Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cerebellar problems in Persian cross cats after anesthesia recovery
By Shamir, Merav et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2004·Neurology and Neurosurgery Department·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Postanesthetic cerebellar dysfunction in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Eleven Persian cross cats showed signs of cerebellar dysfunction, like trouble walking and tremors, after recovering from a brief general anesthesia with ketamine. These symptoms appeared immediately after anesthesia and included issues like ataxia (uncoordinated movement) and a lack of response to visual threats. Despite being examined from one day to four years after their initial symptoms, the neurological problems did not improve over time. It’s possible that a genetic factor makes these cats more vulnerable to lasting brain damage from ketamine anesthesia.
People also search for: cat ataxia after anesthesia · Persian cat tremors · ketamine effects on cats
Abstract
Eleven cats with signs of cerebellar dysfunction, developed on recovery from a brief and uneventful general anesthesia, were examined at the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital (KSVMTH) between 1998 and 2002. Neurological signs included mild to severe ataxia of all 4 limbs, intentional tremor, lack of menace response, and delayed hopping. The cats were of different ages when anesthetized and none had shown any prior signs of neural disease. They were examined 1 day to 4 years after onset of clinical signs, and the neurological deficits remained unchanged in a follow-up period of 6 months to 8 years. Medical and anesthetic records showed that all were Persian cross cats, 7 of them originating in the same city in Israel. Ketamine was the only anesthetic drug that had been used with all cats. It might be that a genetic component predisposes Persian cross cats to nonreversible cerebellar damage after exposure to an anesthetic dose of ketamine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15188828/