Spinal cord astrocytoma in a cat

A nine-year-old neutered male domestic shorthaired cat with a history of spinal pain and progressive hindlimb dysfunction was presented to the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. Following neurological and myelographic examination, an intramedullary mass affecting several lumbar spinal cord segments was diagnosed. A neoplastic lesion was suspected and a poor prognosis was given. On postmortem examination, the spinal cord was found to be dorsally flattened from the 12th thoracic vertebra to the fifth lumbar vertebra and severely thickened with a dorsal cleft from the fifth to the seventh lumbar vertebra. Histologically, the tumour was diagnosed as an anaplastic astrocytoma.     

Spinal cord granuloma due to Coccidioides immitis in a cat

A6-year-old 5.5-kg female spayed domestic short-haired cat from Tucson, AZ, presented with an ˜5-day history of progressive pelvic limb weakness. The owners had returned from a weekend away to find the cat unable to use her left pelvic limb. Approximately 2 months previously, the cat had a cough and was treated for presumptive asthma with 5 mg prednisone PO q24h. The cat had a similar cough 1 year previously and seasonal allergy was suspected. The cough resolved and prednisone treatment was discontinued. Other past pertinent history included a skin problem ˜4 years previously that was described as alopecia, erythema, and pruritus of a pelvic limb. This problem had been diagnosed as an allergy and had since resolved. The cat was housed exclusively indoors and had been adopted as a kitten from a local retail store. Viral titers (FeLV and FIV) were negative, and regular vaccinations and veterinary examinations had been completed     

Spinal cord trauma in a cat caused by ingestion of a splinter

A 5-month-old male Abyssinian presented with right hemiplegia. Cervical radiographs, haematology and serum biochemistry were normal. A foreign body was identified on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Removal of the foreign body was carried out via a dorsal approach between the occipital bone and the C1 vertebral body using intra-operative CT. No complications were encountered. Thirty days after surgery, the cat was ambulatory.     

Spinal cord injury secondary to electrocution in a dog

A 13‐year‐old, female spayed, crossbreed dog of 32 kg was presented for evaluation of peracute onset of non‐ambulatory tetraparesis after chewing an electrical wire. Neurological examination was consistent with a C1‐C5 myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a focal intramedullary lesion over the C2‐C3 vertebral bodies, which was confirmed to be an acute focal necrotising poliomyelopathy with subarachnoid and subdural haemorrhages on postmortem examination. This report describes the clinical, imaging and histopathological findings of this unusual type of spinal cord injury, and the effects of electrocution in the central nervous system of dogs.     

Acute intraparenchymal spinal cord injury in a cat due to high-rise syndrome

A 9-year-old spayed female Bengal Red cat was evaluated for high-rise syndrome. The cat had paraplegia of the hind limbs, intact reflexes and pain perception, and hyperesthesia in the caudal thoracic area. Mentation, cranial nerve function, forelimb proprioceptive responses, and spinal reflexes were normal. There were no abnormalities on radiographs or computed tomography scan, but magnetic resonance imaging revealed a hyperintense intraparenchymal spinal cord lesion on T2-weighted and T2 fat saturation images.     

Spinal cord medulloepithelioma in a dog

Medulloepithelioma, an embryonal neural tumor, was diagnosed in a 6-month-old Bullmastiff. Clinical signs of incomplete, upper motor neuron, transverse myelopathy involving the hindlimbs were observed on examination. Myelography was required to identify the cause of clinical abnormality. The tumor involved the L1 spinal cord segment.     

Fibrosarcoma adjacent to the site of microchip implantation in a cat

A 14-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat presented with an interscapular mass. A computed tomography scan, biopsy, and histological examination revealed a fibrosarcoma adjacent to a pet identification microchip. Because the cat was previously vaccinated at this site, it is not possible to establish definitive causation of the fibrosarcoma, but this is the first report of a tumor in the vicinity of a microchip in a cat. Microchip-associated tumors have been reported in rodents and dogs. Veterinarians should be aware that because inflammation may predispose felines to tumor formation, separation and observation of vaccination and implantation sites are indicated. Adherence to American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) vaccination guidelines and monitoring of microchip implantation sites are recommended.     

Spinal dural ossification causing neurological signs in a cat

A six-year-old Ragdoll cat underwent examination due to a six-month history of slowly progressive gait abnormalities. The cat presented with an ambulatory tetraparesis with a neurological examination indicating a C1-T2 myelopathy. Radiographs of the spine showed a radiopaque irregular line ventrally in the vertebral canal dorsal to vertebral bodies C3-C5. In this area, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intradural extramedullary/extradural lesion compressing the spinal cord. The spinal cord was surgically decompressed. The cause of the spinal cord compression was dural ossification, a diagnosis confirmed by histopathological examination of the surgically dissected sample of dura mater. The cat gradually improved after the procedure and was ambulating better than prior to the surgery. The cat’s locomotion later worsened again due to ossified plaques in the dura causing spinal cord compression on the same cervical area as before. Oral prednisolone treatment provided temporary remission. Ten months after surgery, the cat was euthanized due to severe worsening of gait abnormalities, non-ambulatory tetraparesis. Necropsy confirmed spinal cord compression and secondary degenerative changes in the spinal cord on cervical and lumbar areas caused by dural ossification. To our knowledge, this is the first report of spinal dural ossification in a cat. The reported cat showed neurological signs associated with these dural changes. Dural ossification should be considered in the differential diagnosis of compressive spinal cord disorders in cats.     

Spinal dermoid sinus in a Burmese cat with paraparesis

A 2-year-old, male, Burmese cat was evaluated for chronic progressive hindlimb weakness, ataxia and urinary incontinence. Radiographic examination, myelography and magnetic resonance imaging defined congenital vertebral anomalies and a space-occupying intradural, extramedullary mass. A dermoid sinus was subsequently identified dorsal to the affected spine. Surgical excision of the tract necessitated a dorsal laminectomy and removal of a 1-cm diameter intradural dermoid sinus 'cyst' that contained hair and sebaceous debris. The cat recovered hindlimb function after surgery and remains asymptomatic 50 months after surgery except for a persistent inability to urinate voluntarily.     

Acute spinal cord injury in the cat: causes, treatment and prognosis

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Acute spinal conditions are a common emergency presentation in general veterinary practice and have the potential to cause devastating spinal cord injury (SCI) and consequent severe neurological deficits. SCI can be divided into two subgroups: exogenous SCI (vertebral fracture and/or luxation/subluxation) and endogenous SCI (intervertebral disc extrusion and ischaemic myelopathy). CLINICAL CHALLENGES: The majority of cats with SCI have concurrent injuries. The clinician must perform a thorough physical examination and prioritise and then stabilise the life-threatening problems before focusing on the neurological examination. The possibility of multiple sites of SCI and spinal shock can make interpretation of the neurological examination challenging. While plain radiographs or myelography are usually diagnostic, they do not give direct information about the integrity of the spinal cord parenchyma or the severity of any damage. If facilities or experienced staff capable of performing the necessary surgery are not available, or advanced imaging is indicated, referral to a specialist veterinary institution should be considered. AUDIENCE: This review is aimed at clinicians dealing with feline SCI in the emergency setting or at first-opinion level, and discusses causes, initial management, specific treatment and prognosis. PATIENT GROUP: While any cat may potentially be affected by SCI, there is a tendency for exogenous SCI to be more common in younger individuals and, in the authors' experience, pure-breed cats are very rarely presented. Endogenous SCI can be seen in any breed and is typically a condition of adult cats.     

Oropharyngeal stick injury in a Bengal cat

A 16 month old cat presented with a history of acute onset oral pain and hypersalivation. Oral examination revealed a wooden stick that protruded from the right sublingual region. Lateral cervical radiography showed retro pharyngeal gas lucencies. An 11 cm wooden stick was removed per os and the resulting tract was endoscopically explored. There were no post-operative complications and the cat remains disease free four months after presentation. In contrast to dogs, where oropharyngeal stick injuries are an uncommon albeit well recognised condition, there have been no previous case reports of oropharyngeal stick injuries in the cat. This case report describes the presentation, diagnosis and treatment of an oropharyngeal stick injury in a cat.     

Spinal cord injury in small animals. 1. Mechanisms of spontaneous recovery.

Spinal cord injury causes obvious clinical deficits early in the course of lesion evolution, but it is commonly observed that recovery can occur spontaneously during a period of days, weeks or even months afterwards. Spinal cord dysfunction arises after injury because of a combination of reversible alterations in the concentration of intra- and extracellular ionic constituents and irreversible tissue destruction. Recovery can therefore occur through re-establishment of the normal microenvironment of the spinal cord, which occurs soon after injury induction, and also by formation of new patterns of central nervous system circuitry. Alterations in circuitry, termed 'plasticity', can occur during the immediate period after injury but apparently continue for many weeks or months. There are differences in the extent and nature of recovery between complete and incomplete experimental spinal cord injuries that illustrate the roles played by reorganisation of intra- and suprasegmental circuitry. Information that is available on mechanisms of spontaneous recovery may aid development of novel therapies for clinical spinal cord injury.     

Canine pedal injury resulting from metal landscape edging

Background – This study was performed to document the frequency and severity of limb injuries that occur when dogs come in contact with metal landscape edging. A retrospective study from 1997 to 2007 was performed at Colorado State University veterinary teaching hospital. Sixty dogs were admitted to hospital for traumatic limb injuries resulting from metal landscape edging identified by a computerized medical records search. Key Findings – Most dogs were young, large breed dogs. All 60 dogs suffered traumatic pedal lacerations when contacting metal landscape edging, the majority of which occurred on the forelimbs. Eighty‐five percent required surgical repair. All 60 dogs were discharged from the hospital and 30 were available for long‐term follow‐up. While most dogs healed with a perfect cosmetic outcome, 3 dogs with tendon involvement developed residual digital deformities. Significance – Dogs are at risk of injury when exposed to metal landscape edging. Severity of pedal injury determines treatment protocol and prognosis for recovery.     

Spinal cord effects from lumbar myelographic injection technique in the dog

To characterize spinal cord effects of needle placement using lumbar puncture myelography technique, lumbar puncture was performed in 5 dogs and computed tomography images of the spinal column were acquired in the transverse plane at the level of the puncture site after contrast injection and both before and after needle removal. The spinal cords were punctured during needle placement and parenchymal contrast enhancement was present in 4 of 5 dogs. Although no dogs exhibited overt neurological abnormalities following computed tomographic imaging, hemorrhage, gliosis and axonal degeneration were confirmed microscopically in all subjects. These results suggest that spinal cord morbidity is induced when lumbar myelography is performed using currently accepted technique.