Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat paralyzed after microchip placed too deep in spine
By Platt, Simon et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2007·Centre for Small Animal Studies, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spinal cord injury resulting from incorrect microchip placement in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat suddenly lost the ability to move all four legs right after getting a microchip implanted for identification. The veterinarian suspected a spinal cord injury and confirmed it through imaging, which showed that the microchip had caused damage at the neck area. The vet performed surgery to remove the microchip, and after 11 months of recovery, the cat could stand on all legs, although it still had some weakness in its left front leg.
People also search for: cat microchip injury · cat tetraparesis treatment · cat spinal cord injury recovery · microchip placement problems in cats
Abstract
A 2-year-old, male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented for investigation of an acute onset of tetraparesis immediately following the implantation of a pet identification microchip. A left-sided C6-T2 spinal segment localisation was suspected from the neurological examination, with spinal cord trauma being the primary differential diagnosis. Myelography demonstrated obliteration of the contrast columns by the microchip at the C5-C6 intervertebral disc space. A dorsal laminectomy was undertaken and the microchip was successfully removed. Eleven months after the surgery, the cat was able to weight bear in all limbs but with mild residual paresis in the left thoracic limb.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16982206/