Duration of Therapy

The duration of therapy with ototoxic medications can influence the amount of nerv­ous tissue damage. Reversibility of clinical signs often depends on the duration of the treatment. In the case of neomycin applied to the middle ears of guinea pigs, the degree of cochlear damage and hearing loss worsens as the duration of its use increases.¹⁶ Young animals seem to have a greater sensitivity to ototopical antibi­otics. Neomycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, is contained in many commonly prescribed combination veterinary otic preparations. It is especially ototoxic in the ears of 2- or 3-week-old kittens.¹⁷