[fleurtess]

I have a little darling Shih-Tzu who is in trouble. We acquired her when she was 2 years old through rescue but found that we knew the breeder of this dog through someone else. From the start Millie has been spinning in circles aways going the same way. At first we thought this was because she was happy but then the spinning has been getting worse. Then she started vomiting thick yellow bile. She was coming into season every 4 months and we had her spayed. There was a problem with her uterus. However, now she sometimes refuses to eat her food and we have to try various other foods to tempt her to eat. She will sit with her nose nearly touching the ground and looks very sad. She sleeps most of the day and will not go for walks on or off the lead, she just spins and trying to walk a spinning dog is very difficult. She has also started scratching the back of her head and gets really frantic about it. I don't know what to do next, her blood tests came back normal. We think she may have a neurological problem, but what?

Fleurtess

[CorkyMax]

So sorry to hear of your dog's plight. I have a home vet book that I looked in for circling as a symptom. I found one thing called GME
(for shortened version of the disease). There is too much to copy by hand --so I looked up the disease on the 'net' and there are quite a few sites listed.
I will paste a couple of them here for you to click on. I hope this is not what it is but the info is here: Granulomatous Meningoencephalomyelitis (GME)

Granulomatous Meningoencephalitis
If you want to read more sites--Just put granulomatous meningoencephalitis/dogs in your browser.

If I find anything else in my vet book as circling being a symptom for anything else --Will let you know. Wonder if a person put dogs circling/symptoms in their browser if it would bring up anything? Will check it out.

Yes! There are a lot of sites listed if you put dog circling/symptoms in your browser. I am just giving you this one and letting you look up the other sites by putting: dog circling/symptoms in your browser.
Hopefully the answer is there and it turns out to be not as bad a diagnosis as the GME! I do think you should take her to the vet now though as this could be serious and time may be of the essence. Hopefully your vet can rule out the bad things and figure out what the problem is and be able to fix it. Your poor little girl should not continue to be so unhappy--She may be in pain too--some dogs don't show when they are in pain very well. Don't wish to scare you but you need to have her examined as some of these things could kill her if not taken care of! Here is the one link but please look up the rest of the sites--I have not got time right now to check the rest out but hope you will!
Hoping for the best news. Keep us informed as we tend to worry about things.
What is Canine Vestibular Syndrome: Despite Stroke Like Symptoms,The Dog's Health Prognosis May Be Good
Sorry--I just realized you did have blood work done but how long ago? And do you have a GOOD vet---maybe you need a 2nd opinion.

[CorkyMax]

My Dog Is Walking in Circles
Normal dogs don’t typically walk in circles, except when they are either preparing to urinate or defecate, or their attention is drawn by a smell or another animal to the extent that they are forced to do so to avoid losing the scent or direct contact. If you discover your dog walking in circles without any such reason for it, be immediately suspicious and try to figure out what the cause is.

What to Look For
Dogs with neurological reasons for circling typically find it difficult to turn in the direction opposite the one they are circling in. Start your investigation by attempting to get your dog to turn away from the direction in which she is circling. Next, conduct a neurological exam. This should include an evaluation of her eyes, ears, spine, and limbs.

What to Do
Now ask yourself these few questions:

Did your exam reveal evidence of an ear infection? If so, the circling might be due, in part, to the imbalance that sometimes results from an acute middle ear infection. See your vet for the appropriate course of action and that should help resolve the circling behavior.
Did your exam uncover any eye asymmetry? Different pupil sizes often indicate neurological problems that are best handled by a veterinary neurologist. The sooner your dog sees one the better.
Was every aspect of your physical exam completely normal? If it was, there is a strong possibility that the circling behavior is just that; a behavioral issue only. If it persists for more than a few days, it might be worthwhile to consult an animal behaviorist.
When to Get the Vet
A recent head trauma can easily be the cause of a dog’s circling behavior. Because these effects may be the beginning of something significantly worse, it is always wise to seek the immediate attention of a veterinary neurologist any time your dog exhibits even the slightest behavioral abnormality following head trauma.

WebMD Veterinary Reference from "What's Wrong with My Dog?"

[fleurtess]

Thank you so much for that helpful search. I have printed it off and will be taking it and Millie to the Vet tomorrow as she has again stopped eating. It is amazing but some of the symptoms described she does have. It just seems that there might be a light at the end of this dark tunnel.

Once again Thank you

Laura