[cmdsmith34]

Hi to all I am new here...I have a comment and question...I have a 7 year old miniature poodle her name is brandi Wyne. She has recently started to act wierd. I mean she is walking with her head sideways and she wines like something is hurting her. I am taking her to the vet but was trying to wait until Monday because of the holiday! She did this once before a couple of weeks ago..but seemed to get over quickly. It started this morning when she and I get out of bed. She appears to be somewhat disoriented! She has laid around all day and has not eat anything. I am very concerned...Does anyone know what may be wrong with her? Please respond..very worried ..SS

 

[cmdsmith34]

It could be an ear infection that got better and then worse again. It could be a lot of other things. I would try to get her in right away if she was mine.

Don't want to scare you but poodles can have strokes too, just like people. Has she by chance hit her head hard on something?

She has not been hit in the head that I know of, I will take her in ..I am worried..I don't think I could ever give her up...she is a sweetie..thanks for the reply..SS

 

[cmdsmith34]

You are very welcome and please let me know what you find out.

I sure will...

 

[WonderPup]

My mind jumps to ear infection as well, can you see anything in her ears? Have her ears been plucked and cleaned reccently or perhaps has she had a bath and maybe gotten water down in them that caused a problem.
Definitly let us know what the vet says.

 

[SECRETO]

I really hope its an ear infection. After a dog has a stroke they can act similiar to that. I hope the vet figures out what is hurting her.

I'll be watching this post and hoping for the best outcome. Poor little girl!

 

[spoofan]

My first thought was an ear infection as well.
My friend's poodle suffered from chronic ear infections.
They stopped after her vet advised her to NOT pluck the ears.
Actually,my vet also believes,that the ears should be left alone.
However,I don't follow his advice and keep them clean.
Good luck with your little one and let us know.

 

[Sam I Am]

Give her ears a sniff. That will usually tell you right away if its an ear infection. Sam used to have chronic ones as well. He would sometimes act like that when he got a bad one. Hope that is all it is!

 

[IPP]

Aw, poor girl! I agree sounds like an ear infection, but definitely let us know what the vet says!

 

[FUZBUTZ]

Poor Brandi Wyne, I too hope it is an ear infection or a kinked neck. I hate too tell you this, but I had a small miniture sheltie, 12 yrs. of age, had had her since she was 6 mo. old. She was always very healthy, until this happened. This happened a couple of times w/i 2-3 weeks, and she would go back completely to normal w/i a few hours. Since she was getting older I thought possibly she had slept wrong and had gotten a kink in her neck. The 3rd time this happened I knew for sure it was a lot more serious. It happened late in the middle of the night. She let out a loud howl, as if in a lot of pain, and also acted as if she couldn't see things very well, as if she were going blind. She acted scared to death and started trembling all over. This was all along with all of the same symptoms that she had had b-4. the same ones that you have mentioned. Now she wasn't acting like she was in any pain, but was acting as if one of her hind legs just wouldn't work right. Actually all along we were afraid of what was going on, and hoping that we were wrong and that everything was going to be okay. We held our beloved Sassie for a couple of hours then went back to bed. The following morning our Sassie had no use of either of her hind legs, it was pittiful, and we knew what we had to do. We called our vet and told him that we thought that she had had a stroke, and what her symptoms were. Yes, that was his diagnosis too, and we had our little one put down. That was approx. 1 yr. ago. We loved her dearly. R.I.P. Sassie

 

[FUZBUTZ]

On the brighter side of the story about my sheltie, many years ago I had a small pomeranian female named "Penny". At about the same age of your 'Brandi Wyne", she started having these same type of symptoms. Our vet kept checking her, and wasn't sure, but felt that she was having mini strokes, just like some people have. He reccomended that we have her checked out by U.C. Davis, one of the best, Vet colleges in the U.S. This college is just outside of Sacramento Ca. and was about 3 hrs. away from us. We left her there for about a week. They did every test possible on her trying to figure out what her problem was. There were no problems in any of her organs and concluded that it was in her brain, said more then likely a very small brain tumor that could not be picked up on x-ray. This was done in the days of yore, b-4 the use of MRI's. They told us that they felt she was having mini strokes due to a tumor, but that it had been caught in its early stage and that phenabarbitol might help. We opted to try the phenabarbitol. It worked. Every day for the rest of her life, which by the way was a long life she would get a little dose of her meds. and she never had another problem. She lived to be 14 yrs. old, and did not pass due to her tumor.

 

[CurlyDog]

Our collie, Keagan had similar symptoms, but but they progressed with no apparent pain. He had a massive seizure and was put to sleep. Looking back now, I remember a hint of the same symptoms 6 mos. earlier. Late at night, I thought he looked funny so I woke him up and got him to stand up. He seemed disoriented and then normal. I figured he was just sound asleep and forgot about it. He was 10 years old.

I hope your girl just has an ear infection. Please let us know how she is.

 

[WonderPup]

My first thought was an ear infection as well.
My friend's poodle suffered from chronic ear infections.
They stopped after her vet advised her to NOT pluck the ears.
Actually,my vet also believes,that the ears should be left alone.
However,I don't follow his advice and keep them clean.
Good luck with your little one and let us know.

