Can Dogs Feel Dizzy?

Sometimes, dizziness can often be a problem that stems from vertigo (yep, dogs get vertigo, too!), an ear infection, injuries, vestibular syndromes, strokes, and more!
If you're wondering what to look for, how you can tell if your dog is getting dizzy, how to help a dizzy spell, and what you should do on to help reduce dizziness in your dog, we've got you covered! Check out our guide below to help keep you in-the-know about doggo dizziness.

Your dog can also get dizzy enough to stumble, lose their coordination, and walk funny. they might do some standard dog things to let you know they're feeling funny like tucking their tail, pinning their ears down, and whimpering. 

But your dog might also be fatigued, lazy, tired, or have no interest in getting up, playing, or doing any kind of activity. It's also possible the doggo dizziness will cause your pup some nausea. This could lead to vomiting, an inability to keep eye contact with you, and some confused behavior.

One of the most common reasons is from ear infections. This will cause your dog's internal balance to be a little off, maybe have him turning his head a bunch, and walking in circles. Additionally, if your pup hits his head on something too hard - just like a person would - this can cause some dizziness. Check his pupils if you suspect this is the case - they'll likely be enlarged. 

In other, rarer cases, oncoming strokes or brain tumors can cause dizziness in your dog. It can also come from something that affects your dog's vestibular system, the part of your dog that helps them with their sense of balance. If this is out of whack, your dog can get really spinny, really fast!

Instead, dogs get dizzy when something affects their vestibular systems and throws them off balance. The vestibular system in your dog is responsible for maintaining normal balance, and when something upsets that balance, your dog can quite literally lose their balance, too.

Typically, this will require patience and medicine. Make sure your dog is okay with taking medicine. Teach them a throw-and-catch game with their pills (this might be difficult to do while they're dizzy), teach them to eat their pill with their food, or teach them to take it out of your hand like a treat. 

Making sure your dog has a grasp on basic commands like "lay down" and "stay" is going to be helpful, too. If they're having a dizzy spell, they might need a little extra motivation to stay still and lay down while it passes, training them to listen to this command could help them feel better, faster.