flickr photo courtest of Horia Varlan

One of the most challenging things pet owners can face is when their furry friends become ill suddenly.

When you have a pet that isn't feeling well, it can be hard to help them gain comfort — that's difficult enough, right? What about coupling that with the fact that your pet isn't able to physically get around well?

Seeing your dog suddenly not be able to navigate around easily, walk around in circles or even more unsettling — present with a head tilt — is harrowing to say the least. Something that pet owners might not notice as easily is nystagmus (back and forth or rotational eye movements).

Typically, these symptoms point to vestibular disease, and while there are a small handful of causes and two areas that the problem can stem from — central or peripheral —  it's important to know why it's happening so that it can be addressed correctly.

Not long ago I was contacted by a client who needed to go out of town and noted that his senior dog had developed vestibular disease since I last saw her. Lack of coordination and head tilt are present at this point, but when it first began, I understand that her symptoms were much worse.

The vestibular system in animals and humans is comprised of a group of systems working together — the eyes, ears and sense of touch — all of which control physical balance, direction and spatial sense. It's a wondrous network of cooperation consisting of organs and nerves, and we couldn't do much without it.

Problems with this system of the body in veterinary medicine are more common in the senior population of companion animals, and there is, by and large, no known cause. In dogs, it's referred to as canine idiopathic vestibular disease (in cats, it's called feline idiopathic vestibular disease). Most commonly, in this category of the disease, problems are associated with the nerves of the middle ear rather than in the brain. Thankfully, it also tends to resolve within a few weeks.

There are other causes in pets of different age groups, of course. For example, brain lesions, systemic infections like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and middle ear infections might be to blame.

In any case, a visit to the vet is in order to properly diagnose what the causes are and to get things under control. Depending on the situation, tests like x-rays, MRI or CT can help determine the scope of the issue, and from there, solutions can be put into place.

Read more about vestibular problems in dogs by clicking here.

Lorrie Shaw is lead pets blogger for AnnArbor.com and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.