Spinal Cord Disease in Cats: Welfare Assessment

Key Welfare Considerations

• Spinal cord welfare conditions in cats include disc disease, myelopathy, trauma, tumours, and infections.
• Feline ischaemic myelopathy from fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) causes sudden welfare neurological deficit.
• FCE welfare typically affects one limb or side — asymmetric deficits without pain characterise the welfare presentation.
• Prognosis for FCE welfare is generally good — physiotherapy and supportive care enable recovery.
• Intervertebral disc disease in cats is less common than dogs — Manx cats have genetic spinal welfare predisposition.
• Spinal lymphoma in cats causes progressive welfare hindlimb paresis requiring oncological welfare management.
• Toxoplasma gondii encephalomyelitis causes welfare neurological signs in immunocompromised cats.
• Feline infectious peritonitis can cause welfare spinal cord granulomas — GS-441524 treatment may help.
• Degenerative myelopathy causes progressive welfare hindlimb weakness in older cats.
• Spinal trauma from road traffic accidents requires welfare stabilisation and careful neurological welfare assessment.
• Bladder welfare management in paraplegic cats requires manual expression 3-4 times daily.
• Pressure sore prevention through regular welfare position changes and padded bedding is critical.
• Physiotherapy for spinal welfare cats includes passive range of motion and supported walking exercises.
• Wheeled carts for paraplegic cats provide welfare mobility and quality of life maintenance.
• Quality of life welfare assessment tools are essential for making welfare decisions in chronic spinal cord disease.