Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with fragile skin and spine problems improves with nutrition
By Yu, Yoshihiko et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2024·Department of Veterinary Pathology (Michishita, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected malnutrition-induced reversible feline skin fragility syndrome in a cat with congenital axial deformities.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A stray cat, suspected to be a young adult Japanese domestic shorthair, was rescued after showing signs of lethargy, thinness, and fragile skin that healed slowly. She also had trouble walking due to spinal deformities. After receiving nutritional support, her overall health improved significantly, and her skin condition returned to normal. This case suggests that malnutrition can lead to skin fragility in cats, but with proper care, recovery is possible.
People also search for: cat skin problems · why is my cat so thin · cat malnutrition treatment · cat lethargy and skin issues · cat spinal deformities
Abstract
A stray cat, an intact female Japanese domestic shorthair cat of unknown age (suspected to be a young adult), was rescued. The cat was lethargic and thin and had marked skin fragility, delayed wound healing without skin hyperextensibility, and hind limb proprioceptive ataxia and paresis. Survey radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed congenital vertebral anomalies, including thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae, scoliosis resulting from a thoracic lateral wedge-shaped vertebra, and a kinked tail, and a dilated spinal cord central canal. Through nutritional support, the cat's general condition normalized, followed by a gradual and complete improvement of skin features. Whole-genome sequencing was completed; however, no pathogenic genetic variant was identified that could have caused this phenotype, including congenital scoliosis. A skin biopsy obtained 7 y after the rescue revealed no remarkable findings on histopathology or transmission electron microscopy. Based on clinical course and microscopic findings, malnutrition-induced reversible feline skin fragility syndrome (FSFS) was suspected, and nutritional support was considered to have improved the skin condition. Key clinical message: This is the second reported case of presumed malnutrition-induced reversible FSFS and was accompanied by long-term follow-up.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38434166/