Why is my senior dog so wobbly?

The term for this uncoordinated gait is ataxia, and the type of ataxia that causes dogs to walk like they are drunk is called a vestibular ataxia. The vestibular system, or balance system, in dogs is composed of two parts: the peripheral portion, or the inner and middle ear, and the central portion, or the parts of the brain that control the balance system. There are a variety of causes for vestibular dysfunction in dogs, depending whether the inner/middle ear or the brain itself appears to be affected. Potential causes include inner/middle ear infections, intoxication, strokes, tumors, infectious or inflammatory diseases, idiopathic vestibular disease, or other less likely causes. Idiopathic vestibular disease is also called old dog vestibular syndrome. Other signs that can be seen in a dog with vestibular dysfunction include abnormal, rapid eye movements, the head tilting to the side, walking in circles, falling or rolling toward one side, or nausea and vomiting.

Vestibular disease also called 'Old dog syndrome' or canine idiopathic vestibular disease, or vestibular syndrome is a non-progressive balance disorder typically due to problems within your dog's inner ear, or middle ear. Although this condition is generally seen in older dogs, dogs of any age can get vestibular disease. As well as stumbling and loss of balance, signs of vestibular disease can include head tilting, walking in circles, vomiting, nausea, and flicking of the eyes from side to side. Inner ear infections are another common cause of staggering and stumbling in dogs. Other signs of ear infections include redness, swelling, discharge, and odor in or around the affected ear as well as head shaking and scratching, walking in circles, and eye flicking. Your dog's balance issues could be the result of head trauma, injury or damage to their inner ear. A stroke could affect any part of your dog's brain resulting in a wide range of symptoms. Some common signs of strokes in dogs include stumbling and balance loss, head tilt, circling, loss of vision, howling, limping, housetraining accidents, seizures, abnormal eye movements and in some cases collapse. Brain tumors will occur in dogs, particularly senior dogs, and can cause your dog to be stumbling around like drunk. Brain inflammation can cause dogs to stumble and fall over.