Plantigrade walking in cats

Re: Plantigrade walking in cats

Neil Wheadon — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:31:54 GMT

Primary Hyperaldosteronism would be quite high on my list

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15922224

Good Luck

Neil

Re: Plantigrade walking in cats

Luciano Nebiante PGCertSAS — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:55:01 GMT

Metabolic/endocrine causes of polyneuropathy such as diabetes mellitus, lipid granulomas impinging on nerves (hyperlipidaemic cats).
Toxic polyneuropathy caused for example by exposure to organophosphates, heavy metals, or vincristine.
Infectious and inflammatory causes of polyneuropathy, e.g. Toxoplasma gondii, idiopathic polyneuritis, FeLV- or FIV-associated polyneuropathy.
Spinal cord disease (e.g. neoplasia, disc compression, inflammatory disease) causing LMN deficits.
Neoplasia affecting peripheral nerves (unlikely to be bilaterally symmetrical), paraneoplastic causes of peripheral neuropathy.
Idiopathic polyneuropathy (often associated with other nerve involvement).

From http://en.wikivet.net/Feline_Medicine_Q%26A_15

Hope this helps.

Luciano

Re: Plantigrade walking in cats

Tara Cujovic Tramsak — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:12:06 GMT

Thanks a lot to everyone, have also searched VIN and found similar answers, the DD list is quite long. But they all suggest blood test first, then joint taps, xrays, MRI...

Will let you know on Mon/Tue when we see the cat and hopefully find the right diagnosis.

Re: Plantigrade walking in cats

Richard Larkin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:02:07 GMT

CRF

Hypokalemia

Are always my bog standard ddx in bilateral plantigrade cats and so far in those that I remember routine bloods have always picked up one of them. Maybe been lucky!

Re: Plantigrade walking in cats

Mark Rowland — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:42:46 GMT

If my sclerotic memory serves I'm sure I remember an old in practice article on hypokalaemia in cats with its front page of a cat walking on its hocks. May be way off tack though Goodluck

Re: Plantigrade walking in cats

Utlendigur — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:41:32 GMT

Calcaneal tendon rupture but would probably be unilateral unless the cat was very unlucky!

Re: Plantigrade walking in cats

Mark Hedberg — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:29:16 GMT

Well, before you get too fancy, can you take a blood glucose? DM is the most common reason, and if the blood glucose is super high, you might not need to look further.

I've also seen a reference somewhere to chronic kidney disease causing a plantigrade stance.

Can you give a little more history on the case?

That said, I've got the Merck veterinary manual, and here are two (rare) differentials I see for plantigrade stance in cats. (I cheerfully defer to better informed opinions than mine, of course!)

Primary hyperoxaluria (L-glyceric aciduria) is a rare inherited (autosomal recessive) neurofilament disorder of domestic shorthaired cats that results in renal disease and also produces weakness due to a peripheral neuropathy. Signs develop at 5-9 mo of age. A plantigrade stance is the most prominent sign, and spinal reflexes are sometimes reduced. Urine contains increased oxalate and L-glycerate levels. There is no treatment. (From the Merck veterinary manual.)

X-linked muscular dystrophies have been described in Irish Terriers, Golden Retrievers, Miniature Schnauzers, Rottweilers, Samoyeds, German Shorthaired Pointers, Groenendaeler Belgian Shepherds, Brittany Spaniels, Rat Terriers, Labrador Retrievers, Japanese Spitz dogs, and also in cats. All are due to mutations in the dystrophin gene. Males show muscle stiffness, dysphagia, and weakness at an early age, along with a plantigrade stance and muscle atrophy as the animal gets older. Initial muscle hypertrophy may be marked, particularly in cats. Diagnosis is facilitated by the initial massive increases in serum levels of CK and by demonstration of hyalinized and mineralized muscle fibers on biopsy. Prognosis is guarded to poor. At present, there is no treatment. A novel congenital muscular dystrophy has recently been reported in cats associated with deficiency of merosin (laminin α₂), in which degenerative changes occur in both muscles and peripheral nerves. (Again, I've never heard of this outside the book so I'd hazard a guess and say "it's rare".