Discospondylitis is infection of an intervertebral disc and the adjacent vertebral endplates. It is far more common in dogs than in cats, so most teaching comes from dogs, but cats do get it and the NAVLE uses it as a cause of spinal pain with or without hind limb deficits.
Key facts
Discospondylitis at a glance- Species and system: cat, nervous and musculoskeletal; uncommon in cats.
- Cause: usually bacterial, spread through the blood; direct spread from a bite wound or an adjacent infection is also described.
- Classic presentation: a middle-aged to older cat with spinal pain, reluctance to jump and sometimes pelvic limb weakness, often without fever.
- Typical site: the lumbosacral junction (L7-S1) was affected in half of the imaged sites in one MRI series, but any disc can be involved.
- Treatment: months of antibiotics plus analgesia and exercise restriction; surgery is rarely needed.
- Zoonotic or reportable: no.
What's inside
11 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 3 self-test questions and 4 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.