Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat losing all limb movement from unknown nerve disease with 1 year
By Granger, Nicolas et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2008·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Idiopathic polyradiculoneuropathy in a Bengal cat: electrophysiological findings and 1 year follow-up.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 16-month-old male neutered Bengal cat experienced a rapid loss of motor function, starting in his back legs and eventually affecting all four legs, leaving him unable to walk. After a thorough neurological exam and specialized tests, the vet diagnosed him with idiopathic polyradiculoneuropathy, a condition where the nerve roots are affected without a known cause. Over the course of a year, the cat had three episodes of weakness but fully recovered each time, which is typical for this condition.
People also search for: Bengal cat motor function loss · cat weakness treatment · idiopathic polyradiculoneuropathy in cats
Abstract
This report describes a rapidly progressive loss of motor function in a 16-month-old male neutered Bengal cat, beginning in the pelvic limbs and progressing to involve all limbs and rendering the cat non-ambulatory. The neurological examination revealed flaccid tetraparesis with decreased spinal reflexes but preserved conscious proprioception and skin sensation. Extensive electrophysiological tests were conducted including electromyography, motor and sensory peripheral nerves potential recordings and 'late' potentials, defining the electrodiagnostic characteristics of this disease. Based on the electrophysiological findings, a generalised proximal and predominantly axonal neuropathy affecting the ventral (motor) nerve roots was suspected. As no aetiology was identified, this disease was classified as idiopathic polyradiculoneuropathy. Over a year, the cat presented three separate episodes of tetraparesis, each with a spontaneous complete recovery, consistent with the reportedly good prognosis for this disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18555719/