Ragdoll cat

　　【Causes】Vertebral fractures, dislocations, and other injuries caused by traffic accidents, high falls, or being kicked can lead to displacement or narrowing of the spinal canal. Depending on the degree of spinal canal displacement, spinal compression, bleeding, or even rupture may occur. Pure spinal cord injury without spinal canal displacement or stenosis can also happen. The injuries mostly occur in the vertebrae between the 12th thoracic vertebra and the sacrum.

　　【Symptoms】

　　1. Spinal shock: It is common to immediately develop spinal shock after injury, manifested by transient loss of motor function, sensory function, and spinal reflexes. This spinal shock generally recovers after several hours.

　　2. Symptoms vary according to the location of spinal cord injury, generally including loss of voluntary movement from the injury site to the tail, reduced or lost sensation (proprioception and pain perception), increased spinal reflexes, and urinary and fecal incontinence.

　　【Diagnosis】

　　1. X-ray examination: Observing lateral and dorsoventral views of the spine reveals abnormal curvatures. Examination of vertebral structures will show dislocations, fractures, and other imaging abnormalities.

　　2. Neurological examination: Conducted further on the basis of X-ray findings, this is especially useful for spinal cord injuries without vertebral abnormalities. Both motor and sensory functions are controlled by the brain, but when conduction is impaired, these functions are lost to varying degrees. Meanwhile, spinal reflexes are intrinsic functions; when injured, if the upper motor neurons are damaged, reflexes are increased, whereas damage to lower motor neurons results in decreased or absent reflexes. (Source：PetsZone)