Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with sudden leg weakness and nerve problem from slipped neck disc
By Lu, D et al.·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery·2002·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mimms, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK, United Kingdom·View original on Crossref →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Acute Intervertebral Disc Extrusion in a Cat: Clinical and MRI Findings
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old neutered male domestic shorthaired cat suddenly developed weakness on the left side of his body and showed signs of Horner's syndrome, which can cause drooping of the eyelid and pupil changes. An MRI scan showed issues with a disc in his neck that was pressing on the spinal cord, likely due to a recent injury. The cat was treated with conservative care, which means no surgery was performed, and he gradually improved over the next six months.
People also search for: cat weakness on one side · Horner's syndrome in cats · cat neck injury treatment
Abstract
A 5 year old, neutered male, domestic shorthaired cat had acute left hemiparesis and Horner's syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a loss of the normal signal from the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc at C3/4, narrowing of the ventral subarachnoid space and slight dorsal displacement of the spinal cord and a focal hyperintense lesion affecting the left side of the spinal cord at the same level. The presumptive diagnosis was focal spinal cord oedema associated with intervertebral disc extrusion. A traumatic aetiology was suspected. The cat was treated conservatively and improved gradually over a period of 6 months.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1053/jfms.2001.0150