Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intervertebral disc problems in cats - what to know
By Knipe, M F et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2001·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Intervertebral disc extrusion in six cats.
Plain-English summary
Six cats with back problems were found to have intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), which caused pain and mobility issues. X-rays showed that their spinal discs were damaged and pressing on the spinal cord. All cats underwent surgery to relieve the pressure by removing the damaged discs, and five out of six cats showed good to excellent recovery afterward. This suggests that cats with IVDD can benefit from similar surgical treatments as dogs with the same condition.
People also search for: cat back pain treatment · intervertebral disc disease in cats · cat surgery for spinal problems
Abstract
Existing reports concerning intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) have focused almost exclusively on dogs, although a small number of individual case reports of IVDD of cats has been published. The medical records of six cats with IVDD were reviewed. Radiographic studies confirmed narrowed intervertebral disc spaces, mineralised intervertebral discs, and one or more extradural compressive lesions of the spinal cord in each cat. All disc extrusions were located in the thoracolumbar region. Surgical decompression of the spinal cord was achieved in all cats by means of hemilaminectomy and removal of compressive extradural material confirmed to be degenerative disc material. Good to excellent neurological recovery was noted in five of the six cats included in this report. Based on this review, it appears that IVDD of cats has many similarities to IVDD of dogs, and that healthy cats with acute intervertebral disc extrusion(s) respond favourably to surgical decompression of the spinal cord.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11876633/