Content
- What is cerebellar hypoplasia?
- Causes of cerebellar hypoplasia in cats
- Symptoms of Cerebellar Hypoplasia in Cats
- Diagnosis of cerebellar hypoplasia in cats
- clinical diagnosis
- laboratory diagnosis
- Diagnostic imaging
- Treatment of cerebellar hypoplasia in cats
Cerebellar hypoplasia in cats is most often due to a intrauterine infection caused by the feline panleukopenia virus during pregnancy of a female cat, which passes this virus to the cerebellum of kittens, which will cause failure in the growth and development of the organ.
Other causes also produce cerebellar symptoms, however, cerebellar hypoplasia due to the panleukopenia virus is the one that produces the clearest and most specific cerebellar clinical symptoms, such as hypermetry, ataxia or tremors. These kittens can have a cat-like life expectancy and quality of life without the hypoplastic process, although this condition can sometimes be very severe and limiting.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we talk about cerebellar hypoplasia in cats - symptoms and treatment. Read on to learn more about this disease that can show up in small cats.
What is cerebellar hypoplasia?
It is called cerebellar hypoplasia or neurodevelopmental disorder of the cerebellum, organ of the central nervous system responsible for coordinating movements, harmonizing muscle contraction and curbing the amplitude and intensity of a movement. This disease is characterized by decreased size of the cerebellum with disorganization of the cortex and deficiency of granular and Purkinje neurons.
Due to the function of the cerebellum, cerebellar hypoplasia in cats causes failures in this brake and coordination function, causing the feline to show an inability to regulate the range, coordination and strength of a movement, which is known as dysmetry.
In cats, it can happen that kittens are born with cerebellum of reduced size and development, which causes them to manifest evident clinical signs from the first week of life and which become more and more evident to their caregivers as they grow up.
Causes of cerebellar hypoplasia in cats
Cerebellar damage can be due to congenital causes or acquired after birth at any time in the cat's life, so the causes that can lead to signs of cerebellar involvement can be:
- congenital causes: Cerebellar hypoplasia caused by the feline panleukopenia virus is the most common, being the only one on the list that presents pure cerebellar symptoms. Other genetic causes include congenital hypomyelinogenesis-demyelinogenesis, although it can also be caused by a virus or be idiopathic, with no apparent origin, and cause tremors throughout the cat's body. Cerebellar abiotrophy is also one of the causes, being very rare, and it can also be caused by the feline panleukopenia virus, leukodystrophies and lipodystrophies or gangliosidosis.
- Acquired causes: inflammations such as granulomatous encephalitis (toxoplasmosis and cryptococcosis), feline infectious peritonitis, parasites such as Cuterebra and feline rabies. It can also be due to diffuse degeneration caused by plant or fungal toxins, organophosphates or heavy metals. Other causes would be trauma, neoplasms and vascular changes, such as heart attacks or hemorrhages.
However, the most common cause of cerebellar hypoplasia in kittens is contact with the feline panleukopenia virus (feline parvovirus), either from infection of the cat during pregnancy or when a pregnant cat is vaccinated with a live modified feline panleukopenia virus vaccine. In both forms, the virus reaches kittens intrauterine and causes damage to the cerebellum.
Virus damage to the cerebellum is mainly directed towards the outer germ layer that organ, the one that will give rise to the definitive layers of the fully developed cerebellar cortex. Therefore, by destroying these forming cells, the growth and development of the cerebellum is extremely compromised.
Symptoms of Cerebellar Hypoplasia in Cats
Clinical signs of a cerebellar hypoplasia become evident when the kitten starts to walk, and are as follows:
- Hypermetria (walking with your legs apart with wide and sudden movements).
- Ataxia (incoordination of movements).
- Tremors, especially of the head, which get worse when they start eating.
- They jump exaggeratedly, with little precision.
- Tremors at the beginning of the movement (of intention) that disappear at rest.
- First delayed and then exaggerated posture assessment response.
- Trunk swing when walking.
- Clumsy, sudden and sudden movements of the extremities.
- Fine eye movements, oscillating or pendular.
- When resting, the cat stretches all four legs.
- Deficiency in response to the bilateral threat may arise.
Some cases are very mild, while in others the dysfunction is so severe that cats have difficulty eating and walking.
Diagnosis of cerebellar hypoplasia in cats
The definitive diagnosis of feline cerebellar hypoplasia is made by laboratory or imaging tests, but usually the very symptoms of cerebellar disorder manifested in a kitten a few weeks old are usually sufficient to make the diagnosis of this disease.
clinical diagnosis
In front of a kitten with uncoordinated walk, exaggerated floors, broad-based posture with outstretched legs, or tremors that are exaggerated when approaching the food plate and cease when the cat rests, the first thing to think about is a cerebellar hypoplasia due to the feline panleukopenia virus.
laboratory diagnosis
The laboratory diagnosis will always confirm the disease through histopathological examination after the cerebellum sample collection and detection of hypoplasia.
Diagnostic imaging
Imaging tests are the best diagnostic method for cerebellar hypoplasia in cats. More specifically, it uses magnetic resonance or CT scan to show cerebellar changes indicative of this process.
Treatment of cerebellar hypoplasia in cats
Cerebellar hypoplasia in cats there is no cure or treatment, but it is not a progressive disease, which means that the kitten will not get worse as it grows, and although it can never move like a normal cat, it can have the quality of life that a cat without cerebellar hypoplasia has. Therefore, it should not be an impediment to adopting, much less a reason for euthanasia if the cat is doing well despite its lack of coordination and tremors.
You can experiment with the neurological rehabilitation using proprioception and balance exercises or active kinesiotherapy. The cat will learn to live with its condition, compensating for its limitations and avoiding difficult jumps, too high or that require absolute coordination of movements.
THE Life expectancy a cat with hypoplasia may be exactly the same as a cat without hypoplasia. It is always lower when it comes to stray cats, in which this disease tends to be more frequent, as stray cats have a greater chance of contracting the virus when pregnant and, in general, all cats have a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies, poisonings and other infections that can also cause disturbances in the cerebellum.
A stray cat with cerebellar hypoplasia faces much more difficulties, because no one can help you with your moves or your ability to jump, climb and even hunt.
THE vaccination of cats it's very important. If we vaccinate the cats against panleukopenia, this disease can be prevented in their offspring, as well as the systemic disease of panleukopenia in all individuals.
Now that you know all about cerebellar hypoplasia in cats, you might be interested in knowing about the 10 most common diseases in cats. Check out the following video:
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
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