Sudden incoordination in cats. Causes of incoordination in cats

Hello Anastasia! The causes of incoordination can be different, ranging from brain damage to pathologies of the liver and kidneys. Read about the possible causes below, but I advise you to still contact a good veterinarian and examine your pet.

A sudden incoordination of movements is explained by a disease of the organs of balance and is called “vestibular syndrome of dogs (or cats)”. Symptoms can look frightening: an outwardly healthy animal suddenly cannot rise to its feet, falls, flounders, looks frightened. Salivation, vomiting, rapid breathing may also be expressed. The head is tilted to the side, the muzzle is asymmetrical. The first thing that comes to mind in such cases is that the animal has a stroke. But a stroke is perhaps the rarest cause of these symptoms. Most often, such manifestations are due to a violation of the balance organs located outside the brain - the so-called peripheral vestibular syndrome.

The causes of peripheral vestibular syndrome are as follows:

Inflammation of the middle and inner ear (otitis media) is the most common cause of peripheral vestibular syndrome. The organ of balance - the labyrinth of the cochlea - is inextricably linked with the organ of hearing. Inflammation in otitis can spread to the cochlear labyrinth and cause disruption of its work. In this case, treatment should include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Fighting this disease can take a lot of time and effort. Symptoms of vestibular disorder disappear in 10-14 days. In the treatment of otitis media, the use of ototoxic drugs such as chlorhexidine and aminoglycoside antibiotics should be avoided.

Neoplasms (tumors, polyps, cysts) of the inner ear, Eustachian tube, eardrum. For the diagnosis of these formations, the usual examination and otoscopy are not enough, but additional methods of visual diagnostics and cytological analysis are needed. The most effective method of treating tumors is surgery.

Idiopathic vestibular syndrome is the second most common cause of imbalance. In cats, this disease occurs most frequently during the summer months. Cats of all ages suffer. Dogs are more likely to get sick at an older age and regardless of the time of year. 72 hours after the onset of symptoms, there is a significant improvement in the condition - nystagmus (rhythmic movements of the eyeballs) and nausea almost disappear, appetite appears, the ability to walk. After 7 days the animal can move normally. The tilt of the head can persist for a longer time - up to 2 months. No specific treatment has been developed. Recovery occurs without treatment, but recurrence of the disease is possible.

The use of ototoxic drugs (antibiotics of the aminoglycoside group, chlorhexidine, metronidazole)

Congenital anomalies in the development of the organ of hearing and balance are described in such breeds as: German Shepherd, Doberman, English Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, Siamese, Burmese cat and some others. Congenital disorders appear from birth or at 3-4 weeks of age. Some animals live with this disorder all their lives. In some cases, spontaneous recovery occurs by 3-4 months of age. Treatment has not been developed.

Trauma of the temporal bone.

Recall that the above was a discussion of diseases that do not affect the brain. This is the most common cause of sudden incoordination in pets. Less often, vestibular disorders are the result of diseases that affect the brain. Symptoms of imbalance that occur when these structures are affected are called central vestibular syndrome.

The cause of central vestibular disorders are the following diseases:

Infectious diseases of the brain: canine distemper, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis.

Inflammatory diseases of the nervous system: granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis, necrotizing meningoencephalomyelitis.

Brain tumors - meningiomas, lymphomas.

Vascular diseases of the brain: ischemic, hemorrhagic stroke as a result of hypertension, hormonal disorders, sepsis, bleeding disorders, cerebral vascular thrombosis.

Additionally

Vestibular syndrome of the cat- an inner ear disease that can negatively affect your cat's sense of balance. In general, cats aged 12 years and older are susceptible to this disease. In most cases, feline vestibular syndrome is idiopathic in nature, which suggests that the causes that caused it are difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to determine.

At vestibular syndrome the animal can walk staggering, fall, lose balance. His head is sometimes thrown back to one side, and his eyes, as they say, begin to "run" (nystagmus). If any of these symptoms are present, then this is cause for concern about your cat's health.

