Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat trapped in window injuries and recovery outcomes
By Graciolli Tomazi, Fabiana et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2024·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Window entrapment trauma in cats: clinical, neurological and clinicopathological findings and outcome (70 cases).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 70 cats that got trapped in bottom-hung windows were evaluated for their health after suffering from reduced blood flow to their spinal cords, muscles, and nerves. Most of the cats survived, but those with poor tail function or severe hypothermia were less likely to make it. The study found that assessing tail movement and other physical functions could help predict which cats would recover better. Fortunately, only a small number of cats died or needed to be euthanized during their hospital stay, and many showed improvement with proper care.
People also search for: cat window entrapment injury · cat tail function recovery · signs of cat spinal cord injury · cat hypothermia treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Window entrapment in cats can lead to reduced blood flow to the spinal cord, muscles and nerves, resulting in ischaemic neuromyelomyopathy. The severity and duration of entrapment greatly influence clinical and neurological outcomes, as well as prognosis. The aim of the present retrospective multicentric study (2005-2022) was to describe clinical, neurological and selected clinicopathological findings, as well as the outcome of cats trapped in bottom-hung windows, presented to both first-opinion and referral-only clinics. METHODS: The study included cats with detailed clinical and neurological evaluations at admission, along with at least one of the following biochemical parameters: creatine kinase (CK), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, urea and/or creatinine. Clinical and neurological parameters evaluated in the study included rectal temperature, femoral pulse, gait, urinary bladder function, tail function and survival to discharge. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for survival and each clinical, neurological and biochemical variable. RESULTS: Of the 70 cats that met the inclusion criteria, only seven (10%) died or were euthanased during hospitalisation. Nevertheless, with the available data, we found evidence of an association between clinical and neurological status and survival, with tail function being the strongest association. Cats lacking tail sensation, motor function and/or tonus were more likely to die than cats with normal tail function or only mild abnormalities (OR = 24). Similarly, cats with severe hypothermia or an absent femoral pulse were less likely to survive (OR = 12.75 and 7.5, respectively). In this sample (with a relatively low number of deaths), we did not find evidence of an association between CK, AST and ALT activity with survival. However, the only two cats with severe increases in creatinine died. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Assessment of gait, urinary bladder function, femoral pulse, rectal temperature and particularly tail function is promising for predicting outcomes in cats with window entrapment trauma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39718112/