trouble walking

Question
Dr. Carozza,

My 13-year-old sheltie/spitz mix suddenly had trouble standing five days ago. Her rear legs just started to slip out from under her and she scurried to get up.  That only lasted for about five minutes.  We let her outside and she seemed steady and then started running around as usual.  Last night she started having the same trouble again, but it did not subside. We called my sister-in-law, who is a vet out-of-state.  She asked us several questions and had us do some simple tests to see if there were points of pain and to see how Samie's reflexes were.  She also asked us if her eyes were flicking back and forth.  We didn't see that last night.

This morning we took her to our vet practice, but she wasn't able to see our regular vet, who we have a good relationship with.  The other vet said she thought Samie had had a stroke, but also listened to our suggestion of a possible middle/inner-ear infection.  She did not perform any tests, but looked in her ears and saw a little buildup in one.  The key things for her stroke diagnosis were that her eyes were in fact flicking back and forth and that her head was cocked to one side.

She said they could do an MRI, but that the equipment is only available once a month so it will be another week.  Meanwhile, she gave her a cortisone shot and prescribed a medication to work on the stroke symptons.

Then we relayed this information to my sister-in-law who does not agree with the diagnosis and thinks we should start her on something to work on the ear infection.

I have a lot of faith in my sister-in-law's opinion because she has always been right, even though she's usually diagnosing over the phone.  

I also do not understand how stroke symptoms can come and go--Samie CAN walk sometimes and she was definitely fine for several days after the first incident.  

I am looking for another vet in town to get a second opinion from, but would also like your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Anne-Marie

Answer
Hi Anne,

Remember I am not a DR but a licensed tech.  

She could have had a series of mini strokes. Also remember animals are not people and do not have the same symptoms of strokes.  Did they speak about the possibility of seizures also? they can have the same type of symptoms too.

Your vet should have done an ear swab and did a cytology on it to see whats growing in that ear and taken a better look at it.

Good luck