Disorders of the vestibular apparatus

The vestibular apparatus, as is known, is responsible for the correct orientation of the animal's body and head in space with respect to ground level. If you do not go into details, then it is a set of nerve fibers that originate in the brain and end in the region of the inner ear. Disorders in the work of the vestibular apparatus affect the ability of the brain to accurately determine the position of the body. Exactly because of this reason, cat with vestibular disorder loses sense of balance, tends to fall frequently, tossing head back and unable to walk in a straight line.

Types of disorders of the vestibular apparatus in cats

There are two main types vestibular disorders in cats. They are divided into peripheral and central disorder. The central disorder occurs in the brain, while the peripheral disorder occurs in the inner ear. Usually, the central disorder has an organic cause, and when it is eliminated, this violation stops. The main symptoms of a disorder of the vestibular apparatus in cats:

falls;
loss of coordination;
tilting the head to one side;
movement in a circle, swaying;
tripping on flat surfaces;
constant and frequent movement of the eyes in different directions (nystagmus).

Diagnosis of a disorder of the vestibular apparatus in a cat

In the diagnosis of disorders of the vestibular apparatus, only a physiological examination and study of the history of the disease of the animal can help. Along with the examination of the inner ear of the cat, it is also necessary to conduct a full range of neurological examinations. A blood test will allow you to assess the general health of your pet. Maybe it will help you figure out the reason. vestibular disorder. It is recommended to conduct a complete blood test, including biochemical and sugar content in it. It would be nice to have the results of a urine test (general and according to Nechiporenko) in order to determine the normal functioning of the liver and kidneys, in order to exclude the toxic nature of the disorder. If it was not possible to diagnose the disease even after these tests, then a spinal puncture, MRI, and an x-ray of the skull may be required. If the results of these tests are negative, then the central vestibular disorder can be safely excluded from the list of possible causes of the disease, despite the similarity in the manifestation of symptoms. There are quite a few variants of brain damage (tumors, cysts, infiltrates, etc.) from which one can start and establish the truth of these neurological disorders.

However, since we are talking about vestibular syndrome It is very important to determine which type of vestibular disorder your pet suffers from. And all this, clearly, is a prerequisite for a pet treatment program.

Treatment of vestibular disorder in cats

In general, vestibular disorders do not require treatment or require little or no treatment.
Symptomatic, usually. Usually, with this disease, in case of nausea in an animal, drugs such as diphenhydramine, miklezin, no-shpa, riabal, cerucal, etc. are recommended. They will help your pet cope with the consequences of "seasickness". If the basis of the disease is idiopathic, then the cure will take longer (several weeks).

The most important thing in vestibular disorder is the exclusion of dangerous situations when a cat or a cat can harm itself. It is advisable to visit a veterinarian at the initial stage of the disease. He can prescribe medications that will help the animal more comfortably endure the disease, and will give you competent advice.

If a small kitten staggers when walking and falls, then this always alarms the owner. The situation seems especially strange when there are no other health problems in the pet at the same time. The kitten has a good appetite, he is mobile and active, does not make a plaintive meow. But he is not able to walk normally, as a rule, from his very first steps. This may be a manifestation of cerebellar ataxia in cats. This pathology does not affect the general state of health. Poor coordination of movements is its only manifestation.

Why does a kitten walk badly

Cerebellar ataxia in cats is a congenital pathology. It manifests itself at an early age, when kittens begin to take their first independent steps.

Ataxia is a disorder of coordination of movements. This deviation may have various origins. In this case, the cause of the pathology is the underdevelopment of the cerebellum. This organ is responsible for the sense of the position of the body in space and the coherence of movements.

