Intervertebral disc disease in an eight-year old domestic short hair cat

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a rare finding in cats compared with dogs. However, when it does occur in cats, it seems to be similar to IVDD in dogs: it carries a good prognosis with treatment if appropriately diagnosed. This case report describes a disc extrusion at L6-7 in an eight-year-old domestic short hair cat. Similar neurological signs had been present in this cat seven years prior to the reported incident following a blunt lumbar trauma. However, the original episode was never definitely diagnosed, and evidence of a chronic disc protrusion was found during surgical decompression of the site. The rareness of IVDD in cats may contribute to its not being considered as a differential diagnosis for myelopathy in cats, and this treatable disease may go undiagnosed.