| Bluebird - a 9 year old British
shorthair cat - was recently able to benefit from having an
MRI scan. She had become weak on her back legs and had struggling
to walk for several weeks.
A spinal cord tumour was suspected and anti-inflammatories
were prescribed to try to improve her quality of life. However,
without more sophisticated technology, we could not be completely
sure whether we had the correct diagnosis. Conventional
2 dimensional x-rays suggested that perhaps Bluebird might
have a slipped disc in her back, and if this was the case,
an operation may be possible to remove the slipped disc
material from where it was pressing on her spinal cord.
Whilst MRI scans are now an excellent method for diagnosing
problems such as this, they are very expensive machines,
and are only located at a few specialist centres in the
UK. Thus, Bluebird had to travel to the Animal Health Trust
at Newmarket for her scan.
Her MRI scan revealed that she actually had 3 slipped discs
in her back, one of which had compressed her spinal cord
so that it was only 25% of its normal diameter! Specialist
veterinary neurosurgeons performed a major operation to
remove the area of compression on the spinal cord.
Bluebird went on to make what her owners described as a
"miraculous" recovery. Although she will need
rest and physio to get back to full fitness, Bluebird is
already thanking her lucky stars that she is a 21st century
cat - 20 years ago her condition would probably not have
been diagnosed, and she would have been permanently crippled
by the condition. It has taken thousands of pounds worth
of treatment to "fix" her, but she doesn't regret
a penny!
Geraldine
Young BVSc CertSAM MRCVS
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