Cats and dogs are considered among the many mammals on earth. Like all animals, they too suffer from many issues, including neurological conditions. 

Like humans, their nervous systems comprise a spinal cord, brain, muscles, neurons, etc. The effect on the nervous system in these animals can lead to either a complete jumpy system or just a part. 

The experienced veterinary neurologist working for Brightcare Veterinary Group offers complete diagnoses for any neurological issues your cat or dog faces. 

This Orange County-based veterinary care facility is famous for conducting complete imaging and brain cell biopsies to understand all kinds of neuro-based problems in animals. You can check their website to understand more about their working mechanism. 

Both cats and dogs suffer from various neurological issues of many types such as:  

  • Cancerous causes 
  • Degenerative causes 
  • Trauma 
  • Issues with the blood flow to brain cells 
  • Congenital abnormalities and malformation 
  • Infection 
  • Inflammation 
  • Nutritional issues 

Not all neurological conditions affect the brain cells directly. Some diseases that can directly impact the brain working mechanism in cats and dogs are: 

  • Epilepsy 
  • Tumors 
  • Degeneration 
  • Meningitis 
  • Strokes 
  • Brain infections 

Before going further, you should understand that any mammal’s nervous system is the control system. 

This nervous system handles many functions, such as metabolic activities, breathing, thinking capacity, etc. The working mechanism of the nervous system is different in cats and dogs. 

Symptoms of Neurological Issues

Here are some symptoms that indicate your pet needs immediate attention from a veterinarian neurologist. 

  • Issues with coordination known as ataxia 
  • Disorientation 
  • Feet knuckling 
  • Seizures 
  • Rapid and unusual eye movements known as nystagmus 
  • Walking difficulty 
  • Weakness or pain in the back 
  • Tremors, trembling, or twitching in muscles 
  • Circling or tilting of the head 
  • Inappropriate mental activity 

If you notice these symptoms in your dog or cat, immediately get them to a vet. 

Studies have proven that some breeds of dogs are more prone to neurological disorders. Sometimes, the issues can also be pinned to some significant causes such as toxins, trauma, and cancer.

Diagnosis of the Neurological Disorders 

When you take your cat or dog to the vet, they will first ask you some questions to learn about the history of the problem. 

You must tell them everything that you have noticed so far in your pet, including the actual day when they started showing symptoms. This can help the veterinarian diagnose the problem. 

It would help if you prepared answers for some questions such as: 

  • The appearance of the first seizure episode. 
  • The time duration of each seizure 
  • The number of seizures that your pet has had so far 

The veterinarian will suggest you get CT or MRI images of the brain along with some other tests to pinpoint the actual cause of these issues. 

Based on the results, they will then decide whether surgery is required. Many centers offer complete imaging of both CT and MRI of your pet, and you can take your cat and dog to these centers. 

The veterinarian neurologist will suggest possible outcomes of treatments and surgery if required. Not all neurological disorders can compromise the life duration of dogs or cats. With proper medications, some issues can be cured entirely.