ABSTRACT
In April 1996, an outbreak of toxic polyneuropathy in cats occurred in the Netherlands. All cats had been fed one of two brands of dry cat food from one manufacturer. Chemical analyses of these foods, stomach contents, and liver and kidney of affected cats revealed contamination with the ionophor salinomycin. Epidemiologic and clinical data were collected from 823 cats, or about 1% of the cats at risk. In 21 affected cats, postmortem examination was performed. The affected cats had acute onset of lameness and paralysis of the hindlimbs followed by the forelimbs. Clinical and pathologic examination indicated a distal polyneuropathy involving both the sensory and motor nerves.
Subject(s)
Animal Feed/toxicity , Cat Diseases/chemically induced , Coccidiostats/poisoning , Disease Outbreaks/veterinary , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/veterinary , Pyrans/poisoning , Animals , Cat Diseases/epidemiology , Cat Diseases/pathology , Cats , Female , Food Contamination , Forelimb , Hindlimb , Ionophores/poisoning , Lameness, Animal/etiology , Male , Netherlands/epidemiology , Peripheral Nerves/pathology , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/chemically induced , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/epidemiology , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/pathologyABSTRACT
In June 1996 companion animal practitioners received a report prepared by the Faculty Investigative Team on the outbreak of polyneuropathy among cats, and at the end of August a 'definitive' bulletin was circulated by Spillers Petfoods. The coccidiostatic drug salinomycin, which was present in the vitamin premix supplied by a third party, was considered the cause of the neuropathy. The investigative team is of the opinion that all veterinary practitioners in the Netherlands should receive a conclusive report about the epidemic because of the unique nature of the epidemic, which despite its sudden outbreak could be well documented, and because aspects of the affair merit the attention of veterinary practitioners.
