do I get my dog to stop chewing on things? I kennel her when I leave for a few hours, but I can’t go to the mailbox without her eating something.

ANSWER : A. If she’s young, then this is just normal puppy behavior. Don’t worry about it. The thing about puppies is, they explore using their mouths. If your puppy grabs a coat hanger, or a slipper, you should roll up a newspaper, and smack yourself on the head with it for leaving those things out.. your puppy is going to explore things, that’s normal! It is 100% up to YOU to keep those things away from your puppy when your puppy is unsupervised… even for just a moment.

Remember to never scold your puppy for grabbing these things. They are just curious little cuties, and they don’t chew things up to bother us.. Dogs do not have intentional thought, so they aren’t ever doing anything ON PURPOSE to us.. The most important thing you can do when your puppy is chewing something you don’t want her to be chewing is TRADE her the inappropriate item with a toy of hers, so she understands “no honey, that isn’t what puppies chew on… THIS is what puppies chew on!” and then begin playing with her using her toy to show her that TOYS ARE FUN.. Way more fun than a boring ol’ coat hanger.

Another helpful thing you can do is have two bags of toys. In each bag is many different kinds of toys. Lots of chew toys, lots of soft squeaky toys, lots of rope-type toys, a bunch of balls.. All kinds of things! For one week you have bag#1’s toys out for your puppy to play with.. At the end of the one week, you collect those toys, and you bring out bag#2! The toys will be more interesting/feel like new to your puppy, which will in-turn, make her chew less inappropriate things. Her toys are too fun to care about that dumb Wii-mote that you left laying around.

Hope this helps!

Read Full Q/A … : Stop Dog Chewing – Put A Stop To Your Dog's Or Puppy's …

Q. My puppy is urinating a lot. And the lady I gave one of the puppies to said she thinks her puppy has diabetes could my puppy have it to

ANSWER : A. It is not likely that either one of these puppies has diabetes. It is very uncommon for a puppy that young to have diabetes. If your puppy is straining to urinate or is urinating very small amounts frequently and cannot seem to wait for very long between urination, he may have a urinary tract infection. It is quite possible that your puppy is completely normal. I would suggest an exam with your veterinarian and discuss the behavior with them. They may suggest a urinalysis. Your puppy should be going to the vet at 3 week intervals for vaccinations at this age, so you can discuss it when he has his next set of vaccines. The other person with the other puppy should also be taking hers to a vet for proper immunizations and she should also discuss her concerns with her vet.

Read Full Q/A … : When my dog goes pee it is dark and thick. – Questions …

Q. What solid food should I start 4 week old Pit Bull puppies on?

ANSWER : A. A puppy food designed for large breed puppies can help with rapidly growing bones and joints and can be given in a wet form easily to puppies learning to eat solids. You can also provide a dry kibble for them to try and should moisten it with water or some formula to make it easier for the puppies to eat and digest. As the puppies grow and their teeth come in, they will begin to eat and explore more of the solid food on their own.

Mom should also be on a Puppy formula while nursing her puppies as it will provide extra nutrients to both her and babies while they are in a very rapid stage of growth!

Read Full Q/A … : When to Start Feeding Puppies Solid Food? – Pets

Q. What kind of food is recommended for a puppy Labrador and how often should I feed him?

ANSWER : A. Puppy food is designed specifically for the nutritional needs of young and still growing dogs, with twice the daily nutritional requirements that a mature dog needs.

Puppies are growing and developing rapidly — in their bones, muscles, joints, internal organs and immune system, to name but a few of the developmental needs that are being met by nutrition. A well balanced puppy food contains those nutrients that a puppy specifically need for this purpose, nutrients that are not necessary once the puppy has finished growing into a dog and that are not added to adult formula dog foods. For example, to build a strong body, puppy food contains about 30 percent protein, as well as the vitamins and minerals that are needed for a puppy to be healthy.

Read Full Q/A … : Feeding Your Labrador Puppy – Full Guide and Diet Chart

Q. How long should I feed puppy food to my puppy?

ANSWER : A. A puppy should be given puppy food from around the time that the mother begins weaning her pups until the puppy reaches about the age of one year. This is generally true for all dogs, unless your veterinarian has concerns about your puppy’s growth. Under those circumstances, your veterinarian will make alternate recommendations for your puppy’s diet. Otherwise, around one year, you may begin giving your puppy an adult formula dog food at meal times.

Read Full Q/A … : What should you feed a puppy?

Q. Is it okay to leave your dog alone on the house for over8 hrs? Will it harm him to not be able to go to the bathroom for that long?

ANSWER : A. It depends on the age of the dog. Most adult dogs need potty breaks after 6 hours. If it’s a puppy no it should not be left that long especially if it’s in a crate. No dog should be left in a crate for more than 6 hours. One month old puppy should only be in a crate for one hour. A two month two hours, ect ect until 6 hours which is the cut off for all ages.

Read Full Q/A … : Am I a Bad Pet Owner If I Leave My Dog Alone for 10 Hours a Day?

Q. I am worried because I have a 3 old month puppy chihuahua mix and I just brought in a 1 month puppy pit bull and my 3 month puppy is vomiting a lot

ANSWER : A. Since you are bringing a new puppy into a new home, it is important to get them looked at by a veterinarian to make sure they are vaccinated and checked for parasites. There are diseases that can be spread from young dogs very easily. I would check and make sure both are up to date.

Read Full Q/A … : Dog lethargy? He doesn't want to eat and is just laying …

Q. I’m fostering some now motherless 5 week old Pitbull puppies. There are 5 of them. How much do I feed them? I give them blue buffalo puppy food by wa

ANSWER : A. It should say on the Blue Buffalo on the back under, “puppies” or some sort of age chart. Make sure it’s puppy food.. puppies need extra protein and nutrients. http://bluebuffalo.com/product-finder/dog/?facets=Puppy,Dog_DryFood#

http://www.bullytree.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Feeding-Chart-Blue-Buffalo.gif – On the back of a puppy-food bag from Blue Buffalo it says underneath 3-5 months, “3 to 20 lbs: feed 1/3 – 1 1/4 cups per day” and “21 to 50 lbs: feed 1 1/2 – 3 cups per day.” Make sure you are breaking that up into at least three meals. Let’s say you decide to feed them 1 1/2 cups per day each, then, you should measure that out, and set it aside. Throughout the day, you should offer at least three mealtimes with that set-aside amount. You want to start with the least amount, and then if they seem hungry (licking the floors, begging you constantly for food, whining/crying) feed them a little more until you get it right. Do not overfeed, and try to avoid underfeeding a well.

Read Full Q/A … : French Bulldog Rescue Network :: Home