Symptoms of Leg Nerve Damage in Dogs and Cats
Some nerve damage symptoms to look out for are:
All of these can be signs of other types of injuries — broken bones, wounds, and muscle damage — or they might be in conjunction with these injuries if your pets suffered something like a road traffic accident or a fall.
You might notice your pet walking awkwardly or differently from how they usually do. Its because theyre trying to compensate by putting more weight on the healthy limbs.
Abnormal gait and lameness is incredibly common. Nerve damage is just one of dozens of possible causes.
If the damaged nerve has caused loss of sensation, you might notice your cat or dog positioning their limbs and paws at unusual angles when at rest or making unusual limb movements. For example, they might have their legs crossed or paws turned under.
Visit your vet as soon as you see any problem with your cat or dogs limbs. Theyll be able to work on a full diagnosis to find out if its nerve damage or something else.
Veterinary surgeon Dr. Neerja Muncaster points out that while you as the owner will notice your pets behavior and will have the best knowledge of any injury theyve suffered, only your vet who will be able to determine that nerves are involved.
There are three main causes of nerve damage in dogs and cats:
Dr. Muncaster says that vets often see leg nerve damage as a result of a traumatic incidents such as road traffic accidents. Its rarer and also much harder to diagnose when theres spinal disease or a mass is disrupting a nerve.
Diagnosing Nerve Damage in Dogs or Cats
It can take some time to reach a diagnosis. Your vet will usually have to do this by ruling out other causes for the symptoms and testing nerve reflexes.
To rule out other causes and to find any other conditions that might have caused the nerve damage your vet may try:
Your vet may also prescribe a painkiller to see how your pet responds.
If your vets diagnostic work leads them to suspect nerve damage, they may refer you to a specialist for an MRI scan to confirm the diagnosis and help pinpoint the exact area.
MRI scans arent a routine screening procedure. The cost is high — often more than $2,000 — and its usually only recommended when the other diagnostics mentioned have failed.
Your dog or cat needs to be anesthetized for an MRI scan, and the cost is likely to vary depending on their size. A large dog will cost more than a cat.
What are common symptoms of neurological disorders?
With brain disorders, Alleyne says, symptoms can include:
With the spinal cord, symptoms include:
With nerves affecting the face, symptoms include:
Dog spinal cord nerve damage. Dr. Dan explains.
Paralysis, tremors or seizures are a few symptoms that something is amiss in a dog’s nervous system — the network of cells that carry signals to and from the brain and the body.
To give your dog the best chance at recovery from a neurological disorder, it’s important for you to recognize signs. Your best ally during this frightening time is knowledge and, of course, professionals like veterinary neurologists, specialists who have been trained to identify signs and provide care when the nervous system is involved.
To help you stay informed, we asked experts to share important information about the more common types of neurological disorders seen in dogs, symptoms, how they are diagnosed and potential treatments.