What are the Most Common Nervous System Disorders in Dogs?

The nervous system is the system of nerves and neurons that carry messages from throughout your dog’s body to the brain and back again; put simply: it is the functioning of the entire body! The nervous system can also be thought of as its wiring or electronics, and it carries messages like pain, heat and cold, and hormonal messages to the brain. There the information is processed and there is a response and corresponding reaction of the body.

As you might expect, nervous system problems can have acute and serious effects on dogs. The nervous system itself is highly complex, and so problems affecting it can also be very complex. Buying a dog, and dog health in general, is of course a bit of a lottery, and even if you take all reasonable steps to buy a healthy puppy, you have no way of predicting or knowing what kind of health problems the dog will face could affect later life.

This article introduces the most common nervous system disorders in dogs and provides more information about each disorder. Read on to find out more.

Number 1: behavioral problems

This is a very difficult question in the first place… Because a behavioral disorder can certainly be caused by a physical problem such as a nervous system disorder, but it can also arise from improper training or management, or as a result of a dog’s learned and past experiences.

This in turn means that “conduct disorder” as a catch-all term is a symptom rather than a health condition; some canine behavioral disorders are diagnosed and attributed to a specific nervous system problem, while others are viewed as management and training problems.

In any case, behavioral disorders are the most common form of nervous system disorders in dogs.

Number 2: urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the second most common nervous system disorder in dogs and can have a number of possible causes. When it’s caused by a true nervous system disorder and not a training issue or expecting the dog to wait too long between trips to the bathroom, it can result from bladder weakness, nerve problems, or a whole host of other causes. Urinary incontinence is more common in older dogs as their muscles weaken and their minds weaken as well.

Number 3: seizure disorders

Most of us think of epilepsy when we think of seizure disorders, but epilepsy is actually a separate disorder that is relatively well researched and represents a distinct diagnosis that is not included in the generalized seizure disorder category. Seizure disorders are the third most common nervous system disorder in dogs; epilepsy itself, on the other hand, is not even among the top five, but only in sixth place.

Number 4: Disc disease

Intervertebral disc disease is a painful and progressive condition of the canine back and spine, which is particularly common in dogs with long backs and short legs, such as the dachshund. It is usually the cumulative result of the lifelong effects of such physique and is, therefore, more common in older dogs. However, it can affect dogs of all ages and is very painful, and severely restricts the dog’s freedom of movement. Sometimes surgery is a viable option for affected dogs to relieve their pain and allow them to maintain or regain some range of motion, but intervertebral disc disease (IDD) is complex and multi-faceted and surgical correction is not always a viable option.

Number 5: Vestibular disease

Vestibular disease is a sudden onset of balance disorder that is commonly mistaken for a stroke in dogs and is more common in older dogs than younger ones. It is the fifth most common nervous system disorder in dogs.

It affects the vestibular system, which includes the inner ear and brain, and can be caused by an injury or shock, a tumor, various hormonal conditions, or in some cases with no apparent or current cause. It can even be caused by certain medications and also by ear infections, although you never know for sure.

There is no fixed treatment protocol for canine balance disorders and they cannot be operated on or reversed, but they often improve over time, often within a few days. Still, dogs with balance disorders tend to show some symptoms for the rest of their lives.

Nervous system disorders in dogs – FAQs

What are diseases of the nervous system?

• Strokes.
• Cerebral hemorrhage.
• Traumatic brain injury.
• Parkinson’s.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Meningitis.
• Epilepsy.
• Headaches and migraines.
• Polyneuropathy.
• Brain tumors.

What are neurological problems in dogs?

The most common neurological symptoms and diseases include seizures, movement disorders, coordination disorders, behavioral changes, paralysis, head tilt, loss of vision/hearing, difficulty swallowing, weakness of unknown cause, etc.

What is meningitis in dogs?

Lowered head and neck position. Pain in the cervical spine. Loss of eating & appetite. Increased number of white blood cells.