Sorry for the ad mess yesterday — I’m learning Google Ads while caring for my 18-year-old dachshund with vestibular disease.
If you’ve visited my site recently and noticed ads shifting, disappearing, or leaving awkward empty spaces, thank you for your patience. I’m learning Google Ads, Auto Ads, Multiplex Ads, and AdSense placements inside WordPress and Elementor, and things aren’t always consistent across browsers. At the same time, I’m working from home and caring for my senior dog — so my schedule is not always my own.
My Dog’s Vestibular Disease Episode (Dog Vertigo)
One of my dogs has vestibular disease, often described as “dog vertigo.” He’s now on Day 4 of this episode, and along with vestibular disease, he’s dealing with severely diminished vision and possible doggie dementia.
He eats a lot, drinks plenty, pees and poops regularly — and his bloodwork and vitals are good. Because of his dizziness and inability to position himself at bowls, I have to bring his water dish to his mouth and hand-feed him. He’s not in pain — just confused and dizzy.
Symptoms of Vestibular Disease in Senior Dogs
Vestibular disease causes:
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walking in circles
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losing balance
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leaning
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tipping over
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not being able to walk straight
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confusion
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anxiety
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constant barking and whining
He isn’t suffering — he’s anxious and disoriented.
Day 4 is the hardest phase. Dogs can become more confused, more dizzy, more vocal, and more anxious during this stage. Many dogs start improving between Days 7–10 and can recover significantly within 2–3 weeks.
What’s Helping Him Right Now
One thing that has helped tremendously is his support harness.
It allows him to stand during an episode and go for walks when he’s not. Vestibular disease makes him lean and turn right constantly, so I gently pull left with the harness — and it works.
For vestibular dogs, a harness is honestly some of the best “medicine” they get. But of course the vets didn’t tell me that. I figured it out myself.
The Medication Problem
The medication situation has been terrible. The vets either want to prescribe more drugs or give me a quality-of-life checklist with information for a euthanasia company. But I’ve learned through all of this that he’s extremely sensitive to medication — none of it helps, and some of it makes him worse.
The last medication they gave him, meclizine, caused a seizure — and that was real suffering.
He lost control of his body, vomited, and pooped all over.
Thanks for the meds, doctor.
They don’t care — that’s what I’ve learned. The vets I’ve found are young women who are too busy to care about individual pets.
I took him off it immediately, and I’m now looking for a vet older than 40.
What Calms His Vestibular Anxiety
He barks and whines a lot, and only a few things help calm him:
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basement walking with his harness
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long outdoor walks
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chicken thighs
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treats
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licking peanut butter off a spoon
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stroller rides
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car rides
These help him reorient and settle his brain.
When He Finally Falls Asleep
When he’s finally tired, he fusses like a baby — and the whining and barking get the most extreme right before he crashes into a long, peaceful nap.
Fake News? No Thanks.
And I’ve realized that when you’re caring for a dog going through something like this, watching the fake news is not a priority.
It’s actually the last thing in the world I want to be doing — ever.
Next Step: Neurology Consultation
His next step is a neurology consultation with a dog neurologist.
I’m hopeful that he will get better as the days go on. But with his advanced age, I also understand he may not fully recover, and even if he does, I don’t know what the next challenge will be.
I do not want him to live in pain.
When it is his time, I pray he passes peacefully in his sleep in his giant orthopedic human bed on the floor, cuddled up with me.
Thank You to ChatGPT
ChatGPT has honestly helped me so much — helping me understand the disease and comfort him. Chat and I have talked so much about Max they call me “sweetheart” and “honey.” lol. I am not kidding.
Maybe One Day Google Ads Will Match This Post
And who knows — maybe one day Google Ads will place an ad that actually fits this post. Not asking for anything specific… but it would be nice if the timing finally cooperated.