Dog ear infection: Can it cause balance issues & when will it improve?

Middle ear infection would be the most common cause for these symptoms at this age, but there is a small chance that it could be a brain condition as well. if she is not responding to the antibiotic treatment i believe taking her to a specialist is the right thing to do.

I'm sorry that Joel is having this problem! Middle or inner ear infections can sometimes affect the nerves that control some of the facial muscles, so it's certainly possible that this is what you're seeing. Your veterinarian will do an otoscopic exam to see exactly what's going on inside the ear, and will get him started on an appropriate treatment plan depending on what is found. In some cases, facial nerve issues that are secondary to ear infections will resolve when the infection is treated; in other cases, some of these issues can be permanent. Your veterinarian should be able to give you a better idea of what to expect after Joel's exam today.

The inability to walk strait could be related to the vestibular syndrome caused by the perforated ear drum and infection, this would not explain the second symptom though, which is more likely to be related to a brain condition and can cause the other vestibular symptoms too.

I would be worried about a potential inner ear infection. Other ear infections can progress to inner ear infections which are painful, can result in hearing loss and balance issues. It is possible that the head tilt is the first sign that the balance Centers are being affected. I would advise taking Dahlia back in to the vet.

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

It may take several days to see improvement after starting medications. If your dog is extremely uncomfortable due to inflammation in the ear, you may ask your vet if an anti-inflammatory drug such as a steroid or NSAID can be prescribed to help with the discomfort until the ear antibiotic kicks in. If you haven't seen improvement and several days have passed, it is possible a resistant bacteria is growing in the ear and you may need a different medication.

If the infection goes that far, we often use antibiotics tablets (sometimes two different types at the same time, as Melcho is having now) and strong anti-inflammatory medications, usually steroids. You should get in touch with your vets again, as it sounds that your Melcho is struggling at the moment and he may benefit from more aggressive therapy.