Vestibular Disease or Syndrome

I love my kitties ... they are all very different not just in color or size but personality and traits and they all have a story - most of them have something "wrong" with them and have had a bad start to life. I give them the what they need daily in order to make them feel safe, secure, loved and as happy as possible.

SO a new development ... Saturday evening/night I was sitting in the hallway giving Shadow the opportunity to come out of her safe room and be curious and sniff and look about, small steps so shes not overwhelmed when Smokey who I had noticed had been staggering just a little put his chin to his chest rolled forward and then flopped in the floor like a fish but in more of a rolling pattern. This scared Shadow and she ran back into her room, as I shut the door and went to Smokey who had thrown up and slid under the washstand at the end of the hall. He was a bit out of it, seemed a little confused  and disoriented.

I sent my vet a message on facebook - I had seen Smokey do this before but it was last year before I caught him and brought him into the house. Smokey has a polyp in his left ear, so his head tilts, he does not walk exactly straight, he is deaf for the most part, partially blind and does not have many teeth. After his episode he laid beside me in the hallway, I simply laid a hand on him and he was calm, every so often meowing just slightly. I talked to my vet and she mentioned Vestibular Disease and not a seizure although it looks like one and acts like one it does not have the same bad horrible effects and mostly happens in the fall.

The vestibular system is primarily responsible for keeping the head and body in the correct orientation with respect to gravity. Smokey has a really hard time with heights, jumping up or down and does not like to be picked up to high levels.

This system will alert the brain if we are standing, sitting, lying down, falling, spinning in circles, and keeps the body balanced. The vestibular system is comprised of nerves that start in the brain and continue to the inner ear. The sensors in the inner ear are responsible for informing the brain about any movement. Vestibular disease affects the ability of the brain to recognize abnormal body positions and also affects the brain's ability to correct these abnormalities.

Smokey because of his polyp suffers from Peripheral vestibular disease which occurs due to an abnormality within the nerves of the inner ear. Most cases of vestibular disease are peripheral and no known cause is determined. These are referred to as idiopathic.

SO whats all this mean ... it means for the next bit he could have these re-occurring episode's that looks like a stroke or seizure but isn't ... he could have multiple a day or go a few days between and in about a month or so they will taper off and stop again ... I am hoping this will be the only one .. chances of that are unlikely.