In sick kittens, cerebellar damage occurs even during fetal development due to various adverse effects on the mother's body during pregnancy. Various factors can contribute to the birth of a sick kitten. Most often, cerebellar ataxia in pups occurs if a pregnant cat has had panleukopenia (distemper). Parvovirus causes what leads to organ hypoplasia.

Ataxia in kittens usually develops if the mother became ill with distemper in the later stages. Infection with panleukopenia early in pregnancy usually results in fetal death. If the infection occurred closer to childbirth, then both dead kittens and cubs with cerebellar hypoplasia may be born.

Other harmful effects on the mother's body can also lead to congenital ataxia in a kitten:

bacterial infectious diseases;
poisoning with food or poisons;
helminthic invasion;
bad nutrition.

There is also a hereditary form of ataxia in cats. However, this pathology is rare.

Signs of pathology

The disease first manifests itself in childhood, when the kitten begins to move actively. The kid walks, staggering a lot (“drunk gait”), often falls and spreads his legs wide when moving. This is the leading symptom of pathology. In addition, the kitten's head trembles, especially when he tries to focus his attention on a toy or some other object.

Veterinarians distinguish several degrees of cerebellar ataxia in cats:

Light. The kitten has slight gait disturbances, periodically the baby falls. But in general, the animal moves without any problems.
Average. The movement of the pet is very difficult, there are frequent falls. But the animal is still able to walk.
Heavy. The animal cannot move at all.

At the same time, no other changes in the state of health are observed in pets. This disease is not accompanied by pain. Cats with ataxia eat normally and do not feel sick.

A kitten with ataxia is developing normally. Damage to the cerebellum does not affect the mental abilities of the pet. The disease also does not affect life expectancy. A cat with ataxia can live to a ripe old age.

This disease is not progressive. On the contrary, with age, the movements of the animal become more coordinated. If, over time, the cat's gait worsens, then most likely this is due to other pathologies, and not to cerebellar ataxia.

Features of the character of sick cats

Sometimes on the Web you can find ads about the placement of kittens with cerebellar ataxia into good hands. And many owners willingly accept such animals into their homes. Why do people seek to acquire a sick kitten?

Previously, such cubs were most often euthanized. After all, the treatment of cerebellar ataxia in cats has not yet been developed. However, these animals are increasingly finding loving owners these days.

Cats with ataxia are not aware of their illness. They do not experience any discomfort. These animals only need increased attention and care. With the help of the owner, sick cats can lead a normal life, especially with mild to moderate pathology.

Cats with congenital are distinguished by kindness and increased affection. They are strongly attached to their master, as they largely depend on human help. The popularity of these animals is due to their kind and friendly nature.

In the video below, two kittens with cerebellar ataxia can be seen playing. The disease does not prevent them from being mobile and active.

Diagnostics

An experienced veterinarian can detect the disease already when examining a kitten. A characteristic feature of this pathology is the onset of problems with coordination of movements at an early age.

However, ataxia may have other origins. This symptom can be observed with injuries, infections and tumors. Therefore, the veterinarian conducts a history taking and may ask the owner the following questions:

Have there been cases of falling or injury to the kitten?
Has the cat been poisoned?
What infections did the baby have?
Are there other health problems besides poor motor coordination?

An MRI examination will help to make an accurate diagnosis of the kitten. With the help of such a diagnosis, it is possible to establish underdevelopment of the cerebellum.

Treatment

How to treat ataxia in cats? If the pathology is associated with congenital underdevelopment of the cerebellum, then effective methods of therapy have not been developed at present. A sick kitten will never be able to move as confidently as healthy animals. However, for most owners it is very difficult to come to terms with this situation. How to help the baby?

Treatment of ataxia in cats at home can only be the development of movements through games. This will be a kind of exercise therapy for the pet.

How to play with a kitten

For the development of coordination of movements, it is useful to arrange games with "prey" in the form of a toy mouse or other object suspended on a fishing rod with a rope. It must be moved along the floor or slightly raised above the surface. No need to force the pet to reach for the toy, such a kitten does not hold well on its hind legs. Also, do not force the pet to jump, otherwise it may end in a fall.

