Vestibular syndrome in cats

If your cat has been diagnosed with vestibular syndrome, knowing more about the condition can help you provide them with a better quality of life.

What is vestibular syndrome?

The vestibular system includes the inner ear and associated nerves, and a centralized location in the lower brain. A healthy vestibular system keeps a cat balanced, and coordinates their head and eye movement.

Vestibular syndrome interferes with balance and coordination. The majority of vestibular syndrome cases in cats have an unknown cause (idiopathic) or result from a middle or inner ear infection. 

Other possible underlying causes include medication reactions, ear polyps or tumours, trauma, thiamine deficiency, infectious disease, vascular accident, or a brain tumour. 

What are common signs of vestibular syndrome in cats?

Early signs include:

• Head tilt
• Difficulty standing
• Gait ataxia (walking incoordination)
• Abnormal eye movements 
  

Intermediate or advanced signs include:

• Circling
• Falling over
• Agitation
• Facial drooping
• Nausea and vomiting
• Inability to rise
  

How is vestibular syndrome managed in cats? 

Vestibular syndrome management in cats depends on the identification and treatment of any underlying cause. 

Idiopathic vestibular syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion. Treatment focuses on supportive care, including hydration and nutrition, and medications to reduce motion sickness, nausea, and anxiety. 

For an ear infection, appropriate antibiotic or antifungal medications are needed, and surgery may be recommended to flush out the infection. The less common causes of vestibular syndrome require specific treatments. 

Discussing a personalised management plan with your vet is important for the best outcome for your cat.

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What is the prognosis for cats?

The prognosis for cats depends on the cause of vestibular syndrome. Idiopathic disease can show improvement in a few days and complete resolution in three weeks, but a head tilt may persist. 

A middle ear infection can require eight weeks of treatment to fully resolve. Brain lesions or tumours have a poorer prognosis.

Management tips for a cat with vestibular syndrome

At-home needs include:

• Easy access to food and water, a low-sided litter box and a quiet sleeping area
• Consistency with prescribed medications or supplements
• Ramps, modified surfaces for increased traction, or mobility aids, if needed
• Confining your cat to a safe space to prevent injury
• Avoiding abrupt changes that may startle your cat 
• Monitoring appetite, drinking, urination, defecation and ambulation
  

For end-of-life care:

• Try to keep your cat safe and comfortable
• Ensure they get adequate nutrition and hydration
• Monitor for pain or discomfort
• Evaluate your cat’s quality of life with our scoring tool, here 
  

In a crisis:

Immediately contact your vet if your cat stops eating, has uncontrollable vomiting, is overly agitated, collapses, or vocalises in pain.

It is vital to begin end-of-life care discussions before your cat’s condition becomes unmanageable, or they begin losing their quality of life. 

Don’t wait until the very end. It’s important to consider your pet’s end-of-life journey early, so that you, your family and your pet are all supported through the process.

When the time comes, we’re here for you. Goodbye Good Boy provides a range of end-of-life services to make the difficult process of saying goodbye a little easier. 

We offer quality of life assessments from qualified vets, specialist grief counselling, at home euthanasia from dedicated end of life veterinarians, as well as cremation services and memorial options to help remember your pet for their unique character.

We are with you at every step of the journey.

To find out more, you can call our team of passionate pet lovers on 1800 953 619.

This article was reproduced with permission from Goodbye Good Boy advisor Dr Dani McVety, of Lap Of Love.