Vet delight at cat’s recovery from major spinal op

A vet has described seeing a cat walk again following precision spinal realignment surgery intended to save her from paralysis as “incredibly rewarding”.

Bristol Vet Specialists’ (BVS) neurology team performed the operation, which lasted more than three hours, on one-year-old domestic shorthair Luna.

She was referred to the practice after being found collapsed by the side of the road and taken to a vet for emergency treatment.

Systemic shock

The cat was given fluids and pain relief to treat its systemic shock, but was unable to walk and displayed “concerning” neurological deficits.

Luna was said to have just partial movement in her front legs and “significant weakness” in her hind legs when admitted to BVS, where facial paralysis on her right side – Horner’s syndrome – and bite wounds around her neck were detected.

A CT scan also revealed a “severe” spinal dislocation between Luna’s sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, which caused her paralysis and compression of the spinal cord, as well as swelling on the right side of her head.

Stability

Clinicians realigned and secured the dislocated vertebrae using a combination of screws and polymethyl methacrylate bone cement during the surgery, which sought to alleviate the compression on Luna’s spinal cord and restored stability to her cervical spine.

The cat is said to have made “remarkable” progress in regaining her mobility following the procedure – walking independently and showing improvement with her facial paralysis within two weeks, and able to run and jump after several months.

Neurology specialist George Nye said: “The severity of Luna’s spinal injury and the associated neurological damage in this case required meticulous planning and precision during the procedure.

“Watching her regain her ability to walk and seeing her back with her family is incredibly rewarding and highlights the astonishing resilience of these animals.”