Anyone who has a cat as a companion in life should try to offer them maximum well-being. That is why it is good to stay well informed about their basic needs and the most common illnesses they may suffer from.
From our site we always seek to offer you as much information as possible about the animals that live with us.
In this new article we are going to talk about a he alth problem of domestic felines, more common than it may seem at first. Keep reading if you want to discover what is ataxia in cats, its symptoms andpossible treatments.
What is ataxia?
You may have seen a kitten with a peculiar way of walking, with an uncoordinated gait and staggering. That happens because he suffers from something known as ataxia. This can be defined as the lack of coordination and precision in the movements of an animal. It affects the sense of movement and balance, the position of the body, especially the limbs and the head, and the stability that the animal that suffers from it can feel. If the steps that the feline takes are rather short, that is, if it advances with a shorter gear so it seems that it is jumping rather than walking, we will say that it suffers hypometryOn the other hand, if the steps are longer and it seems that he is rather dragging himself forward, we will be facing a case of hypermetry
This condition occurs when there is a problem or injury in one of the areas that control movement and for this reason, it is considers that ataxia is rather a symptom and not a disease in itself. These main areas in charge of the movements of the body of an animal are:
- The proprioception or sensory system, is found in the peripheral nerves and in the spinal cord. It helps the animal to detect the position or movement of its muscles, tendons and joints. Therefore, a problem or injury to this system produces loss of control of position and movement.
- The vestibular system serves to maintain the correct position of the animal's limbs, trunk and eyes when it moves its head, so it confers the feeling of balance. Normally the problems occur in the middle-inner ear, in the vestibular nerve and in the brainstem. The lesions are usually unilateral so, generally, we will see the cat turn its head towards the affected side.
- The cerebellum has several functions that affect coordination and precision of movement. First, it receives information from the sensory system, the vestibular system, and the visual and auditory systems. Then, next, the cerebellum processes the information received about the position and movements, compares the information with the movement to be performed and gives the order, coordinating the necessary muscles to carry it out.
It may be that the kitten has had an accident or a complication of some kind and due to an injury ataxia occurs, but it is also possible that it was born with the problem or it may appear after a few weeks or months of life. The best thing we can do for our little is to contact our trusted veterinarian so that the problem can be diagnosed as soon as possible, since there are other illnesses that produce symptoms similar. Once the problem and its cause have been detected, the specialist will tell us how to proceed so that the feline recovers if possible, or to recover maximum normality, depending on the severity of the problem.
Causes and types of ataxia
Ataxia has various causes, the main ones are listed below:
- A lesion in one of the three systems mentioned above (vestibular, sensory and cerebellum)
- Nervous system conditions
- An elevated weakness caused by other problems such as starvation, anemia, etc.
- Muscle problems
- Problems in systems that affect the function of the brain and peripheral nerves
- Orthopedic conditions affecting bones and joints
Some of these problems and injuries can be caused by accidents, poisoning, serious dietary problems, tumors and serious infections, among many other possibilities.
Furthermore, ataxia can be divided into three different types, depending on the area it affects:
- Cerebellar ataxia: This affects the cerebellum, weakening its control over balance and coordination of movements. Felines that suffer from this type of ataxia can stand, but they walk in an uncoordinated and exaggerated way, with their legs apart, bouncing and trembling, their precision is very affected, so it is very difficult for them to jump and when they do it turns out to be a jump exaggerated and clumsy.
- Vestibular ataxia: Caused by a problem in the middle-inner ear or in some of the nerves that connect the ear to the brain. Normally the problem is unilateral, to the side that the cat tilts its head. They tend to wobble and fall to the affected side. On the other hand, when it occurs bilaterally, an oscillation from side to side is observed, since they lose their balance. They have all the symptoms of vestibular disease.
- Sensory ataxia: Also known as generalized proprioceptive ataxia. It is the one that occurs when there are problems in the brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves. Therefore, the information does not reach the central nervous system well and as it is responsible for the movement and position of the body, lacking information, it cannot act correctly. Felines that suffer from it can stand and walk with their limbs widely separated because, generally, there is a delay in the extension of the limbs when they want to walk and that is why a longer step than normal occurs. There are cats that even walk with the dorsal part of their legs, dragging their fingers. In addition, they present muscular weakness due to the fact that there are problems in the nerves of the muscular system.
Symptoms of ataxia in cats
In ataxia the symptoms are very varied. Depending on the type and therefore also on the cause of the ataxia, some of the symptoms will vary, but the main ones are the following:
- Incoordination
- Disorientation
- Weakness
- Tremors
- Wobble, lose balance, and fall easily
- Strange steps (smaller or larger than normal)
- You sit still more than usual for fear of moving
- Difficulty eating and drinking, urinating and defecating
- Drag the legs, supporting the fingers to walk
- It moves close to the ground
- Jumps around
- Your jumps are exaggerated and uncoordinated
- Turn your head to one side
- Uncontrolled eye movement
- Walks in circles to the same side
- Poor precision in movements
- Loss of appetite and vomiting
- Constant stress and meowing
It is vitally important that in the event of any of these symptoms, especially if several occur at the same time, that go directly to our trusted veterinarianIn this way we will immediately begin to carry out tests until we find the reason for the symptoms in order to find a diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible.
Diagnosis for feline ataxia and possible treatments
Once we go to the vet, he will have to carry out various tests. He should do a physical examinationwhere he will be able to perceive how the kitten moves and what reactions it has to different stimuli, this will help him think if it could be a type of ataxia or another.
In addition, blood tests, urine tests, X-rays, some neurological tests, an ophthalmological exam and all kinds of tests that the specialist may requireto be sure to rule out other diseases and to correctly diagnose what type of ataxia our faithful feline companion is suffering from.
It is true that many of the causes of ataxia in felines have no remedy, so our cat will have to learn to live with with this condition. Fortunately, most of the time ataxia occurs at a very early age, so the kitten can learn to live with it perfectly in most cases.
But it is also true that some of the causes do have a solution For example, some of the causes of vestibular ataxia they are treatable. You have to know how to find the main damage in the vestibular system and study if it really is a correctable problem or not. If the problem is caused by a tumor, it is necessary to study whether it is operable or not and if there is an infection or poisoning, it will be necessary to see if it is reversible and what damage may be left to the cat. It is for this very reason that it is of vital importance for the future of our kitten, that for the slightest symptom or anything out of the ordinary in its behavior, we approach a veterinarian to check it, since taking he alth problems to time, the less likely they are to get complicated.
