My cat is deaf after vestibular syndrome. Will his hearing come back?

Question

My cat is slowly recovering from vestibular syndrome. He is still has odd, wobbly rear gait and stumbles and falls from time to time but seems a bit more stable now. His appetite has improved slightly without any medication and he has been able to bite down on solid foods as opposed to consuming purées and fluids. He has yet to have a bowel movement, which my vet confirmed was perfectly fine, but he is still deaf. He has fluid in his right ear with no inflammation, but when will he hear again? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 9 years and 1 month old | 13.06 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. Unfortunately, this is a tough question. Even if we know what caused the vestibular syndrome, recovery is mutlifactoral. You might ask your vet to culture the fluid in the ear to see if antibiotics might be necessary, & if you want to go this route, an MRI could determine what, if any damage has occurred in the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear. Otherwise, only time will tell. At a minimum, I will tell clients to give a pet 6-8 weeks to see if hearing returns, especially when the problem was due to aminoglycocide antibiotic medications ( like gentamicin ) have been used in the ears. I hope Katniss makes a full recovery soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My cat is deaf after vestibular syndrome. Will his hearing come back?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

Can chickens eat bell peppers daily and what about veggie salads?

Is Purina Layer Pellets good for chickens? What other feeds exist?

My mice eat all their food together from one bowl. Is this normal?

Why is my new pet biting? Is she stressed or scared in her new home?

My pet keeps scratching its ear. What's causing this problem?

Share