Are there any veterinarians here? Got some questions.

[MongooseGA]

I have a 5 year old Berner/Collie (we think) mix. Perfect health and no issues other than persistent dry skin.

Last night I was woken up by the sound of thumping on the walls downstairs and my dog's paws/nails on the wood floors. I called the dog upstairs but kept hearing more of the same. I went down to check on him only to find he was having trouble getting balanced and using his rear legs.

I helped him up the steps to the bedroom and put him on the bed to lay with me. I was really scared, thinking the worst. My GF suggested maybe his legs fell asleep, as a few minutes later I had him follow me to the other room to watch him walk. He was fine. No issues. I chalked it up to him lying upside down when he sleeps, and losing blood in his legs.

This morning he was fine, but throughout the day the same symptoms kept coming back. Mostly when walking slowly. We played in the yard a few times and he chased after toys, running like normal.

Off and on throughout the day the lack of balance would return. He'd walk a little, end up crossing his back legs, and then sort of gracefully fall down to a 'sit' position.

We've done some research and found a few things it could be. We came up with a vestibular disease (which can go away after a few days), ear infection, stroke, or spinal issues. He's not showing any signs of pain, but he is aware when he's unable to get balance. You can see it in his face. I gave him a bath today and did not feel anything that struck me as swollen and he gave no pain indications. I checked his ears and nothing struck me as a problem. We're going to observe one more day and go to the vet on Saturday.

Anyone have any experience with this? Thoughts?

[stomachmonkey]

My thoughts? I would have been at the vet today.

[MongooseGA]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

My thoughts? I would have been at the vet today.

We've got an appointment with a particular vet set up. One of our relatives runs a rescue for Berners and told us to observe one more day and got us set up with her doctor. If it was consistent throughout the morning, I would have high tailed it by noon.

[Justin@Athens]

That is curious. If your vet doesn't have a good diagnosis ask for a referral to the UGA teaching hospital. They are a fantastic organization with a wealth of knowledge, kindness, and resources at their disposal.