does your dog ever lose its balance for no reason?

[Team Peanut]

it can appear in bully breeds because of the use of am staffs in some breedings. not sure of other breeds though.

[HappyPuppy]

Just got back...they took a blood sample and will call tomorrow. No ataxia test - I tried arguing with the vet that it is something that can be tested for but she said it's more of a symptom than a 'thing' and she didn't want to test Ruby to see if she was a carrier since she is spayed.... so I dunno.... going to test for thyroid and something else mainly.

[HappyPuppy]

^ forgot to mention that heart and lungs sounded fine. Temp was fine. Ears were good except a few hairs stuck in wax DEEP down. I haven't been cleaning her ears regularly so I'll get back into that - dunno if tickled enough to cause dizziness.

[GoingPostal]

I hope it's nothing serious for Ruby and that you find some answers, I think there's nothing worse than not knowing what's wrong.

[Leslie H]

I'm glad tests look good so far. Does your vet have any thoughts, or are they waiting for the bloodwork?

[HappyPuppy]

I'm glad tests look good so far. Does your vet have any thoughts, or are they waiting for the bloodwork?

Her first thought other than being a 'transient' virus was (hyper?)thyroid . Bloodwork comes back tomorrow (nice not to have to wait a week). But it sounded like it could be a number of potential causes so I'm trying not to worry until I have something tangible to worry about. Could also be cerebellar 'something' ... ugh, I was trying to absorb it all at once. Since Ruby wasn't presenting anything but wigglebuttness, it didn't help with diagnosis.

[Team Peanut]

fingers crossed for you! i hope it was nothing just a passing thing. Hoping for good news Ruby!!

side note i don't understand your vets reasoning to not find out if the dog is a carrier of something like ataxia because the dog is spayed.

[HappyPuppy]

fingers crossed for you! i hope it was nothing just a passing thing. Hoping for good news Ruby!!

side note i don't understand your vets reasoning to not find out if the dog is a carrier of something like ataxia because the dog is spayed.

^ yeah, I know...??? I pushed it TWICE and then deferred to her direction. If we get no answers that may just be the next thing to focus on...

[AmstaffMommy]

fingers crossed for you! i hope it was nothing just a passing thing. Hoping for good news Ruby!!

side note i don't understand your vets reasoning to not find out if the dog is a carrier of something like ataxia because the dog is spayed.

^ yeah, I know...??? I pushed it TWICE and then deferred to her direction. If we get no answers that may just be the next thing to focus on...

I think you can order the test kit on your own, it goes back to some lab in France.

Do you know her pedigree at all?

[AmstaffMommy]

here is a link about ordering the test:

http://www.optigen.com/opt9_cerebellara ... staff.html

and as a side note, I am not trying to freak you out, there are so many other less serious things it could be and fingers crossed it is something minor. I am just very aware of the Ataxia issue in Amstaffs since the disease became very prevalent in European Amstaffs (my dogs sire was from Belgium) and he died of an unknown neurological disease.

Sending good thoughts to you guys!

[BabyReba]

hoping for good test results today!

[HappyPuppy]

Thanks, everyone, for your well wishes.
AmstaffMommy, she's just a cute mutt, no ped. In fact where she was found, I'd suspect there 'might' be more 'pit bulls' than amstaffs running around but that is just a WAG not an educated statement. Waiting.... Waiting......for the call.

[HappyPuppy]

Bloodwork = great. Red and white cells were fine, thyroid was within normal range, electrolytes were fine. So we'll just keep an eye on things and worry at a later point if it happens again.... DH and I both saw it the other day so it wasn't imagined. I'd rather have some idea than no explanation but at least it didn't immediately come back as a major issue to deal with. Thanks again for sending good thoughts! They must have worked!!

[Ilovethepits]

Glad to hear and hope it just never happens again. I RubyRoo.

[Red]

Glad to hear nothing major was found.Give Ruby a hug for me please.