Have any of these incidents ever happened to our pets? Our dogs and cats have symptoms of being unable to stand up, head spinning, rolling, head tilting, eye twitching, vomiting, which all of the above symptoms occur suddenly. When dogs and cats have these symptoms, the first thing that owners often wonder is whether the dog has eaten poison or is having a seizure.
The answer is These symptoms are not seizures, but are part of a group of symptoms of loss of balance, caused by lesions in the brain and lesions outside the brain.
- Brain lesions such as brain tumors, meningitis, and cerebrovascular disease
- Extracranial lesions such as otitis media, ear canal tumors, thyroiditis, or idiopathic lesions in elderly dogs and cats.
Symptoms of ear infections in pets
Dogs and cats with middle and inner ear otitis often have itchy ears, ear shaking, wet ears, bad smell in the ears, sometimes shaking their ears so much that the ears swell. Until one fine day we find that they have lost their balance.
If the ear is examined using an otoscope, it will be found that sometimes otitis media has a perforated eardrum. When the eardrum is irradiated, it will be found that the eardrum is thickened and the space in the eardrum looks denser than the other eardrum.
Neurological examination will reveal that dogs and cats have loss of balance, eye twitching, head tilt, and sometimes one side of the face droops and cannot blink. A CT scan is required to view the skull and tissue in the ear canal or brain.
byCauses of ear infections in petsThere could be several causes, as follows:
- Caused by a foreign object in the ear canal
- Caused by ear mites andScabies
- The ear canal is blocked by earwax. tumor Lump of meat
- Bacterial ear infection
- Violent and improper ear cleaning
- Moisture in the ear canal
The breeds that are most likely to have ear problems are dogs or cats with large ears or with a lot of hair in the ear canal, which causes the glands to produce large wax, resulting in more ear wax, and therefore being at a higher risk of ear infections.
Treatment of ear infections in pets
Treatment for ear infections can take several weeks to months. Your veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics to reduce ear infection, both oral and in ear cleaning forms, medications to reduce dizziness, anti-inflammatory medications, eye ointments, and vitamins and fluids during times when your pet is unable to eat.
In some animals, corneal ulcers or corneal perforations may occur due to dry eyes and inability to blink, which may require eyelid suturing.
In cases where pets have chronic otitis, earwax cultures should be performed. If the condition is severe, earlobe lavage or ear canal surgery may be required.
Although loss of balance due to ear infection is not a dangerous disease, it can affect the lives of the little ones. Therefore, owners should start by paying attention, checking the ear canals of our beloved dogs and cats regularly, and if symptoms are found, they should be taken for treatment immediately before the symptoms worsen or become chronic.
References
Dr. Piyoros Pothiphongthorn (Dr. Muey), veterinarian in the neurology, internal medicine, and surgery departments at Talingchan Animal Hospital.
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