When we decide to live with a feline we have to bear in mind that he, like any of us, will need professional help when he is sick. There are many pathologies and health problems that you can have, and one of them is the vestibular syndrome.
It is a frequent neurological disorder, so let's see what it is, what are the symptoms and what is the treatment or steps we can take so that you can lead as normal a life as possible.
What is it?
Vestibular syndrome in cats is a neurological disorder that affects the vestibular system or apparatus, which is responsible for maintaining balance and orientation with respect to the center of gravity. Therefore, this device regulates the position of the eyes, trunk and extremities depending on the position of the head.
So when this problem occurs, we will notice that animals have a hard time being happy.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are as follows:
- Head tilt: occurs due to loss of muscle tone in the neck muscles on the affected side.
- Turns in circles
- Nystagmus: it is the continuous and linear movement of the eyes. It usually occurs in two phases: a fast and a slow one.
- Strabismus: abnormal situation of the eyeball when raising the head.
- Horner syndrome: it is a neuro-ophthalmological disease that consists of the alteration of the sympathetic nervous system, which is the one that regulates internal conditions in the face of external stimuli.
- ataxia
- And rarely nausea and / or vomiting
How is it diagnosed?
If cats are suspected of having this syndrome, they should be taken to the vet. Once there they will do an exam of the ear canal and an x-ray. Myringotomy may also be necessary, which is a surgical procedure which consists of opening the tympanic membrane to remove the fluid, pus, or blood retained from the middle ear for analysis.
How is it treated?
Symptoms sometimes go away over time, but to do this the vet will recommend giving them a series of medications that will help them with their ailment.
Anyway, it is best to prevent it by cleaning their ears every so often with eye drops for cats, and not using swabs but gauze.
I hope it has been useful to you.