QUESTION

My french bulldog has all the syptoms of having vestibular diease. My vet has her on phenabarb at the moment because at first she thought the dog was having seizers but me and my partner after doing a lot of research now know that it is vestibular diease. We told this to our vet but she said that it does sound like vestabular diease but it only happens in older dogs we asked her to take hooch off the phenabarb but she said it will carm her down when she has an attack. I have seen you tell alot of people about vivition could i use this on my dog as I have seen that after doing a bit of research vivitonin is used alot in older dogs. Could this help my dog with her vestibular diease as she is only three years old or could it cause her more problems?

Lindsay

ANSWER

Dear Lindsay,
After reading your query, I have sat and thought a while - it is very difficult to say that I know what is wrong with one animal, as I am not directly examining it. Equally, if you have a diagnosis from your own vet, then I cannot contradict. I do note that your pet is on phenobarbitone, but has a vestibular disease. It may be that there is damage already done, and that is why the phenobarbitone. If that were the case, then vivitonin may be an alternative drug to try. But, taking off phenobarbitone without proper consultation, could precipitatte disease. So, although you could go on other drugs, you need to go back to your own vet and express your worries.

James Haddow