Meniere’s disease, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Minears disease by those unfamiliar with it, is a little heard of medical condition. While no one knows the cause of it, Meniere’s is a condition affecting the inner ear, which is responsible for helping to maintain the body’s sense of balance and position. Pets, like humans, can suffer from this condition. If your pet has been diagnosed with Meniere’s, it’s important that you understand how it is being affected by the disease.
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Definition
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Meniere’s disease is a condition that affects an animals’ sense of position. It is thought to result from the rupture of a membrane in the inner ear that is filled with fluid, allowing one type of fluid to mix with another. The resulting symptoms can include dizziness, vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus, a condition in which pets can hear a ringing noise that is not really there.
Symptoms in Pets
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Any condition is more difficult to identify in a pet than in a human because an animal cannot expressly tell you that it is experiencing certain symptoms. Therefore, to detect Meniere’s symptoms in your pet, you must observe it carefully. An animal that not too long ago obeyed commands readily, but now seems not to hear when you say “sit,” or “stay” and also seems occasionally unsteady on its feet may be experiencing Meniere’s.
Diagnosis
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Diagnosing Meniere’s disease in pets can be next to impossible because symptoms can be easily overlooked or confused for others. For instance, dizziness may cause a cat to vomit, but a veterinarian may only see the vomiting, not the reason for the vomiting. However, a thorough analysis of a pet’s ear and a full workup to rule out other conditions can help in diagnosing Meniere’s in animals.
Treatment
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There is no one standardized mode of treatment for Meniere’s in animals. Your pet’s veterinarian may recommend an antibiotic to treat any infections that may be present in the animal’s ear. He may also recommend medications to relieve the nausea, vomiting and dizziness animals with this condition typically experience.
Considerations
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Very little is known about Meniere’s disease in animals, so you may find that looking for information on your pet’s condition can be very frustrating. This is partly due to the fact that relatively little is known about the condition in humans, and much of what is known about Meniere’s in pets is related to studies on animals aimed at discovering the cause and possible treatments of Meniere’s in humans. The important thing to remember is that this is a chronic condition that will be with your pet for a long time, if not the rest of its life. Thus, you should focus on managing the symptoms to lessen its impact on your pet’s life.
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