Neurological Diseases in Dogs

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 20 February 2021
Update Date: 3 November 2024
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The nervous system is extremely complex, we can describe it as the center of operations of the rest of the body, regulating its functions and activities. At neurological diseases in dogs they can respond to a large number of causes and, in many of them, the speed of action is crucial to avoid serious and/or irreversible injuries. Therefore, it will be very useful to know how to detect when our furry friend has a neurological disorder.

In this article by Animal Expert, we detail 7 signs that may indicate a neurological problem in our dog. In any case, we must keep in mind that the signs can easily be confused with those that occur in diseases associated with other organs. Therefore, it is advisable to contact the veterinarian to start the diagnostic plan as soon as possible. If, finally, a neurological disease is found, we can locate the lesion correctly, as the prognosis and treatment will depend on it. Keep reading and find out how to detect neurological diseases in dogs.


1. Weakness or paralysis of the extremities

Paralysis of the extremities is one of the possible signs of neurological diseases in elderly dogs. With weakness, pain usually appears in one or more extremities. Almost always progressive when it comes to a degenerative problem, due to chronic wear of the joints, but it can also be due to a neurological problem where this weakness can lead to paresis (or partial absence of movement) or plegia (complete absence of movement).

If the partial absence of movement affects the hind limbs, it is called paraparesis and tetraparesis if it affects all 4 extremities. The same denomination would apply to the total absence of movement, however, with the ending -plegia (paraplegia or quadriplegia, respectively).


This partial or total lack of movement can be caused by a state of degenerative joint disease in which there is compression of the spinal cord or by other causes (be it infection, trauma, herniated discs, etc.), in which the age will be more variable. Therefore, it is essential to reach the correct diagnosis to find the exact location of the lesion, its origin and thus offer the patient the best possible solution.

If your dog presents intermittent lameness, weakness of the forelimb or hind limb, if it is not as excited to move as before, if it complains when handling the hip, knee or other joint, or even more severe, if it is difficult or impossible to stand, it is very important go to the vet to perform the necessary tests.


Most likely they will perform a full exam (both physical and neurological), imaging tests such as X-rays or CT/NMR, and possibly some lab tests like a full analysis, or a bone marrow puncture. According to the cause(s), the treatment will be very different, from pharmacological, surgical, with physiotherapy, etc.

2. Seizures

Seizures in dogs can be of two types:

  • Partial: Motor changes, dog shaking its head, contraction of one extremity, involuntary opening of the jaws, etc. may appear. They may or may not be accompanied by behavioral changes such as chasing "imaginary flies", barking for no reason, tail chasing, showing aggressiveness without being threatened, etc. Partial crises can become generalized.
  • Generalized: in this type of seizures, motor disturbances usually appear, however, this time affecting a greater extension of the body, such as involuntary muscle contractions, stiffness of the neck and extremities, animal in recumbency, mouth opening, pedaling and vegetative manifestations may also occur , such as urination/defecation or ptialism (excessive salivation) and even loss of consciousness or momentary loss of muscle tone.

After the seizure and before it, we can also notice that the animal is restless, aggressive, with compulsive licking, etc.

If your dog has a generalized seizure lasting more than 2 minutes, that the frequency of them increases, that the severity increases or that he does not recover correctly after an episode (or several in a row), we must urgently go to the vet, as it can be a vital emergency.

In any case, before a full or partial attack, it is important to go to the veterinarian to perform the proper diagnosis and treatment (One of them is epilepsy, however, we must keep in mind that there are many other causes that can cause these episodes, including vascular and metabolic alterations, intoxication, trauma, etc.).

3. Gait changes

Perceive changes in the dog's gait, which could also be defined as changes or anomalies in your walking, may be a sign that our dog suffers from neurological problems. Generally we can appreciate:

  • Ataxia or incoordination: this type of abnormal gait in which the limbs lose their coordination, we can observe when the patient leans to one side, his course deviates, that when trying to walk his limbs cross, or that he drags some of the extremities, stumbles or is unable to perform a specific move. Such alteration can be caused by lesions in different areas of the nervous system and it is important to have a good location, again.
  • movement in circles: usually associated with other symptoms and may be due to lesions in various parts of the nervous system. It would not matter much if the dog makes this movement during play, before going to bed or in a habitual manner. However, if we observe that when trying to walk it can only move by turning in one direction, it does so continuously and does not seem to control the movement is when we should worry and go to the vet.

4. Change of mental state

In cases where there is an alteration at the level of the Central Nervous System (brain or brainstem), it is common for the animal to have an altered mental state: we can see it decayed, as it hardly interacts with the environment or it may remain stationary , pressing your head against a wall or furniture (this is known as head pressing). They exist very diverse manifestations of diseases of the nervous system.

In general, a healthy animal will show a state of alertness (responds adequately to stimuli present in the environment). If you are ill, you may have a depressed mental state (you will be sleepy but awake, alternating periods of inactivity with others of short activity). In stupor (appears asleep and only responds to nociceptive or painful stimuli) or comatose (the animal is unconscious and does not respond to any stimulus). Depending on the severity, it may or may not be accompanied by other behavioral changes.

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5. Head tilted

It may be accompanied by other symptoms such as strabismus or pathological nystagmus (involuntary and repetitive eye movement, whether horizontal, vertical or circular and usually affects both eyes), movement in circles, hearing loss or balance. is often associated with an inner ear lesion, known as canine vestibular syndrome. if your dog has advanced age or you have had severe otitis and you notice your head is tilted, see your veterinarian to assess your pet's condition and make a diagnosis.

6. Generalized tremors

If the dog has tremors in non-physiological situations, that is, not being cold or at rest, we must be alert and observe when this happens, if you have other symptoms and go to our veterinarian with all this information. For these types of changes, audiovisual support is very useful, such as performing videos, to aid in diagnosis.

7. Alteration of the senses

In addition to everything that has already been mentioned, some signs of neurological problems in young, adult or elderly dogs may be the alteration of the senses:

  • Smell: the dog shows no interest in something unless he hears or visualizes, does not sniff, if he offers a prize he cannot see, does not detect, or when faced with a strong odor he usually dislikes (such as vinegar), he does not show rejection. It may be a sign that the olfactory nerve is injured and should be examined by a veterinarian.
  • Vision: there are different nerves involved. If we notice that our pet suddenly doesn't seem to see correctly (becoming more insecure when walking, bumping into things, tripping on steps, etc.), the veterinarian should perform a complete neurological and eye examination to determine the cause.
  • Hearing: with age, our dog can gradually lose hearing due to degeneration of its structures. However, it can also be due to nerve damage and, again, the causes can be diverse (what we have described above is known as vestibular syndrome) and it is often accompanied by changes in balance, as both senses are closely related.
  • Difficulty in swallowing or licking it can also respond to a neurological disorder. It may be accompanied by drooling (excessive salivation) or facial asymmetry.
  • tact: an animal with a neurological injury at the spinal level may lose sensation as well as motor skills. For example, it can present a wound, drag a limb and show no discomfort or pain, we can touch a sensitive area without reacting, etc., however, it can also be the opposite case, that is, increased sensitivity, tingling or neuropathic pain that can lead to serious injury.

What should I do if my dog ​​has neurological problems?

If we detect one or more of these signs of neurological disease in our dog, it will be vitally important. consult the veterinarian, who will evaluate the case and be able to refer us to a specialist in neurology to carry out the neurological tests in dogs that he considers pertinent. The answer to the question "Is there a cure for neurological diseases in dogs?" it also depends on the disease in question and only the neurologist veterinarian can answer this question.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Neurological Diseases in Dogs, we recommend that you enter our Prevention section.