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| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Sep 25 2007 at 10:27 AM |
Pain
Pain is a difficult subject to discuss. There are many possible reasons for a cat to have pain. It can be the result of trauma, infections, inflammations, tumours, fractures and dislocations, abscesses, haematomas, parasites etc. The most important thing to remember is that cats do not show pain like we, as humans, do! They will hardly ever ‘cry’ in pain as we might expect. Cats may show symptoms such as loss of appetite, hissing, lethargy, reluctance to exercise, an arched stance, increased aggression etc. Just because cats do not tell us they are in pain, this does not mean that they are not in pain!
If you think your cat may be in pain, please seek veterinary advice.
Paralysis
Paralysis is the inability to move or feel. It may affect a part of the body or the whole body. Most cases involve only a part of the body. This can be for instance one leg, or both hind legs, or both left legs etc. Paralysis is often the result of a problem with the nervous system. This consists of the brain, the brain stem, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves. Anywhere along these parts of the nervous system can we encounter problems. These include infections, tumours, trauma and pressure on the nerves, for instance by a prolapsed intervertebral disc (often called ‘hernia’).
One of the more common types of paralysis is that caused by the prolapse of an inter vertebral disc. These are the discs in between the parts of the spine. They can sometimes move upwards into the spinal canal and put pressure on the spinal cord. This often leads to pain, as well as paralysis behind this point on the body. The cat may be unable to stand or walk, have a paralysed tail or be incontinent. Your vet may want to take radiographs (X-Rays) of the spine to find out what the cause of the paralysis is. Sometimes it requires more sophisticated techniques to diagnose the reason for the paralysis, such as a CT scan or an MRI scan.
In cats we sometimes see cases where the hindlegs are paralysed and feel cold to the touch. This is caused by a lack of blood supply due to an obstruction of the major blood vessels to the hind legs by a blood clot. This is called ‘iliac thrombosis’ and it is usually a consequence of a heart disease called ‘hypertrophic cardiomyopathy’. In these cases the cat is often in extreme pain. Treatment is not often successful.
Paralysis is always a reason to consult your vet straightaway! It may only be possible to treat your cat successfully if it is seen soon after the onset of the paralysis!