Ataxic 12yr old cat

Re: Ataxic 12yr old cat

Kishor Mahind — Thu, 08 May 2014 14:03:05 GMT

Thank you Kate and Laurent for your advise.

The cat went for a MRI today and preliminary reports suggest brain stem and cerebellum tumour. I've not got a full report yet.

Thank you again

Kishor

Re: Ataxic 12yr old cat

Laurent Garosi — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 10:22:56 GMT

Nice video. This cat is showing ataxia and paresis on the thoracic limbs (worse on the right side) and mostly ataxia (mild) on the pelvic limbs. Interestingly you will note the very high and stiff tail carriage and how this cat is using it to help compensate with its ataxic gait which is a common finding in ataxic cat. Mental status seems intact and there is no head tilt or head sway. Ataxia can be general proprioceptive, cerebellar or vestibular. Cerebellar ataxia is not associated with paresis and paw positioning should be intact. Vestibular ataxia is often associated with other vestibular signs such as head tilt or head sway as well as spontaneous/positional nystagmus. It would be worth placing this cat on its back and extending the head to see if you can elicit a positional nystagmus. If present then would suggest central vestibular lesion based on the rest of the exam. If not present then the problem is likely to be cervical spinal cord. With gradual onset, I would have in mind neoplastic, inflammatory or infectious CNS disease as well as chronic disc disease (rarer in cats) in my differential diagnosis list. MRI of the cervical spine +/- CSF would be the next step. As a rough guideline, I personally mostly run protozoal antibody titre when I have at least evidence of a) multifocal neurolocalisation on examination, b) multifocal disease process and/or suspected inflammatory process and/or ill-defined focal lesion on MRI, c) suspected/confirmed myositis/neuritis as opposed to do it with any cat or dog with neurological signs. I don't think bulla radiographs will provide you with much information in this case since peripheral vestibular lesion does not fit the clinical presentation. Cervical spinal xrays may reveal enlargement of the vertebral canal if there was an expansile tumour although not so common but unlikely to give you lot of information in view of the differential diagnosis list.

Hope this help

Laurent

Re: Ataxic 12yr old cat

Kate Richardson — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:47:56 GMT

The cat doesn't look overtly ataxic on the hindlimbs to me, more compensating for wobbles on the RF, but that may just be the video- you did well to get her moving- usually my attempts to video cats results in them sitting in the middle of the floor and refusing to do anything but look normal!

Were electrolytes and muscle enzymes(CK/AST) and T4 included in the blood work? Is there normal circulation in the limb? Any possibility of cardiac disease (thinking along lines of possible thromboembolism although unlikely given gradual onset). Toxoplasma? Is the cat painful?

Given funds are limited, you have to think about what the possible treatable conditions are and ask whether imaging is going to change what you are actually able to do. Cat looks very bright and aware so forebrain lesion less likely IMO. Have you trialled any anti-inflammatories yet?