Last night I had just gone to bed when I heard one of the dogs making all kinds of noise on the carpet. I thought it might be the one who's always trying to fluff the carpet to make a bed. When I got up to check because it didn't sound quite right I could just see that whoever it was kept falling down.
I turned on a light to see better and got down on the floor with him. Being up close I could see his eyes flitting right and left rapidly. He was obviously distraught. I kept thinking seizure but his distress didn't match up. The behavior ended after a minute or so, he got up and asked to go out.
This morning I Googled the behavior and came up with something called Nystamagus. It's an issue that can plague older dogs, brain stem problems or inner ear problems. Being as he's over 13, no signs of an inner ear issues the cause was probably his age.
He seems totally fine this morning. He might have it happen again or he might not. I would rather be here to comfort him if it does but running to never ending medical appointments I might not always be here.
I turned on a light to see better and got down on the floor with him. Being up close I could see his eyes flitting right and left rapidly. He was obviously distraught. I kept thinking seizure but his distress didn't match up. The behavior ended after a minute or so, he got up and asked to go out.
This morning I Googled the behavior and came up with something called Nystamagus. It's an issue that can plague older dogs, brain stem problems or inner ear problems. Being as he's over 13, no signs of an inner ear issues the cause was probably his age.
He seems totally fine this morning. He might have it happen again or he might not. I would rather be here to comfort him if it does but running to never ending medical appointments I might not always be here.