Feline dysautonomia in the Midwestern United States: A retrospective study of nine cases

Abstract

Dysautonomia of domestic animals is pathologically characterized by chromatolytic degeneration of the neurons in the autonomic nervous ganglia that results in clinical signs related to dysfunction or failure of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The exact cause is unknown. It has a poor prognosis among all species reported and no definitive treatment is available currently. To date, most reported feline cases have occurred in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. The cases reported here highlight the clinical signs, physical examination findings, and results of autonomic nervous system function testing in nine cats with dysautonomia in the US. Feline dysautonomia is uncommon in the US, but may have a regional prevalence, as is seen in dogs with most cases reported in Missouri and Kansas.