I am not a vet, but from other animals I do know I’d say possibility is:
1. Sometimes when you move too quickly blood pressure drops and the brain doesn’t get enough O2 and you can pass out or get really dizzy/fall. Older people suffer from this getting up out of a chair too quickly. B vitamins help people.
2. Inner ear infection. The vet could check his blood (a CBC test) and see if his white blood cell count is high.
3. Epilepsy. Rather mild, although it is freaky to watch. If he is recovering in a minute, that is really good.
And just for his overall health, as he is an older dog, get dinovite (excellent dog vitamin). www.dinovite.com Will definitely help his general health.
Where are you located???
There are only approx 117 cardio vets in the country. I made use of one recently for my dog under another scenario; so researched. I lucked out as in a neighboring state was a traveling cardio vet from a veterinarian hospital that made visits several times a month to my state.
You get to watch how it works and are with the dog as well. At least I was. My vet recommended the cardio gram to make sure we knew how to treat the symptoms and/or heart properly. Cost was $250 approx. with pretty lengthly consultation. Not bad considering what yearly shots cost. Another visit due next year, so was very relieved.
Echocardiogram, performed by a cardiologist is the recognized gold standard to diagnose heart disease and heart failure. The following decision algorithm is provided as a tool to assist in determining which animals may benefit from CardioCare testing and to aid in the interpretation of a CardioCare result. http://www.housepetmagazine.com/03/Heart.htm
I started googling issues with my pet and found many who had the same identical issues.
Cardio vets do travel as can carry everything with them..like a lap top. Your vet does the referral. I researched and contacted my neighboring state's clinic, as well. We both worked together on getting the best care for my dog. Knowing all the options out there will relieve your anxiety. Dogs can live a longer healthier life now, as medications are available that are not yet available for humans..even treatment for senility, bladder control loss which had cost many pets their lives, now is treatable.
Sorry I did not catch you were in the boondocks, so to speak.
My dog is a bulldog so has about the same snout, noisy breather, barrel chest etc. An ever slight cough present is a symptom with fluid in the lungs. Difficult to describe a cough from a cold and a more serious heart related one. But there is.
They prescribed Lasix or Salix and an antibiotic to remove the fluid found and the infection and along with Xrays learned that even though part of the lungs were filled with fluid the part clear in the upper part of the lungs (important) was properly being cared for by the work done by the heart. The cardiogram gave a better picture of the heart which had a small leak, but being my dog is 11-12 and usually most healthy for her type would not risk surgery, plus no need. This was all an offshoot from a needed teeth cleaning with gas which lowered the unexpectedly (common I have learned now) pulse rate and set this all into a downward spiral..BUT now everything is back to normal.
I know we love our pets and want the best for them, now it is easier than ever to enable a pet to live a longer and healthier life. Now, if pet owners could react to changes in their(our) own bodies within such an emergence time-frame, as we do in dealing with our pets; then early detection, proper diagnosis and less invasive treatments would result in a much healthier human population.
Ping!