Neurological disease

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There are a broad range of diseases in cats which are capable of causing neurological signs.

Complete neurological testing is mandatory prior to further diagnostic workup[1].

The list below are diseases affecting the nervous system of cats.


Epilepsy Borna virus disease
Glycogen storage diseases Idiopathic vestibular syndrome Spongiform encephalopathy
Brain tumours Head trauma Ischaemic neuromyopathy
Cerebellar hypoplasia Hepatic encephalopathy Muscular dystrophy
Chronic fatigue syndrome Hereditary myopathy in Devon Rex Myasthenia gravis
Cognitive disorders (catzhemiers) Hyperchylomicronaemia Niemann-Pick disease in Siamese cats
Diabetic neuropathy Wobbly kitten syndrome
Dysautonomia Hyperesthesia syndrome Obsessive compulsive disorders
Ear tumours Hypernatremic neuropathy Non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis
Epilepsy Hyperoxaluria
Episodic weakness Hypertensive encephalopathy Neuropathy in Birman cats
Gangliosidosis Hyperthyroidism Polyradiculoneuritis
Globoid cell leukodystrophy Hypokalemic polymyopathy Potassium depletion nephropathy

Table 1. Causes of neurologic disorders in the cat[2]


spina bifida spinal lymphoma meningioma
hypervitaminosis A Thiamine (B1) deficiency FeLV-associated CNS lymphosarcoma
Cryptococcus CNS thromboembolism FIP (2ry non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis in 30% of infected cats)
Feline polioencephalomyelitis (viral aetiology, possibly neurotropic virus Borna disease virus - 'staggering disease in cats') Aortic thromboembolism
fibrocartilaginous embolism spinal cord trauma/fractures/luxations cerebellar diseases - hereditary cerebellar hypoplasia, inherited spongiform encephalopathy in Egyptian mau cats
Neuraxonal dystrophy in tricoloured DSH cats Sphingomyelinosis in Siamese and Balinese cats miscellaneous storage and genetic diseases, hydrocephalus
Feline Panleucopenia

  1. de Lahunta, A. & Glass, E. (2008) Veterinary Neuroanatomy and Clinical Neurology, Elsevier, USA
  2. Johnson RH, Margolis G, Kilham L (1967) Identity of feline ataxia virus with feline panleucopenia virus. Nature 8;214(5084):175-7
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