posted by Tess on Apr 26
Ataxia is the inability to coordinate voluntary muscle movements. It can cause unsteady movements and a staggering gait. Ataxia in cats makes them move in circles and behave abnormally and this behavior is often very frightening for cat owners. Ataxia is usually caused by one of the following reasons.
* A nervous system disorders
* General weakness and anemia
* Deformities of bones, joints or spine
* Inadequate diet
* Muscular atrophy
The different types of ataxia occur due to the impairment of different nerves in the nervous system.
* Vestibular ataxia - a condition where the nerves related to the inner ear are impaired causing issues with maintaining equilibrium.
* Sensor ataxia - caused due to impairment of the nerves related to the limbs. This kind of ataxia causes unsteady gait.
* Cerebellar ataxia - caused due to disorders in the cerebellum. It can also cause explosive speech and nystagmus.
* Friedreich’s ataxia – is a sclerosis of the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord and occurs mainly in children.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
