Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat walking again after surgery to remove chopstick from spinal cord
By Kim, Kihoon·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2021·Baeksan Feline Medical Center, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Surgical removal of an intramedullary chopstick fragment penetrating the spinal cord in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old male domestic shorthair cat suddenly lost coordination and was unable to feel his legs properly. After a thorough examination and imaging tests, vets discovered a chopstick fragment lodged in his spinal cord. The vets successfully removed the foreign object through surgery, and the next day, the cat showed some improvement in his ability to feel his limbs. Two months later, the owner reported that the cat had fully recovered and was walking normally again.
People also search for: cat ataxia treatment · cat spinal cord injury recovery · foreign body removal in cats
Abstract
A 3-year-old male domestic shorthair cat presented with sudden ataxia. Neurologic examination showed complete loss of proprioception in the thoracic and pelvic limbs. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a non-metallic foreign body penetrating the spinal cord. The foreign body was removed by the ventral approach to the atlanto-occipital junction. Mild improvement of proprioception was observed the day after surgery. In a follow-up two months after surgery, the owner reported a complete recovery of the patient, showing a normal gait. To the author's knowledge, this is the first case report describing successful removal of an intramedullary foreign body penetrating cervical spinal cord by ventral approach in a cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34526413/