A possible problem inside the skull?

This might be a bit long winded, but I want to cover everything.

When we first brought Jimmi home three and a half years ago, he had several health issues.........skin problems, eventually diagnosed as a food allergy and sorted; ear problems, caused by ears jammed full of earth and gunge - sorted; paw problems caused by goodness knows what, and which are still ongoing. (He frequently "grows" abscesses between the pads on two particular paws, and so far we can find no common denominator to determine the cause for these....the vet thinks that it is something that we just have to live with and deal with as they occur. At the moment he has just sprouted another one after a two month break). So, that is his medical history since we have had him, apart from one other thing.

He has a real go at his ears, especially his left one, a couple of times a day.......sometimes, but not often, he carries his head on one side but never scrapes his ears along the carpet. Several times the vet had a good peer down the ears, but could see nothing wrong, and eventually, a few months ago, he went in to the vet to have them checked out under anaesthetic whilst his teeth were cleaned and also checked.

There was no problem with his teeth and gums, and absolutely nothing could be found in his ears except for a few hairs............not surprising because he sheds constantly! There was no inflammation, nothing.

Since then, he has continued to attack his left ear a couple of times a day, and much of the rest of the time when at rest, or nothing exciting is happening, his left eye is half shut in the way that indicates pain if you know what I mean.

Also, loud noises or the tv volume too high makes his eyes half close and he flinches before legging it from the room. A persistent loud noise that he cannot immediately escape from makes him shake his head as well as half close his eyes.

Now - I might be being totally silly here, but I am wondering if there is something inside his head that is causing this? His ears are clear, so the irritation and/or pain is deeper than the ear canal. I will be taking him for his six monthly check shortly, and will ask our lovely vet what he thinks, but just wondered what you lot have to say.

Sorry that you and him are having such troubles! This is an absolute shot in the dark but I once knew a dog, 30 years ago now, who had water on the brain...that's what it was called then. She held her head to one side and it trembled slightly. She also didn't like loud noisy.

Like I say a complete shot in the dark but hourdiscriotion reminded me of her. Fingers crossed for you and him!

Wow, that is something that I had not considered.........thank you! I will add that to my list of what to ask the vet.

Sinus problems maybe?

I just don't know TW..........certainly there is something going on and I have to get to the bottom of it.

He does occasionally sneeze, but only occasionally; he does sometimes "snort" but not often. Sometimes, when sniffing around, he produces a sound that is almost asthmatic.

Oh Sally what a niggling worry for you. Is it possible that the hearing in his right ear was damaged when he had all the 'stuff' in it and therefore the hearing in his left ear is more acute hence leaving the room at new loud noises or vice versa?

I had my hearing tested about 2 years ago after my OH said he thought I had a hearing problem ............... I DIDN'T he was just mumbling. There are certain frequencies ie emergency vehicles and fireworks that actually hurt my ears.

Maybe a behavioural issue ... habit of scratching his ear?

Poor little Jimmi, I wonder if you'll ever actually find out what is causing it but I do hope so.

The asthmatic sound could be an attack of the reveres sneezes....which are harmless. You can google it to see what one looks and sounds like.

Jenny, you have written exactly what I have been thinking myself. The scratching of the ear does sometimes make me think that is a habit..........it is always at the same times of day, i.e. when he is becoming excited about impending dinner.

Noises definitely do hurt, so perhaps there was some damage. Certainly all his scars etc indicate that there was physical trauma during his previous life, and his manky ears when we took him on may have left permanent damage.

With his paws never likely to be fully resolved, I have to wonder if this might be the same. All the vet can do now is take x rays I suppose

I know exactly what this is!!! He does occasionally have it as do many dogs, but the asthmatic thing is nothing like that.

Could it be Tinnitus??? Would be hell for a dog as they wouldn't know what it was