Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with left forelimb paralysis from vitamin A overdose
By Polizopoulou, Zoe S et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2005·School of Veterinary Medicine·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Hypervitaminosis A in the cat: a case report and review of the literature.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was brought in for a left forelimb lameness that worsened to paralysis over two months. The cat had been eating a homemade diet that included raw pork liver, which led to an excess of vitamin A, causing nerve compression and muscle atrophy. After changing his diet to a commercial canned food, the cat began to regain function in his affected leg about six months later, despite the initial poor outlook.
People also search for: cat forelimb paralysis · hypervitaminosis A in cats · cat diet raw pork liver · cat muscle atrophy treatment
Abstract
A case of hypervitaminosis A with secondary entrapment and compression of the left brachial plexus nerve roots is described. A 9-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair, fed a home-made diet based on raw pork liver, was submitted for examination for a left forelimb lameness that evolved to paralysis over a 2-month period. Clinical examination revealed a flaccid paralysis and atrophy of all left forelimb muscles. An ipsilateral Horner's syndrome was also noted. Radiological examination of the cervical and thoracic spine showed massive new bone formation at the ventral aspect of the second cervical to sixth thoracic vertebra. The diagnosis of hypervitaminosis A was made, based on the clinical and radiographic findings, as well as the determination of serum vitamin A concentration, which was 630 microg/dl, three times above the upper normal limit for this species. Despite the unfavourable initial prognosis, the cat progressively regained function of the affected limb approximately 6 months after the diet was changed to a commercial canned food.
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/15994105/