Dear Dr Clare,
I would be very grateful for some advice on natural remedies for idiopathic geriatric vestibular syndrome. My beautiful seven year old male boxer (Celt) recently experienced the above scary condition (geriatric ear). Luckily, I was home at the time and managed to get Celt to the vet very quickly. I thought he was having a stroke.
Thankfully, Celtie has recovered, but occasionally he has a few stumbles. He is back to his normal exercise routine and his eating habits are back to normal too (that is, "begging"). It's wonderful! Would appreciate any feedback.
Many thanks,
Jen
Dear Jen,
Idiopathic vestibular syndrome is fairly common in older dogs (and humans, too - in people it is called Meniere's Disease), and there is little in the way of conventional medicine, both for dogs and humans, which can help. I have treated both dogs and humans successfully several times using (mostly) homeopathic Calc Carb 30C or 200C, or another remedy if it suits the individual better.
Chinese herbs can help, too. There is no known cause according to conventional medicine, and therefore no conventional treatment. But in Traditional Chinese Medicine, these symptoms are referred to as "wind" or "liver wind" which means there are signs of a loss of balance, and the problem can come on quickly and unexpectedly. Therefore, Chinese herbs to "clear liver wind" and also to treat any other imbalances according to other symptoms would help, as well as examining the tongue and pulse. Using a similar diagnosis, acupuncture also can be beneficial.
Western or traditional herbs can help, the best being gingko biloba, which also helps in treating dementia by improving circulation in the brain. Zyziphus and Siberian ginseng are useful also in weak or older patients. Fish oil has been proven to help with many central nervous system conditions due to the Omega 3 DHA improving fat molecules in the brain tissue.
Oats have a component called avena sativa which can help brain tissue. So raw or cooked oat bran or rolled oats can be added in small amounts to a natural diet of raw meat and bones, vegies and fish or fish oil. Some dogs with a residual head tilt can be found to have a vertebral subluxation of the neck or upper spine due to holding their head unevenly for so long, so can benefit from chiropractic or Bowen therapy or Shiatsu/Tui Na to release this. Some dogs look better straight after these treatments (it looks as if they have had their head "twisted back on the correct way" at last!).
Some dogs will slowly get better without treatment, but it depends on the severity of the symptoms. Some dogs will be nauseous due to being "sea sick" from the tilt of their head and their lack of balance, so will require treatment, while others are not too put out by it all.
www.claremiddle.com