I have to say that thats the first time I've ever heard of a vet advising to leave ear hair alone. I have heard of loads of groomers who don't pluck ears though. The vets around here are a pain in that they send all those gross nasty ears to the groomers to clean and pluck instead of doing it right there in the clinic. I hate that!! I split the difference and if the ears appear normal I pluck them, if they are totaly loaded with hair and or it appears/smells like there might be a problem in the ear I leave it alone and tell the client that the vet will have to do it and why.

 

[Sam I Am]

I have to say that thats the first time I've ever heard of a vet advising to leave ear hair alone. I have heard of loads of groomers who don't pluck ears though. The vets around here are a pain in that they send all those gross nasty ears to the groomers to clean and pluck instead of doing it right there in the clinic. I hate that!! I split the difference and if the ears appear normal I pluck them, if they are totaly loaded with hair and or it appears/smells like there might be a problem in the ear I leave it alone and tell the client that the vet will have to do it and why.

I have heard different opinions on whether to pluck or not. Some say just to pluck a little of it, some say all, and some say never pluck. I think it completely depends on the dog. Sam has a huge amount of hair in his ears and we battled ear infections for his first 2 years. The vet was really no help, would just give him antibiotics which would clear it up and then they would come back. I asked her about allergies and she put him on a script food, which didn't do anything and I felt had poor ingredients. No one, not even the groomers told me to pluck his ears, I didn't even know it was something anyone did to any dog. I did bell his ears once and I always shaved around the opening really good to allow more air in, but that didn't help either. Finally I started doing my own research into helping him and thats when we started feeding food with no corn, wheat, or soy; started plucking ALL of his ear hair, and started using the blue power ear treatment. He cleared up and he hasn't had an infection since. My sister had an apricot standard who had almost no ear hair so we left it alone and he never had any problems. Jenny has very little and so far I have left it alone. She had a slight infection when I picked her up from the breeder, but it cleared up and so far no other problems. But should she start having ear issues I will start plucking it all just like I do Sam's.

 

[spoofan]

My vet says,that it is the irritation from plucking the hair out,that causes infections.
He suggests trimming the hair and using the powder to take out only the hair,that will come out with your fingers.
My groomer still cleans the ear completely,but should Gunther get an ear infection,I would follow the vet's advice,as it does seem to make sense.

 

[CurlyDog]

The holistic vet that I took Max to, suggested that we leave well enough alone. He said plucking can cause inflammation and lead to problems. He agreed with me. If Max isn't having ear infections, then leave it alone and keep him clean. If there are infections then it's something to consider. (Max's ears maybe aren't particularly hairy?) That could be a factor.

Kinda like me. I never used to get the flu shot. I just don't get sick. Now my company plies me with every vaccine imaginable but if it were up to me, I'd opt out of the flu shot. Just a matter of weighing the cost vs. benefits.

 

[WonderPup]

Yup I've heard all of that, but only from other groomers. Supposedly plucking opens up the folicals and allows in all sorts of nasties wich in turn causes infections. I've read that this is mostly a problem when you pluck a load of hair out of an ear that is rarely plucked. Thats what I tell clients when their dogs who only get groomed ever six months or so come in wth bushes growing out of their ears and say to me "Make sure you get those ear good". They don't seem to get it though. :banghead: I suppose it's similar to the way some dogs get clipper burn and some don't. *shrugs*
I'm lucky with Jazz, her ears aren't really hairy either. I haven't plucked or cleaned them since Halloween, and that was the day we got her. I check them every week when I groom her but very little hair has regrown, (they were loaded when we got her) and there is no buildup of any kind. I did use hemostats to do her ears that one time but as a rule I only use my fingers. I worked with a groomer for a year who was a fan putting those things all the way down in the ear, grabbing as much hair as possible and then twisting it all out at once. OUCH! I hated it. I'm always afraid that the dog is going to jerk or something and I'll jab the hemostats all the way down the ear and I'm sure that would hurt something awful.

 

[Sam I Am]

I only use my fingers also but I do get way down as far as I can reach and take only a little at a time. He never seems to even notice. He does however hate when I initially put the powder in. He makes these hilarious faces, flipping his lips around and making his nose go crooked. LOL!

 

[cmdsmith34]

Brandi Wyne is doing Fine!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone, First let me say that I am so thankful that My precious Brandi Wyne is doing FINE!! Second let me say a big thank you to all, who showed concern and left comments..you guys are great..Yes, according to our VET ...she did have an ear infection........and he said that he is sure that is what the problem was or is...I was so happy..I know that poodles can get cancer and take siezures or strokes.....I just am not ready to let her go she is only 7 and I have had her since she was 6 months old........she brings me so much joy....and no matter what kind of day I have had she is always waiting for me at the door and just happy I am home....Thanks again....Scott in Hazard, KY

 

[mercymoon]

That is great to hear, Scott!
Good news indeed, glad she is doing fine!

 

[Sam I Am]

So happy it isn't anything serious!!! Hopefully she will be back to her old self soon.