title: Acute spinal cord injury in the cat: causes, treatment and prognosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute spinal conditions are a common emergency presentation in general veterinary practice and have the potential to cause devastating spinal cord injury (SCI) and consequent severe neurological deficits. SCI can be divided into two subgroups: exogenous SCI (vertebral fracture and/or luxation/subluxation) and endogenous SCI (intervertebral disc extrusion and ischaemic myelopathy).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The majority of cats with SCI have concurrent injuries. The clinician must perform a thorough physical examination and prioritise and then stabilise the life-threatening problems before focusing on the neurological examination. The possibility of multiple sites of SCI and spinal shock can make interpretation of the neurological examination challenging. While plain radiographs or myelography are usually diagnostic, they do not give direct information about the integrity of the spinal cord parenchyma or the severity of any damage. If facilities or experienced staff capable of performing the necessary surgery are not available, or advanced imaging is indicated, referral to a specialist veterinary institution should be considered.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This review is aimed at clinicians dealing with feline SCI in the emergency setting or at first-opinion level, and discusses causes, initial management, specific treatment and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  While any cat may potentially be affected by SCI, there is a tendency for exogenous SCI to be more common in younger individuals and, in the authors' experience, pure-breed cats are very rarely presented. Endogenous SCI can be seen in any breed and is typically a condition of adult cats.
authors: Dick White Referrals, Six Mile Bottom, Cambridgeshire CB8 0UH, UK.
authors: Salih
authors: S
authors: Eminaga
authors: Viktor
authors: V
authors: Palus
authors: Giunio Bruto
authors: GB
authors: Cherubini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000293:injuries*; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000662:veterinary; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D009192:Myelography / Q000662:veterinary; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000662:veterinary; D059408:Pain Management / Q000662:veterinary; D011379:Prognosis; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary