Ischemic Neuromyopathy Associated with Steel Pellet BB Shot Aortic Obstruction in a Cat

An adult female calico cat was presented with clinical signs of posterior paresis. A steel pellet was seen radiographically lodged in the caudal aorta ventral to the fourth lumbar vertebra. Aortotomy was performed and the pellet was removed. Due to the severe spinal cord damage euthanasia was performed 25 days later. A discussion of the postmortem findings and similarities between this case and thromboembolic aortic obstruction follows.