Feline Spinal Diseases

Diseases affecting the feline spinal cord, both cervical and thoracolumbar, or the surrounding vertebrae may or may not be painful. They can progress to cause ataxia and weakness through to paralysis similar to is seen in dogs. However, the causes of these signs are slightly different to the causes in dogs, as disc disease and ischaemic myelopathy are not as common in cats. Trauma, infectious disease and neoplasia are the most common causes. CT or MRI investigation is often necessary if spinal radiographs are unable to identify an obvious lesion. CSF analysis is also essential in ruling out infectious diseases of the spinal cord although it is often normal if there are infections of the surrounding vertebrae. This session will use a cased based approach to review these causes in terms of their presentation, investigation, management and prognosis.