Aww, I'm sorry to hear.

Oh man, danf, I am so sorry to hear that. I really hope that you can get a hold of your housecall vet. Positive canine vibes from NC.

I'm so sorry to hear this danf. Keep us posted, won't you.

Damnit. That sucks so hard. Good luck f family.

Oh, I'm sorry Danf. Poor poochy.

Like rb's dog, this dog has two surgically fixed knees, and has been well cared for. I have been sitting here thinking about how much I want to put her through, and whether she's at the end of her life. I will know more when I get home. She's the kind of dog that needs to be in the same room as her pack, so it's hard for her to stay put while we are in another part of the house.

We're all pulling for the old gal, danf.

I'm really sorry, danf. Poor girl.

Very sorry :(

Poor puppy. Very sorry.

Aww, I'm sorry man. I hope she gets better.

I just stopped by the house and she's laying there, seeming comfortable. She had moved from the center of the laundry room over to against the dryer, where she usually sleeps sometimes during the day.

Told her to lay still. Gave her a little bit of cheese with another baby aspirin. We'll see how she does tonight. I had no idea whether I would find her dead, or OK, or what. . .she's about the same. . .

I'm so sorry danf. I hope the vet has reassuring news tomorrow.

Wife just called. . .she got home and Lacey is fine. Back to normal. So now we need to figure out how much to spend in the way of diagnostics, if anything.

Thank you all for your thoughts. . .this thread has been really helpful to me!

Good girl Lacey!

The super quick recovery might be pointing to canine vestibular syndrome rather than a stroke; worth checking out with your vet.

I'd suggest taking her to see the regular vet as soon as possible, and talk about what measures, etc. Fuss over her and stuff. She's a good girl with good folks. It sounds like an emergency type issue to me.

This happened to our old dog, Max. I would take her to the emergency animal hospital tonight - they need to treat her as soon as possible, if she did have a stroke. Our dog was treated with Prednisone, a cortisone-type medication that is more effective for dogs. He fell over on one side and was unable to get up, was in great distress, which sounds very similar to your dog. Don't be discouraged: our vet thought that Max was finished. He actually put this down to another condition (not canine vestibular syndrome, but something more serious that I can't remember the name of). Vets are not familiar with strokes in dogs and it took him some months to reach the conclusion that it had been a stroke. He was talking about the dog only being able to make it a few yards each day and obviously only giving him a few months to live. But the Prednisone really helped. Max just persevered, trying to walk all the time until he managed it again. Then he gradually learned to flip out his right front paw (which he had seemed to lose control of and bent under after the stroke). In a few weeks, he was able to walk quite a way and in a few months he was able to walk his regular route and distance. But it took a while and you have to be patient. So don't assume that you will lose her -- but you may need to spend a lot of time supporting her (sometimes physically - holding her by a towel slipped under the tummy helps) as she tries to come back again.
Regarding medications: Prednisone is fairly safe (as far as I know). Don't overdo the aspirin, as dogs don't tolerate it well (although if she has had a stroke, aspirin may save her). Aspirin can be toxic if given in high doses of about 30 mg per pound. Here's the recommended dose.
Beware of Rimadyl, which is not recommended for specific breeds including Labs but often prescribed for pain relief. Many vets don't seem aware of the problems, so talk to your vet about alternatives.

She continues to be her fine (if a bit crochety) self tonight. . .ate well, misbehaved a bit, the normal stuff. Walking up and down stairs, going outside, all the normal stuff, as if this episode never happened.

But I will schedule the vet.

I was on prednisone last winter for asthma. Can't say I liked it or that it helped.

Poor puppy. Poor danf.

*hugs*

Oh wonderful! I'm so glad that she's mobile again. If she's walking OK now, it may well be canine vestibular syndrome. This is an inner-ear problem that is temporary but makes the dog lose balance on one side and really panic.

oh man, I am so sorry, we have 4 pets and I can only imagine the heartache if one of them was seriously ill.

So glad she's doing well. Getting a check-up from the vet is a good idea. Big hugs!

She ate like a hog this morning. . .seems fine. .but I DO need to get her in to the vet.

Thanks again for all the support. It's almost for sure Canine Vestibular Syndrome, probably the idiopathic type, or "old dog" type.

She seems happy to be able to function again, also.

She's really a cutie though.

That's an adorable pooch. Here's a scratch behind the ear, girlie.

Glad to hear she's doing better.