Leger Dezirae, Messiaen Yasmine, Linn Kathleen
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4.
Can Vet J. 2025 May;66(5):510-513.
A 6-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat was referred because of a 5-day history of walking with a crouched hindlimb stance. Before referral, the cat had been recovering from perineal urethrostomy surgery, preceded by 6 wk of recurrent urinary tract infections, with 3 urinary blockages during that interval. The cat was being managed on nitrofurantoin (4 mg/kg, q8h), prescribed by the referring veterinarian and administered for only 1 d before the perineal urethrostomy surgery. Two days after the nitrofurantoin was restarted, the cat began displaying the crouched hindlimb stance. At the time of presentation for the crouched hindlimb stance, the cat had been administered nitrofurantoin (4 mg/kg, q8h) for a total of 6 d (1 d before the surgery and 5 d at home in between the 2 veterinary visits; however, the medication was not administered in hospital during either visit). Ambulatory paraparesis with no ataxia, decreased patellar reflexes, and decreased medial (digit 2) withdrawal reflexes were present in both hind limbs, consistent with a peripheral polyneuropathy affecting the femoral nerves. Computed tomographic imaging of the thoracic and lumbar spine showed no abnormalities compatible with the clinical signs. A presumptive diagnosis of peripheral polyneuropathy secondary to nitrofurantoin administration was made. Key clinical message: Although peripheral polyneuropathy is a reported side effect of nitrofurantoin, there are only isolated reports of its occurrence in humans and, to the authors' knowledge, no reported cases in companion animals. This case report focuses on the minimally reported neurologic side effects associated with nitrofurantoin administration in companion animals.
一只6岁去势的雄性家养短毛猫因后肢蹲伏姿势行走5天的病史而被转诊。在转诊前，这只猫正从会阴尿道造口术手术中恢复，在此之前有6周的复发性尿路感染病史，在此期间发生了3次尿路梗阻。这只猫正在服用呋喃妥因（4毫克/千克，每8小时一次），由转诊兽医开出处方，仅在会阴尿道造口术手术前服用了1天。呋喃妥因重新开始服用两天后，这只猫开始表现出后肢蹲伏姿势。在因后肢蹲伏姿势就诊时，这只猫总共服用呋喃妥因（4毫克/千克，每8小时一次）6天（手术前1天，两次兽医就诊期间在家服用5天；然而，两次就诊期间均未在医院给药）。双后肢均出现无共济失调的动态轻瘫、髌反射减弱和内侧（第2趾）退缩反射减弱，符合影响股神经的周围性多发性神经病。胸腰椎计算机断层扫描成像未显示与临床症状相符的异常。做出了呋喃妥因给药继发周围性多发性神经病的初步诊断。关键临床信息：尽管周围性多发性神经病是呋喃妥因报道的副作用，但在人类中仅有个别病例报道，据作者所知，在伴侣动物中尚无报道病例。本病例报告重点关注与伴侣动物服用呋喃妥因相关的极少报道的神经副作用。
