# Worried over unsteady dog



## healea01 (Aug 19, 2008)

Jazz is a 1 year 4 month old Red Cloud Kelpie X Border Collie. She was a farm rescue pup from Kalbarri, thin and tiny when i first took her home, perhaps the runt, but now a healthy, de-sexed, fully vaccinated, wormed dog.

For about 6 months now she has been very (maybe even increasingly) unsteady on her feet. I used to put it down to a growing puppy with long legs, but it just hasn't gone away.

She often falls over, sometimes hard, on our wooden floors, yet her nails are clipped and other dogs have no problem. When running through open doors she usually strays sideways and bangs into the doorway, knocking her off balance once she's through. When sitting or lying down (with head up) she always sways, side to side, never able to keep her body stationday. Riding in cars is out of the question, she just lies on the floor.

An insight to what might be wrong with Jazz would be more than appreciated.

Perhaps I want an 'answer' that is far away from brain tumor or cancer in the cerebellum or inner ear.

Alison.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Get her to a vet ASAP, it could be neurological or a tick born illness!


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## Mach1girl (Apr 17, 2006)

My Daizy has a celleberum disorder-she was diagnosed with Chorea-derived from Distemper- possible caught at the vets office as a small pup-BUT possibly caught from the vaccine as well.

Here is her video


As a puppy still


It went undiagnosed for about 8 months until someone figured it out. Vets wanted to puther down-take brain samples-cut on her and biopsy-I never let them. Now I have a beautiful healthy happy disabled dog.

Not saying that is what is starting with your dog, just when someone posts anything nuerological with their dogs, I show them this, this way, even if kept in the back of your mind for future reference-it can be used as help with a possible diagnosis. It is not always a tumor or devastating news when dealing with a wobbly problem, especially in a young puppy, it can be entirely something different.

Good luck-keep us up on what happens.And no matter what happens, if the dog is not in pain, not suffering there is no reason it cant live a great life like Daizy-just takes alittle mroe work on your behalf!


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## healea01 (Aug 19, 2008)

I managed to shoot a few seconds of Jazz and her wobbles, but it's not as sevre as Daizy.


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## natureloverchris (Nov 11, 2007)

I couldn't really watch the video, I've got a slooow connection. I was also thinking it sounded like it could be neurological. You really will need to take her into the vet to know what's going on


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## Mach1girl (Apr 17, 2006)

Do you see when the dog stops, the rear leg sorta "spams" and turns into a "wobble" ? That is a telltale sign of a nuerological problem.

Daizy started out similar to that video, then progressed to where she is at now, then it stopped.

It may very well indeed be something to do with her vaccination-though rare-it CAN happen.

She looks good though-she doesnt look like she even notices it-which is a good thing.

Take care of her- I believe GOD sent me a special dog for a reason, and HE may have done the same for you.

IMO there is no comparison-Id own Daizy before Id own any other dog if I had to


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## healea01 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Re: Update on wobbly Jazz*

I have taken Jazz to the local vets and they referred me to a neurological specialist. They checked out her eyes and reactions and took her out on the lawn to watch her run/sniff poo and even video taped her! The vet said its most likely a developmental or genetic problem with the cerebellum. Something like Cerebellar abiotrophy...? 

She said that her muscle coordination is problematic on all limbs and dogs with this condition often run with their front legs extended up high, which she does and usually turn their bodies without moving their legs, which she does and get unbalanced if they're focused on something eg. running along and smell something on the ground and go back to find it. 

Try this out on your perfectly healthy dog... stand them up, grab a foot and turn it under so the tops of their paws are on the ground and you'll see that they quickly lift them up and return htem to the normal position.... Jazz doesn't! ... well not every time.

So the vet took a blood sample for 'Neospora titre' and 'Toxoplasma lgM + lgG titre.... whatever that is. And I'll wait for the results! otherwise $300 wasted and might just let Jazz live a happy, disabled life


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

*Re: Update on wobbly Jazz*

Well at least you have some information! It is always better to be safe than sorry, especially when dealing with something's life!


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## healea01 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Re: Yet another update...[Final]*

The blood test results came back yesterday and she is positive for toxoplasma, she was exposed to it previously in her life sometime, but the pattern is not consistent with the active form, so she is unlikely to progress anyfurther down the track of Cerebellar Abiotrophy (Thats what's she's got, in a very mild form)

I don't mind that I paid a lot of money to put a name to her 'condition,' I didn't like the thought of wondering for the rest of Jazz's life, or knowing that I could do something, but turns out it's not treatable (still in experimental stages) and she can live a happy, disabled, wobbly life


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

*Re: Yet another update...[Final]*

That's good, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of wobbles!

I'm glad she's okay.


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