My dog has seizures after amikacin ear drops for ear infection. Why?

Hello, I'm so sorry you are going through this with Scarlet. I have reviewed the previous exchanges you had with our veterinarians and I do have to agree with both of them and state that seizures as well as respiratory distress, which I can see that you also asked about, are not typical signs of amikacin toxicity. Definitely, deafness and vestibular signs can occur when an aminoglycoside antibiotic such as amikacin is allowed to enter the middle ear, which commonly happens when the tympanic membrane is ruptured. This is why it is so very important to ensure that the eardrum is intact before prescribing and using these preparations. Sometimes the TM cannot be visualized due to the high degree of swelling present in the canal or the amount of debris accompanying the infection, and when the drug is used in these cases this is often how the drug enters the middle ear and does damage. Unfortunately, sometimes we have very little choice in the way of antibiotics we can use to treat serious multi-drug resistant ear infections, such as those caused by bacteria of the pseudomonas species, which is when amikacin is typically used. If the seizures were in fact due to the amikacin, that would be a highly abnormal reaction to the drug as it was prescribed in Scarlet. It would be very important to me, were I her doctor, to rule out other diseases that cause seizures, specifically brain lesions like tumors, before concluding that this was indeed a drug reaction. If no other issues are found that could explain the seizures, I would urge your veterinarian to contact the manufacturer of the preparation and report this as an adverse effect.

Hello. Yes, it is most likely that the gentamicin has induced the deafness in your dog. Most times this is reversible, but in some cases the deafness is permanent. I would not use any more gentamycin. Most ear infections are due to underlying allergies, so the first thing to do is have a culture done to see if antibiotics are even warranted ( may have to wait at least several days after stopping medications to obtain the culture ). I would also start a low dose with a decreasing dosage of steroids to decrease inflammation in the ears & start an anti-allergy medication such as Apoquel or Cytopoint to see if the ears can be kept at least more comfortable without the use of topical ear medications. Hopefully, some hearing may return, but it certainly will not as long as the gentamycin is being used. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ear infections are usually treated with an antibiotic ointment that is placed directly in the ear and left in the ear to work in between cleanings. A typical schedule of cleanings include cleaning out the affected ear every twelve hours, placing the ointment in the ear, massaging and letting it set. This continues for a period of 7-10 days to completely clear the infection. There are some OTC ear infection ointments available but it is likely you will need to visit your vet for a prescription version. Amoxicillin is a general antibiotic and is more common in other infections such as skin or minor internal infections. It is best to check with your vet to see if it is appropriate for your dog's type of ear infection rather than just giving it. Giving the wrong medication or wrong dosage for the problem can actually make it worse, or even make your dog very ill.

Usually antibiotic ear drops should not interfere with oral antibiotics. However, most antibiotics that are given orally should also work for an ear infection. She may not have a bacterial ear infection, but may have ear mites or a fungal infection or allergies. In that case the antibiotic ear drops will not work. It is advisable to have your veterinarian examine her ears again to determine which type of infection she has, if any, (she may also have a foreign body in her ear canal, such as a blade of grass!). If your veterinarian said to go ahead with the drops, then you did nothing wrong. However if the drops do not help, you need to take Bella in for an exam.

Amoxitab is a mild form of penicillin so as long as it was the right dose for Lucky and he has no history of allergy I don't think it was related. Seizures in older dogs that have never had epilepsy usually indicate an underlying condition such as a liver problem or brain issue. Keep a really close eye and if he goes into another seizure I would go to your vet as an emergency, otherwise make a routine appointment to have a general health check.

Hello, and thanks for your question. Yes, the gentamicin can cause deafness if this medication is used in an ear with a compromised or ruptured ear drum. This is why it's important to see the vet and have them examine the ears prior to starting this (or any) medication. I wouldn't be too worried, however. Yes, deafness is one of the known risks with this medication - but this is a medication we use a LOT in private practice, and the risk of it causing deafness is extraordinarily low. I have never had it happen to any of my patients! If your vet recommended this as the best medication for Briley's ear infection, I would have no hesitation to go ahead and use it. Hope this helps!

Hi there. Thank you for using PetCoach. So sorry that Brea is having this issue. Seizures in cats can be very serious. A seizure from an inner ear infection is possible but I don't feel it is likely to be the underlying cause. Usually blood testing is done as a first line test to check organ function (mainly the liver and kidneys). If these organs are not working properly seizures may be the result. I would be a bit concerned since she only has one kidney. An x-ray of the skull may also be helpful in determining if the ear infection has gone behind the ear drum in which case that may need to be opened and flushed. Here is a link to an article about seizures in cats that may give you more information. I hope this helps. Best wishes. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2118&aid=224