Pet Question - My Cat Has Gone Deaf

[Steve]

My precious 17-year-old kitty Zingo (I found her as a 1 month old stray at Bell's Amusement Park back in August 1991) has apparently, suddenly gone completely deaf.  Here are the details:

She had a bad skin laceration that required vet attention.  I took her to the vet last Friday 9-19.  She was sedated, her body shaved, the wound cleaned and dressed and closed with 7 staples.  They gave her an injection of the new pet antibiotic, "Convenia," which is a time release antibiotic to replace oral antibiotics.  Her wound is healing nicely, and she has regained strength and alertness, but now she seems to have gone nearly totally deaf.

Deafness in cats can be caused by many factors such as age or infection, but prior to this recent ordeal, I had no indication of any hearing loss in kitty Zingo.  I called the vet today to report this problem, and she reported it to Fizer, the drug maker, and they assigned a case # and she gave me a direct number to call Fizer and their research department to discuss.

This was such a sudden behavior change, I can't help link it to the pet antibiotic Convenia.  My cat seems to sense vibration, such as clapping my hands close to her, but can no longer hear normal voices or sounds.  Any other pet owners experiencing side effects with this drug and their pets?

[Ed W]

My wife - aka The Crazy Cat Lady - said that she's had deaf cats, but never one that had gone deaf suddenly.  It's possible the animal suffered a mild stroke. I think one of the gross tests for this is to shine a flashlight in each eye and look for a reaction, but remember, I'm a computer geek, not a vet.

[unknown]

I'm guessing you have already checked, but ear mites?

if she has been on a lot of antibiotics through her life... it could be the cause of it.

[dbacks fan]

You might want to check with the Vet Med School at OSU over in Stillwater. I hear that they are one of the top 10 in the US.

[RecycleMichael]

A famous violin player tired of playing for unappreciative audiences and decided he would go to the jungle and play his music for the animals.

He found a clearing, pulled out his violin and began to play wonderful song after song. Slowly, one by one, the animals began to gather and dance to his music.

Out of nowhere, a lion jumps in the clearing and eats the violinist.

The other animals are outraged and demand to know why the lion killed the source of such beautiful music.

The lion puts his paw to his ear and says, "Eh?"

[Hometown]

Steve, I am so sorry.  Please give Zingo a hug for me.  I'll say a prayer for her.

[dbacks fan]

From two of our family members to Zingo,


Hoping that you are feeling better soon!
Best wishes,
Nikki(L) and Sasha(R)

[Conan71]

I thought all cats were selectively deaf in the first place.

DBack- I'm going to be out your way 2nd week of November for the NASCAR/USAC weekend at PIR/Manzanita.

[dbacks fan]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

I thought all cats were selectively deaf in the first place.

DBack- I'm going to be out your way 2nd week of November for the NASCAR/USAC weekend at PIR/Manzanita.

I can recommend some good local places to eat. Let me know about where you are staying maybe we can get together for a beer.

[Michael71]

Did she hand upside down for 60hrs?  I hear that could cause blindness.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

I thought all cats were selectively deaf in the first place.

DBack- I'm going to be out your way 2nd week of November for the NASCAR/USAC weekend at PIR/Manzanita.

I can recommend some good local places to eat. Let me know about where you are staying maybe we can get together for a beer.

Most likely somewhere around I-17 and I-10 since I will be at PIR Thu, Sat, Sun and Manzy (35th & Broadway) on Fri/Sat nights.

I've got friends out in Scottsdale I'll get out to see as well.  I stayed out near Barrett Jackson two years ago, and it was just too much driving back and forth to the west side.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Hometown

Steve, I am so sorry.  Please give Zingo a hug for me.  I'll say a prayer for her.

Thanks.  She seems to be healing OK, although her appetite has not fully returned yet.  Prior to this ordeal, I had no indication that her hearing was faulty.  Now, she no longer responds to my voice or any sounds.  She only responds to me if she can see me first.  A knock at the front door used to send her into hiding 10 days ago; she seems to no longer hear any audible sounds except for vibrations.  Her ears are clean and no ear mites or infections/tumors.  Given her age, I suppose loss of hearing will be manageable; I would rather she lost hearing than eyesight.  Her vision and smell sense seem to be normal.

I have no proof, but I can't help but link this to either the sedation (unlikely) or the antibiotic shot Convenia.  Convenia was just recently approved by the FDA in this country for veterinary use in July 2008.  Pet owners, both dogs and cats, should know about these drugs and potential side effects.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by unknown

I'm guessing you have already checked, but ear mites?

if she has been on a lot of antibiotics through her life... it could be the cause of it.

Yep, no ear mites, no ear infection or tumors.  The vet examined her ears when she was there last Friday.  They did routine blood test and said her blood work and kidney function were normal for a cat her age; no diabetes or weight problems and she was remarkably healthy for a 17 year old feline.

Zingo is an exclusive indoor cat; the only times she has been out of this house in the past 17+ years is to go to the vet.  An only pet, never around other animals except to watch through the window.  She has never had any health problems over the past 17 years, and to my memory never received antibiotics except maybe when I had her spayed and front-declawed back in early 1992.

This all makes this sudden hearing loss problem so strange to me.  I can't help but link it to the antibiotic shot Convenia.  Pet owners should be aware of the risks, especially for geriatric pets.

[dbacks fan]

Just curious, is Zingo meowing more than normal or louder than normal? I have known people that have had elderly cats that when they start to lose their hearing the meow louder because they can't hear themseleves. I'm just wondering if it might be a side effect, or she developed some type of an inner ear infection that may be clogging her hearing. You said that if you clap loudly near her she responds, so I'm just thinking it might be something like when you get water in your ear and you can hear yourself, but you have a hard time hearing externally.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

Just curious, is Zingo meowing more than normal or louder than normal? I have known people that have had elderly cats that when they start to lose their hearing the meow louder because they can't hear themseleves. I'm just wondering if it might be a side effect, or she developed some type of an inner ear infection that may be clogging her hearing.

Thanks for asking dbacks.  I have been watching for this, and if anything, she has been much less vocal since coming home from the vet.  Probably because she has been wiped out from the sedation and drugs.  When she does meow, I seems to be at normal volume.

Maybe this is just a temporary condition, but having been my pet for 17 years, I definately know there is hearing loss.  I am taking her in early next week to have the wound staples removed; and will discuss it further with the vet then.