Ataxia in Cats (with Video) - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Ataxia in Cats (with Video) - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

What is ataxia?

Ataxia is defined as a loss of muscle coordination (incoordination/unsteady gait) . There are three types of ataxia, cerebellar, vestibular and sensory.

• Cerebellar - The cerebellum is a part of the brain responsible for movement.

• Vestibular - The vestibular system is the sensory system responsible for balance. It is located within the inner ear.

• Sensory - This type of ataxia relates to a loss of proprioception, the sense of position and movement of the body.

There are a number of causes of ataxia in cats, some of which include:

• Poisoning - Snail bait, lily, pyrethrin etc.

• Tick paralysis.

• Spinal trauma - Most often caused by a motor vehicle accident or a high fall.

• Nutritional - Thiamine (B1) deficiency.

• Catnip high.

• Head injury.

• Tumour.

• Infection - Feline panleukopenia.

• Hydrocephalus - Water on the brain.

• Cerebral hypoplasia - Damage to the cerebellum prior to birth can cause ataxia. Kittens can be affected if they're exposed to the panleukopenia virus in utero. Other causes include pre-natal exposure to toxins and malnourishment of the mother during pregnancy.

• Lysosomal storage disease - An inherited condition in which the body lacks the necessary enzymes to eliminate unwanted substances from the body.

What are the symptoms of ataxia in cats?

You may notice your cat walking with an unsteady gait as if he is drunk. The head may be tilted to one side and the eye movements may be affected.

Other symptoms may vary depending on the underlying cause of ataxia. For example a cat high on catnip might also drool and roll on the floor.

How is ataxia diagnosed?

Your veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination of your cat and obtain a medical history from you. He may ask some questions about your cat, has he had access to any poisons, is he on any medications, how long has the ataxia been present, what are you feeding your cat, has he been in any recent accidents?

Other symptoms your cat may display can also give an indication to the possible cause. For example if he has apparent head injuries or signs of trauma.

Bloodwork will be necessary to check kidney and liver function.

Head radiographs or ultrasound to look for possible tumours, water on the brain.

How is ataxia treated?

Treatment depends on the cause of ataxia and may include:

Poisoning - Different methods are used to treat poisoning depending on the cause but may involve activated charcoal to absorb some of the poison, stopping medication if that is the cause, inducing vomiting.

Catnip high - This is only temporary and your cat will quickly recover. Catnip doesn't cause any harm to your cat and is fine to eat (and enjoy).

Head injury - Your veterinarian will assess the extend of the injury. Cleaning up the wound may be all that is necessary, more severe injuries may require surgery. If the brain has been damaged, this may or may not recover.

Thiamine deficiency - Feeding your cat a balanced diet, in severe cases thiamine injections may be necessary.

Cerebral hypoplasia - There is no cure for this condition, however most kittens born with this condition can live a full and happy (albeit wobbly) life.

Spinal trauma - Treatment and outcome depend on the severity of the injury.

Lysosomal storage disease - There is no treatment for this disease and the prognosis is poor. In some cases it can be temporarily managed with diet but ultimately it is fatal.

Hydrocephalus - Drugs to control symptoms, corticosteroids to reduce inflammation but unfortunately in severe cases, euthanasia is the only option.

Tumour - Surgery and radiation to treat brain tumours.

See a cat with ataxia below