My cat is head tilting and his ear is sensitive. Is it an emergency?

I'll start with the spay question - that sounds pretty normal. However if it's warm, red, or has any discharge, having a quick exam with her vet to make sure it looks ok (or even posting a picture here) is a good idea. As far as the head tilt goes, if she's doing it consistently, I would be worried about an ear polyp, which are very common in young cats. Sometimes we can get a good look in the ear during an exam, and sometimes we can't tell. Either way, if it's consistent and continues, she needs to be evaluated by her vet for a full neurologic exam. Very rarely, anesthesia can cause deafness, but I'm not aware of any connection between anesthesia and a head tilt. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. These symptoms suggest that Stidi hs problems with the middle ear (infection, inflammation, polyp, tumour) or it may be related to brain disfunction (blood clot within the brain, ruptured vessel in the brain, tumor). Please, take Stidi to your local vets as soon as possible. If the symptoms are due to middle ear problem, he will need a course of strong anti-inflammatory medications and possibly antibiotics to get better.

Hello. It is more likely that Katniss's symptoms are related more to the ear cleaning than anything else, as there is no way a nail trim could cause neurological signs unless your cat was handled very roughly, & I hope this is not so. Anything placed in the ear could potentially cause enough irritation to result in the signs of vestibular syndrome. If no medications were instilled in the ears, then the symptoms should subside In 3-5 days. In addition to the medications prescribed, I might have added something for nausea ( like Cerenia ) just to make sure Katniss continues to eat well. Unfortunately, there is no strict timeline as to when she may totally recover, but if she is not significantly better by Monday, then I might be thinking about recommending a CAT scan or MRI to evaluate what is going on in her inner ear canal. Hopefully she will start to feel & act better with each passing day, but if not, you may need to pursue some advanced diagnostics. I hope she is doing better soon, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Head tilt could be caused by deep inner ear infection (or polyp), stroke, infection such as toxoplasmosis, stroke, or even tumor although that would be rare at her age. If the toxo test comes back normal then I would consider requesting a referral to a neurologist where an MRI of the brain can be done. If that is not possible then I would trial treat with antibiotics and steroids. I am so sorry that she is going through this. I am sure you are very worried. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Yonnie! How old is Yonnie? that is very important in order to tell you possible causes. Causes in kittens are different then adult or senior cats. If Yonnie is a kitten and polyp is likely the number 1 cause. Other causes are: deep ear infection under the ear drum, viral infections like leukemia, FIP or even feline infectious peritonitis. Since you do not trust your Vet then it is best to seek your 2nd opinion on the 29th. Then you can start getting Yonnie better. I hope this helps and I wish Yonnie a speedy recovery!

The next steep would be a test for toxoplasmosis and an x-ray of the head. She could still have an inner ear infection. Unfortunately should als suffer from a brain tumor. You may want to get a referral to a veterinary neurologist..

Hello, sorry to hear about Dora. Its likely that Dora has suffered a middle ear or inner ear injury and could have peripheral vestibular disease. She should be examined by a veterinarian to look into her ear and confirm that her ear drum may be ruptured. This could have happened due to and underlying disease such as an external ear infection, anti-nausea medications, and occasionally cats may need appetite stimulants. Dora will likely need medications for some time to be put in her ear and this could take up to 3-4 weeks to recover. Sorry to hear about the complications with Dora's treatment. You should have her evaluated again by her veterinarian.