Immune-mediated polyneuropathy in cats: Clinical description, electrodiagnostic assessment, and treatment.

BACKGROUND: Suspected immune-mediated polyneuropathy has been increasingly reported in cats, especially in the last decade, but the condition remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: Refine the clinical description and review the classification of this condition based on electrodiagnostic investigation and evaluate the benefit of corticosteroid treatment and L-carnitine supplementation. ANIMALS: Fifty-five cats presented with signs of muscular weakness and electrodiagnostic findings consistent with polyneuropathy of unknown origin. METHODS: Retrospective, multicenter study. Data from the medical records were reviewed. The owners were contacted by phone for follow-up at the time of the study. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 2.2. The median age of onset was 10 months, with 91% of affected cats being <3 years of age. Fourteen breeds were represented in the study. The electrodiagnostic findings supported purely motor axonal polyneuropathy. Histological findings from nerve biopsies were consistent with immune-mediated neuropathy in 87% of the tested cats. The overall prognosis for recovery was good to excellent, as all but 1 cat achieved clinical recovery, with 12% having mild sequelae and 28% having multiple episodes during their lifetime. The outcome was similar in cats with no treatment when compared with cats receiving corticosteroids or L-carnitine supplementation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Immune-mediated motor axonal polyneuropathy should be considered in young cats with muscle weakness. This condition may be similar to acute motor axonal neuropathy in Guillain-Barré syndrome patients. Based on our results, diagnostic criteria have been proposed.

Epidemiology and clinical presentation of canine cataracts in France: a retrospective study of 404 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiology and the clinical presentation of cataracts in a population of dogs in France. PROCEDURES: Records of dogs affected by a cataract presented at the Ophthalmology Unit of Alfort Veterinary School during 2009-2012 were reviewed. The etiology was determined for each dog. The signalment of affected dogs, their medical history, age of onset, stage of progression, location of opacities, and ocular lesions associated were evaluated for each etiology. RESULTS: A total of 2739 dogs were presented at the Ophthalmology Unit from 2009 to 2012. Four hundred and four dogs (14.7%) (716 eyes) were diagnosed with a cataract. The population included 218 males (54%) and 185 females (46%). The gender was not recorded for one dog. The mean age (±SD) of all dogs affected by a cataract was 9 years (±3.9 years). Fifty-four breeds were represented. The Yorkshire Terrier was the only breed significantly overrepresented. The causes of cataracts observed were breed predisposition (28%), aging (22.8%), progressive retinal atrophy (12.4%), congenital cataract (5%), diabetes mellitus (4.7%), trauma (3.7%), uveitis (3%), and hypocalcemia (0.2%). In 20.3% of the cases, the etiology could not be determined. Ocular lesions associated with cataracts reported were lens luxation or subluxation (11.1%), glaucoma (3.7%), and retinal detachment (4.2%). CONCLUSIONS: In a French population of referred dogs, 14.7% were affected by a cataract. The main causes identified were breed predisposition, aging, and progressive retinal atrophy. A breed predisposition for the Yorkshire Terrier was recorded.