Why is my cat off balance and shaking head after vet ear cleaning?

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.

Poor cat. Her balance issues are very suggestive of an inner ear infection, which also means that she probably has a ruptured ear drum due to the chronic ear infections. Some pets are prone to repeat ear infections because of stenotic (narrow) ear canals, polyps inside the ear (quite common in cats, also will have nasal discharge), and a thyroid issue (not as common in cats). I would recommend getting Daisy back to the vet for oral antibiotics to treat the inner ear infection and just a sterile saline wash to clean the ears out, since no topical medication is safe to use in a ruptured ear drum. Then I would seriously consider checking for polyps and if not found then consider having a total ear ablation surgery for Daisy. This involves removing the inner ear canal which will essentially prevent any future ear infections from occurring. This is a drastic procedure and should be thoroughly considered after discussing the pros and cons with your veterinarian. But considering the severity of Daisy's ear problem, it definitely seems like an option that may be in her best interest. Here is more information about the surgical procedure TECA (Total ear canal ablation) and another similar procedure that can be done for Daisy- http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1708

This is concerning - I wonder if Stinky's difficulty walking might be due to a ruptured eardrum. If her eardrum was ruptured the Zymox could cause irritation of the inner ear. There are many other potential causes for lack of balance and I would recommend seeing an emergency veterinarian for a diagnosis. They will hopefully be able to examine Stinky to determine if her eardrum is intact (it is difficult to visualize in some cats and it's possible that sedation might be recommended for a thorough exam). Blood work to rule out metabolic disease causing lack of balance might also be recommended.

Poor guy. It sounds like his ear infection was bad enough to possibly cause a rupture of the ear drum if he is dizzy or ataxic. If this is the case, then it can take 2-3 weeks for resolution of clinical signs as the ear drum grows back. His symptoms should not get worse and he should be showing gradual improvement if you have been treating for over a week, so if this is not the case then a rechk appt should be scheduled with your vet. In additions, your vet can prescribe some motion sickness medication to help him with his dizziness as well, so ask about this if it wasn't already prescribed. I do hope that Apollo's ear infection resolves soon! Best wishes and take care.

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.

Ear infections are relatively common in both cats and dogs. Some are more persistent than others. As you said, your vet took a look at the contents of the ear to determine what course of treatment might be required. Without a true bacterial / fungal culture, I could only speculate as to what the exact organism might be. The majority of ear medications, tresaderm included, are traditionally quite broad spectrum in an attempt to cover as many bugs as possible. The reason Fatboy is shaking his head is likely a combination of both the drops and the discomfort associated with the infection. If after six days of effective treatment, you are not seeing any improvement at all, you might want to call you vet and let him know. He may want to obtain a new sample to see if any progress is being made. If not, a true culture could be sent out to better target his therapy and change medications if needed be.

Poor Lolo, she might have a severe ear infection or an inner ear polyp, which can be easily found in young cats. There is not much you can do at home for her, she needs a vet examination to confirm wether it is an ear condition or something that affects other parts of the nervous system. It is important to assess the timpanic membrane prior to using any ear medications. Hope she gets better soon !