Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Muscle weakness and gait problems in a cat with laminin alpha2
By Awamura, Yuichi et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2008·Totsuka Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Long-term follow-up of laminin alpha2 (merosin)-deficient muscular dystrophy in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A male Persian-mix cat started showing signs of progressive muscle weakness at just 6 months old, which led to difficulty walking by 8 months. Over the next few years, the cat experienced muscle wasting and joint stiffness, ultimately passing away at 5 years and 3 months due to breathing problems. The diagnosis was muscular dystrophy caused by a lack of a protein called laminin alpha2, which was confirmed through lab tests. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition, and the cat's symptoms worsened over time.
People also search for: cat muscle weakness · Persian cat breathing problems · muscular dystrophy in cats · cat joint stiffness treatment
Abstract
Progressive muscle weakness beginning at 6 months of age was observed in a male Persian-mix cat. Muscle atrophy and joint contracture progressed over the next 3 years. The cat had developed gait difficulty at 8 months of age. The cat died at age of 5 years and 3 months due to an acute respiratory disorder. The clinical, laboratory, necropsy and histopathological findings of the cat were consistent with those of muscular dystrophy. The cat was diagnosed as having laminin alpha2 (merosin)-deficient muscular dystrophy on the basis of immunohistochemical findings. The cat was born in an inbred colony, and another related cat exhibited similar clinical signs. Few cases of laminin alpha2-deficient muscular dystrophy have been reported in cats, and this report provides additional information about the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18243745/