QUESTION

My cat had an ear infection, then developed a chronically open eye, followed by horners sign, with unequal pupils, and pitosis of her eye. She developed bouts of severe vertigo. I have only had this darling animal 10 months and she has had three ear infections. They cannot see down to the tympanic, secondary to a "growth". They are telling me that her only hope is "radical surgery" ablation. Most everything I read online is about dogs, and they list the complications, as things Precious (my cat) already has. The vet says the paralysis is permanent. Do I go into debt to help her, or is this a futile attempt to postpone the inevtable?
Marge

ANSWER

Dear Marge
The growth in the cats ear should be biopsied before undergoing the surgery. If it comes back as a malignant tumour the a total ablation can be carried out often with quite good success. If it is a polyp then it is best treated by doing a ventral bullae osteotomy and removing the polyp material from within the tympanic bullae. I would however from my own mistakes ensure that it is benign polyps before going down the latter route as I have once only done histopathology after doing this surgery and succeeded in spreading the cancer. If it is a ceruminal gland adenocarcinoma (the most common type in the ear) then you can expect a reasonable success rate as long as it has not already spread to the draining lymph nodes.

Paul Wilson