But throwing movements work well for kittens with ataxia. An animal can ambush a toy. In this case, the kitten usually rolls over onto its back and grabs the prey with its paws. It is very useful to develop such movements in a cat.

We must not forget about games for the development of fine motor skills. These days, special puzzles for cats with balls and toys hidden inside, as well as mazes, are on sale. Such toys are very useful for animals with ataxia, as they help to develop the accuracy of small movements.

All educational games must be supervised by the owner. After all, cats with ataxia fall very often.

How to make your home pet safe

Since there is no effective treatment for cerebellar ataxia, it is very important to protect your pet as much as possible from injury during falls. After all, a violation of coordination will accompany the animal throughout its life. To prevent the kitten from getting hurt, you must follow the following rules:

It is very important that the floor is not slippery, otherwise the paws of the animal will be greatly dispersed. Wooden floor coverings should be smooth so that the pet does not get a splinter. The ideal surface is carpet. On it the cat will be comfortable to move around. You can also cover the floor with rugs.
It is necessary to remove from the floor all large extra objects that the cat can stumble upon when moving.
Many cats love to climb on bedspreads and curtains. Such vertical surfaces must be securely fastened. You need to pay attention to the length of the pet's claws. After all, with their help, the animal clings to the fabric. You can not cut the claws too short, otherwise the pet will not be able to hold on to them. At the same time, the claws should not be allowed to curl and get stuck in the fabric.
Feeding cats with ataxia should be supervised by the owner. An animal with a movement disorder often splashes water and scatters food. Therefore, bowls should be positioned so that the feeding area is easy to clean. After eating, you need to wipe the paws and muzzle of the animal.

It is important to remember that with ataxia, cats are categorically contraindicated in independent walks. Such animals can get hit by a car, they cannot protect themselves from aggressive relatives and run away from dogs. However, pets with ataxia usually love movement. They can be walked, but only on a harness.

How to prevent cerebellar ataxia in cats? It is necessary to protect a pregnant pet from any harmful effects. It is necessary to adhere to the following recommendations of experts on keeping a cat in an "interesting position":

You should not let your pet go for walks.
Coming home, the owner should immediately change their shoes and wash their hands thoroughly. Often people bring the distemper virus on the soles of their shoes.
It is necessary to exclude contact of a cat with infected animals.
Before mating, it is necessary to pass an analysis for parvovirus and deworm the animal.
A pregnant cat needs good nutrition.
It is necessary to monitor the quality of food and protect the animal from poisoning.

Following these rules will significantly reduce the risk of having a kitten with ataxia.

There are several reasons why you can directly encounter ataxia. Some can be prevented, the probability of others depends little on us, but you need to know about them at least in order to quickly respond if necessary:

genetic inheritance;
infectious diseases causing pathologies of the central nervous system and brain;
cerebral edema;
traumatic brain injury;
severe poisoning with toxins, household chemicals;
hunger or systematic malnutrition;
acute deficiency of B vitamins and folic acid.

The main cause of the manifestation of pathology is genetic heredity. Although in the case of acquired ataxia, it is more difficult to identify the most common cause:

consequences of previous ear diseases, in particular otitis media;
craniocerebral injuries that may affect in a few years;
the appearance of various neoplasms;
complication after some infectious diseases;
hypovitaminosis B12 and folic acid.

Types of ataxia

Ataxia is divided into several types, depending on the affected area:

Sensitive. Affects the ability of the cat to bend and unbend the joints. Chances of cure only with the earliest possible diagnosis;
Cerebellar. It can be static (loss of balance) or dynamic (impaired movement). It starts with small manifestations of awkwardness and maintaining balance. In the case of a genetic factor, it is incurable, with a traumatic cause, the chances of recovery are real;
Vestibular. It starts with the fact that all movements become slow and very careful. In later stages, the inclination of the body changes to the left or right side, the animal stops moving straight.

