![]() The peripheral vestibular system is composed of the cranial nerve (CN) VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve) and its receptors which are located in the inner ear. ![]() Anatomically, the VS can be divided into peripheral and central components. The vestibular system (VS) is the component of the nervous system responsible for maintaining equilibrium and balance. ![]() Incomplete recovery from peripheral vestibular disease is common, especially in dogs presenting with cranial nerve enhancement on MRI but less so if there is previous history of vestibular episodes. Idiopathic vestibular disease is the most common cause of peripheral vestibular dysfunction in dogs and it is associated with advanced age. History of previous vestibular episodes ( P = 0.017, OR = 3.533 CI 1.251–9.981) was associated with an increased likelihood of resolution of the clinical signs whilst contrast enhancement of cranial nerves VII and/or VIII on MRI ( P = 0.018, OR = 0.432 CI 0.251–0.868) was associated with a decreased chance of resolution of the clinical signs. Increasing age was associated with a mild increased chance of diagnosis of idiopathic vestibular syndrome rather than otitis media and/or interna ( P = 0.022, OR = 0.866 CI 0.765–0.980). Recurrence of clinical signs was observed in 26 dogs. Long-term follow-up revealed persistence of head tilt ( n = 50), facial paresis ( n = 41) and ataxia ( n = 6) in some cases. The most prevalent diagnosis was idiopathic vestibular disease ( n = 128), followed by otitis media and/or interna ( n = 49), hypothyroidism ( n = 7), suspected congenital vestibular disease ( n = 2), neoplasia ( n = 1) and cholesteatoma (n = 1). Neurological abnormalities included head tilt ( n = 185), ataxia ( n = 123), facial paralysis ( n = 103), nystagmus ( n = 97), positional strabismus ( n = 93) and Horner syndrome ( n = 7). One hundred eighty-eight patients were included in the study with a median age of 6.9 years (range 3 months to 14.6 years). ![]() This study therefore aimed to describe the clinical signs, magnetic resonance imaging findings (MRI), underlying causes and outcome in a large population of dogs diagnosed with peripheral vestibular disease. There are several studies investigating how to differentiate between peripheral and central vestibular disease but only limited information regarding the possible underlying causes for peripheral vestibular dysfunction in dogs. Vestibular dysfunction is relatively common in dogs, with a prevalence of 0.08% reported in primary veterinary care in the UK. ![]()
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