From http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100519165924AADmuAb
“Hello. I work as a full time vet tech and I have seen several cases like yours.
First of all this could mean a middle ear infection. Animals will get out of balance and constantly turn to one side..often times in circles. Are the circles the dog is making all in the same direction?
Could also be the result of a stroke or dementia. This can cause them to lose equilibrium. You should definitely see a vet for this problem.
The other poster is right...it could be anxiety but spinning in circles randomly for 30 minutes most likely isn’t anxiety especially if you haven’t seen this problem before.
If you have any other info on what she is doing and what happened before this started I may be able to give you some more specific advice.”
Just from me: I noticed that when my dogs were getting ready to leave, they slept a lot more and liked to be alone. It was almost as if by becoming more aloof, they were preparing us. If a stroke is involved, organ failure might not be too far behind. If she’s having seizures and the meds don’t work, I might be inclined to keep her from having to go through more seizures, although I am also inclined to wait and see if she can still enjoy life enough. It’s hard to do, deciding when. You and your beloved pet are in my prayers.
Thank you so much for your help. She is in good health, except for the brain tumor. It is gradually taking away her abilities. Her ears are fine, no infection. She sees the vet twice a year, just went a month ago. No heartworms, skin and coat in good condition, teeth good, just, seizures and blindness.
I was thinking the new behaviors, this past two weeks, were likely due to the tumor. Vet said brain tumors are not unusual in minpins.
My wildly beloved old Minny went through similar symptoms in 1997 and eventually died from it 8 years ago and no one ever knew what it was.
The diagnoses ran from strokes, epilepsy, brain tumors and everything else under the sun.
Turned out to be undiagnosed/untreated Lyme disease [aka “The Great Mimic”] which was unheard of here at the time but *rampant* where she’d been born in 1989...NJ.
She passed away in 2002 after a cortisone shot for her alleged “stroke” completely crashed her immune system, allowing the Lyme to finally overwhelm her.
Less than a year later, her 4 year old nephew [born and lived in the swamps of SC until he was 6 months old] had the exact same symptoms and the new vet immediately tested him for Lyme...and he was positive.
Two months on Doxycline ended it and he’s been fine as frog hair for the last 9 years.
How was the “brain tumor” diagnosed?
Lyme can cause ‘cysts’, scarring and inflammation in the brain that *could* appear as a tumor.
I’m just throwing this out here in hopes of helping your baby.
Whatever it is, I will pray for you all and my thoughts are with you.