There are two main types of vestibular disorders in cats. They are divided into peripheral and central disorders. The central disorder occurs in the brain, while the peripheral disorder occurs in the inner ear. Usually, the central disorder has an organic cause, and when it is eliminated, this violation stops. The main symptoms of a disorder of the vestibular apparatus in cats:

falls;
loss of coordination;
tilting the head to one side;
movement in a circle, swaying;
tripping on flat surfaces;
constant and frequent movement of the eyes in different directions (nystagmus).

General symptoms

In addition to individual signs of the disease, characteristic of only one of its forms, there are several general symptoms by which ataxia can be determined:

The most obvious symptom of ataxia is impaired motor activity. This can manifest itself in one of the options described below, although most often they complement each other:

trembling and / or sharp angular movements. The whole body or separate parts (head, paws) can be involved. Usually manifested during the pet's attempt to concentrate on a task (eating, changing direction);
lack of control over the body. The cat can move straight quite well, but is incapable of any sudden change of direction (jump, turn, descent or ascent). In more severe cases, the pet is powerless to reproduce the sequence of the simplest movements, staggering and falling even while remaining in place;
poor orientation in space. The animal does not have the ability to correctly calculate the distance to objects, constantly bumping into them.

Diagnostics

It is not uncommon for a professional veterinarian to have ataxia obvious on initial examination. But in order to fully understand the situation, it is necessary to collect all the data of the anamnesis. Were there any injuries (even a few years ago), how and what the cat eats, what severe infections it suffered. If possible - how her mother's pregnancy proceeded. Obligatory examination of the ears with an otoscope.

An x-ray, ultrasound, or even an MRI will be needed to confirm the diagnosis and to identify or rule out tumors, hemorrhage, or cerebral edema. In some cases, if you suspect an infection of the brain or spinal cord, you need to do an analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid.

Perhaps he will help to find out the cause of the vestibular disorder. It is recommended to conduct a complete blood test, including biochemical and sugar content in it. It would be nice to have the results of a urine test (general and according to Nechiporenko) in order to determine the normal functioning of the liver and kidneys, in order to exclude the toxic nature of the disorder.

If it was not possible to diagnose the disease even after these tests, then a spinal puncture, MRI, and an x-ray of the skull may be required. If the results of these tests are negative, then the central vestibular disorder can be safely excluded from the list of possible causes of the disease, despite the similarity in the manifestation of symptoms.

However, since we are talking about vestibular syndrome, it is very important to determine what kind of vestibular disorder your pet suffers from. And all this, clearly, is a prerequisite for a pet treatment program.

Treatment of ataxia in cats

In the case of a genetic cause, only a lethal outcome is possible. Most often, veterinarians offer timely care, without waiting for the onset of complications (persistent headaches, seizures with loss of consciousness, spasms, inability to eat on their own).

If the cause is traumatic or tumorous, then the chances of a long life are more real and largely depend on early diagnosis. Most often, antispasmodic and sedative drugs, B vitamins are prescribed. Surgical intervention is possible.

It should be remembered that even in case of recovery, the cat will no longer be the same, since brain injuries never go unnoticed, and the owner needs to be prepared for the fact that the animal may be left with disabilities.

In general, vestibular disorders do not require treatment or require little or no treatment. Symptomatic, usually. Usually, with this disease, in case of nausea in an animal, drugs such as diphenhydramine, miklezin, no-shpa, riabal, cerucal, etc. are recommended. They will help your pet cope with the consequences of “seasickness”. If the basis of the disease is idiopathic, then the cure will take longer (several weeks).

The most important thing in vestibular disorder is the exclusion of dangerous situations when a cat or a cat can harm itself. It is advisable to visit a veterinarian at the initial stage of the disease. He can prescribe medications that will help the animal more comfortably endure the disease, and will give you competent advice.

