Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and outcomes of dysautonomia in cats and dogs
By Clarke, Katherine Elizabeth et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2020·Internal Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Dysautonomia in 53 cats and dogs: retrospective review of clinical data and outcome.
Plain-English summary
A group of 53 cats and dogs showed signs of dysautonomia, a condition affecting the nervous system that can cause issues like trouble swallowing, urinary retention, and dry eyes. Treatment focused on supportive care, including medications to help with digestion and urinary problems, as well as feeding tubes for those who couldn't eat normally. While the survival rates were low—29% for cats and 47% for dogs—some pets did survive for over two years after diagnosis. This suggests that with proper care, there can be a chance for a good long-term outcome.
People also search for: cat dysautonomia symptoms · dog urinary retention treatment · feeding tube for cat · dysautonomia in pets
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dysautonomia is a disease characterised by degeneration of autonomic neurons. METHODS: The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective multicentre review of clinical data relating to cats and dogs diagnosed with dysautonomia and to evaluate their outcome. RESULTS: Cats (n=34) and dogs (n=19) with clinical signs consistent with dysautonomia were considered for this retrospective study. Reported clinical findings included oesophageal and gastrointestinal dysmotility and distension, urinary retention, reduced or absent tear production, third eyelid protrusion and inappropriate mydriasis. Treatment was supportive and included gastrointestinal prokinetics, feeding tube placement (oesophageal and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes) and medications to treat urinary retention. The survival to discharge was 29 per cent in cats and 47 per cent in dogs. The overall survival in cats was 21 per cent and that in dogs was 32 per cent. Survival of greater than 2 years was seen in six cats and in three dogs. CONCLUSION: This paper illustrates that some animals are able to survive this disease and can have a good long-term prognosis, which is an infrequently reported finding for this disease.
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 PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32253356/