Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
it can regenerate at a very slow rate. It is not particularly difficult to
control pain and inflammation in cats who have sustained trauma, but
managing the inability to eliminate is difficult. If control of these
processes has not returned within a couple of weeks, it most likely will
not return. Owners can be faced with making a decision about
euthanasia if the animal is unable to regulate her bodily functions.
Cats with broken, limp tails can do very well, if there are no other
problems, by amputating their tails. When the tail loses feeling and
motor control, it is not doing the cat any good anyway, so it is best to
surgically remove it.
Kitties With Slipped Disks
Intervertebral disk disease is occasionally seen in cats. A veterinarian
might suspect a disk problem in a cat as he pinches down the spine from
the neck to the tail and finds a sensitive spot, and the cat presents with
pain, instability, weakness or paralysis. Disks in the neck are more com-
monly affected than those farther down the spine. Disks can degener-
ate with aging, be pushed out of place by trauma or tumors, become
infected or be pinched by arthritic changes.
If intervertebral disk disease is diagnosed, the cat should be confined
so that she can rest, and anti-inflammatory doses of cortisone used to
help with pain and swelling. If the condition progresses to paralysis, sur-
gical decompression of the spinal cord is needed immediately.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
This condition has clinical signs that are very similar to intervertebral
disk disease, although it affects only the nerves at the end of the spinal
cord. Cauda equina syndrome occurs most frequently in senior cats.
Signs observed in cats with cauda equina syndrome include:
•
Difficulty in rising
•
Rear-limb lameness that progresses with use
•
Dragging the rear toes
•
Rear-limb and tail weakness
•
Urinary or fecal incontinence
•
Pain at the lumbosacral junction of the spine, the area of the
spine where the lumbar and sacral veterbrae come together in
the lower back