Outpatient and home treatment

A consequence of damage to either the posterior columns of the spinal cord, or its roots, or peripheral nerves. Similarly - the pathology of the cortex of the parietal lobe and the thalamus.

Tumors and diseases of the intervertebral discs in cats also affect the development of sensitive ataxia.

The main problem is that the animal is not able to bend and unbend the limbs in the joints. Lost the ability to consciously determine the direction of movement.

There is pain in the neck and back, movements are also painful, and the cat tries to move as little as possible. With a severe form of damage, any movement is simply impossible.

If the brain is damaged in a small part, and the treatment was prescribed as quickly as possible at an early stage, there is a chance that the animal will return to a normal healthy life.

Prevention of ataxia

Despite the fatality of this disease, there are still too many conditions in your hands for a full and healthy life for your pet.

Vestibular syndrome is a pathology associated with the work of the inner ear and leading to impaired coordination of movements in a pet. Most often, a violation of coordination in cats occurs at a fairly respectable age, usually animals over 12 years old are affected by this pathology.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find out exactly the reason why there was a violation of the coordination of movement in cats, however, regardless of the provoking factors, the pathology is characterized by severe symptoms. So, most often the animal begins to throw its head back to the side, stagger when walking, fall, losing balance literally out of the blue. Such signs may be accompanied by rarer manifestations - sometimes the cat's eyes practically run from side to side, as if she cannot focus on one point or is following the rapid movement of someone invisible.

The vestibular apparatus consists of a huge number of nerve fibers stretching from the brain to the auditory canal, the task of this conducting bundle is the orientation of the body in relation to the plane of the earth. With dysfunction of the apparatus, a kind of “imbalance” occurs, as a result of which there is a violation of coordination during the movement of the animal.

Depending on the location of the damaged nerve fibers of the brain, the pathology is differentiated into 2 types: central and peripheral. Based on the type of pathology, the condition of the animal and the results of the diagnostic examination, treatment is prescribed, but more often the central vestibular syndrome can be treated, while the elimination of the peripheral one is considered difficult.

The diagnostic program includes a study of the history of the pet’s diseases, as well as a blood test for biochemical composition, but often these measures are not enough to accurately identify the cause, therefore, x-ray of the skull and MRI are prescribed.

By the way, in rare cases, insufficient functionality of the kidneys or liver can lead to impaired coordination, so it would be useful to take a sample of the animal's urine for analysis according to Nechiporenko. It should also be borne in mind that pathologies such as toxic poisoning, the development of a benign or malignant tumor have similar symptoms.

If the suspicion of vestibular syndrome is confirmed by diagnostics, symptomatic treatment is carried out using common pharmacological preparations. For example, Riabal, No-shpa or Cerucal will help to relieve attacks of nausea that develop as a result of "seasickness", with an idiopathic syndrome of the vestibular apparatus, treatment will take a decent amount of time and drugs will be selected depending on the cause, surgical intervention is not excluded.

The task of the owner is to ensure that the pet does not harm itself during this period due to the inability to control its body perfectly. Therefore, when visiting the clinic, you need to ask the veterinarian how to make the life of the cat at this time more comfortable and how to protect the animal from the danger of injury.

Often, the symptoms of vestibular syndrome disappear as suddenly as they appeared, after 1-2 weeks, however, in this case, a relapse of the pathology can occur at any time, so it is better to visit a veterinarian at the first sign of impaired coordination of movements.

Pathology is far from always treatable - in Burmese and Siamese cats, vestibular syndrome is one of the genetic disorders. Treatment of a genetic disease is impossible, so the animal suffers from impaired coordination all its life, or the symptoms disappear spontaneously.

If the cat moves strangely, and also periodically experiences the urge to vomit, you should not treat it yourself using dubious folk advice. In order not to risk the health of your beloved pet, you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic, where the animal will be provided with professional assistance as far as possible.