Degenerative Myelopathy in a Cat

Abstract

Degenerative myelopathy was diagnosed in a 6-year-old cat that had progressive ataxia, posterior paresis, and loss of conscious proprioception over a period of 8 months. Corticosteroid therapy did not alleviate clinical signs, and the cat was euthanatized. Microscopic examination of the spinal cord revealed diffuse degeneration of myelin attended by marked astrocytosis. The degenerative changes were most marked in the thoracolumbar segment. The cause of the degenerative lesions was not apparent.