Vet Warns If Dog Ears Move a Certain Way It Can Mean Brain Damage or Death

A dog with a condition that causes its ears to flap and shake uncontrollably despite there being no obvious cause has been baffling the internet.

In a TikTok video with over 180,000 views, a four-year-old Pyrenees was filmed in the emergency veterinary surgery. TikToker @charlie.vet.nurse shared the footage and the dog's symptoms.

These included lethargy and what was described as "ears flapping in the wind but with no wind." The unusual diagnosis was used to explain the fact that the dog's ears appeared to keep flapping throughout the video.

"I can't believe ears flapping in the wind with no wind is a valid symptom," said TikToker Teenymeleeny, while Claire said: "I've never seen this before!"

In a follow-up video, the vet nurse on TikTok revealed the diagnosis, and the official term for the unusual symptoms.

The dog was suffering from babesia gibsoni. In the caption the poster explained that this was "causing this patient's bilateral focal auricular dyskinesia."

Bilateral facial auricular dyskinesia is a term used to describe abnormal movements of the facial and ear-related muscles on the sides of an individual's face.

Dyskinesia refers to involuntary, abnormal, or disordered movements, often related to muscle activity, and can be the result of a series of underlying causes.

Dr. Antonio DeMarcom, a Kansas City-based vet and the Chief Medical and Mentorship Officer at GoodVets, told Newsweek he agreed with the diagnosis.

"Babesia appears to be the correct diagnosis. Babesia are protozoans—single-celled parasites—that attack red blood cells," said DeMarco.

He explained why the unusual "ear flap" symptom was caused by this condition. "Babesia will severely affect red blood cells (RBC's). These RBC's can rupture or die, causing significant anemia.

"The RBC's can also cause small blockages in the tiniest of blood vessels, called capillaries. When this occurs, the local tissue will start slowly dying. This likely occurred in the parts of the brain that were responsible for the function of the muscle fasciculations in the ear."

In other comments on the video, people continued to try and guess what the reasoning for the ear flapping was.

"I would say it's time to call neuro," said lex. While Kayla wrote: "Omg this is crazy!"

Despite an almost comical symptom, DeMarco warned that the ear flapping was actually a very bad sign.

"If left untreated it can and likely will lead to death," he said. "Once brain involvement takes place, there is a guarded prognosis. This means there is potential for long-term brain damage or the potential for death."

Thankfully, if caught in time the dog can be given medication and antibiotics, and viewers were relieved to hear that the dog in the videos was getting the treatment it needed.

Newsweek reached out to @charlie.vet.nurse via email for comment.

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