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The vestibular system controls balance and prevents the animal from falling. It does this by providing and continuously adjusting the position of the eyes, head and body against gravity. When there are diseases that affect this system, although it is rarely fatal, the symptoms caused can be particularly painful for a pet owner. Animals may tilt their head to one side, circle to the right or left, falling several times, rolling from one side, be generally wobbly and show abnormal pupil movement in their eyes. We examine the physiology of the vestibular system in dogs and cats, what can go wrong and how a veterinarian willing to diagnose and treat.

What exactly is the vestibular system?

The vestibular system is a system composed of a sensory receptor organ in the inner ear, the vestibular nerve itself, and a center of balance control in the back of the brain. The receptor organ of the inner ear detects the position and movement of the head in space, both when the animal is at rest or in motion. Information on the position of the head is transformed into electrical signals that are transmitted via the vestibular nerve to the brain. The control center of balance in the brain, and then processed this information and sends signals to the motor muscles controlling the eye position and members according to the movement of the head.

What is vestibular syndrome?

vestibular syndrome is a broad term describing diseases of the vestibular system. The term does not provide any information on what part of the vestibular system is affected, and what is the cause.

What are the warning signs?

Animals with vestibular disease may display all or part of the following signs:

1. Head tilt

It is the rotation of the head so that the ear is lower than the other. It occurs because of the loss of antigravity muscle tone on one side of the neck.

2. MVL

Circling often occurs with vestibular disease, but may also occur with forebrain tumors. Generally, tight circles mean vestibular disease while large circles mean a brain tumor.

3. Nystagmus (wandering pupils)

This means that rhythmic involuntary movements of the eyeballs. Students tend to drift to one side (slow phase), then thrown back in the middle (fast phase). Usually the slow phase is directed toward the affected side.

4. Strabismus (squint)

This means abnormal position of the eyeballs, rather like the condition known as a squint.

5. Ataxia (wobbliness)

It means walking an uncoordinated manner, and is seen with a wide range of diseases other than vestibular disease, such as those affecting the brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves. Animals can adopt a broad base, balancing exposure of the head, and leaning, falling and rolling on the side.

Peripheral vs Central Vestibular Disease

vestibular disease is classified as peripheral or central, as the case in the system of disease comes from. Vestibular peripheral arterial disease which is found in one or the other receptor organs of the inner ear or vestibular nerve. Central vestibular disease is where the disease is located in the center of balance control in the brain (to be precise, either in the brainstem or vestibular nuclei in the cerebellum).

The first task for the veterinarian to determine if he or she faces the peripheral or central vestibular disease. This is done by looking carefully for all the symptoms described above, and others that characterize the direction and nature. It is beyond the competence of this article to go in the exact way to differentiate clinically, and whether it can usually be ACH.