I thought of degenerative myelopathy when I watched the video. I'm not a veterinarian but I did have a boxer who had DM. But the panther in the video is not dragging his or her hind feet. And I think of DM as something an older dog gets, and this panther appears to be younger to my untrained eye.
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Coonhound paralysis . I've heard of it in dogs who ingest raccoon feces. Is it possible?
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I wonder if it is related to the mystery paralysis in kids for the past several years.
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Having watched my dog suffer from this debilitating condition, I recognized it immediately as being Degenerative Myelopathy. A neurological condition seen mostly in canines and rarely in felines, Degenerative Myelopathy is a progressive disease recognized in its human form as Lou Gehrig’s Disease or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) . Recent studies have shown that the disease has two types; one of maternal or genetic nature and the other being acquired. The cause for those who acquire the disease, has been established as being cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms CHAB.
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Could this be some sort of spongiform neuropathy like scrapie? Don't the cougars eat deer?
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Somewhere along the chain of cause and effect you will find human malfeasance. The Holocene Mass Extinction, the only one not caused by natural events. Speaks volumes about "higher" primates.
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@William Wallace Actually it is most likely not, scientifically speaking. Put aside prejudices or political agendas.
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A few months ago, my dog's hind legs seemed to give away. He acted like as if he was drunk. It turned out he had a tick on him. Once we removed the tick, he was fine.
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Degenerative Myelopathy. If you live close by a veterinary teaching hospital (eg Auburn University has a great program) your vet can refer your dog to an available program for testing (the only established method to determine a conclusive DM diagnosis requires inspection of the brain posthumously....so extensive testing must be conducted to eliminate all other possible causes), and the only effective treatment (although some medications are in clinical trials) has been via gene therapy (legal for use in animal patients). Gene therapy cannot reverse the disease but it will stop the progression. -Wishing you and your friend all the best.
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Likely rat and other poisons. What do we expect would happen when we fill our world with toxins?
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Looks like a prion-based disease.
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My preferred breed of dog is given to degenerative myelopathy, for which there is now a genetic test. I trust that FL officials have tested obtained the blood necessary to test for this condition, which can affect cats, but rarely, I think. There is no cure, of which I'm aware, tho sterilization of carriers might help.
More broadly, peripheral neuropathy is another possibility. Good article on it here: https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/neurological/c_multi_peripheral_neuropathies
I've had a dog with this. Can result from infection, but doesn't always. There are some pretty good neuro vets in FL and I hope that some of them are checking out this video.
This is really very, very sad. We have taken their habitat due to unrestrained property rights and slaughtered them with our motor vehicles due to our right to travel--fast. The panthers can't strike back, but, as our predation of earth itself mounts, there are daunting signs that we at least may have met our match at the planetary level.
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This is devastating news. And the video footage is so heartbreaking to see. Florida’s majestic panthers came back from the brink of extinction and now they’re threatened not only by careless/callous motorists but also by this mysterious crippling condition/disease. I sincerely hope the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can figure out its cause and find a cure as soon as possible.
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A friend who knows both felines and wildlife suggests the following: "I wondered right away about some kind of awful brain bott (fly larvae – common in camelids, cows, and antelope) or idiopathic vestibular syndrome, which happens in other species. I also thought about toxoplasmosis, which can have neurological symptoms. If there are bott species that invade the spinal column, that might better explain a weakness specifically in the hind legs. A fly larvae wouldn’t surprise me at all... I’m glad they say they’re pursuing nutritional testing. There are all kinds of nutrients involved in transmitting nerve signals AND in keeping the muscles in working order. In The Incredible Dr Pol, he often has to treat larger grazing animals for selenium deficiency. For example, they say Michigan has “old soil” which is weak in selenium, which is necessary for muscular strength. Farmers know about it and give selenium in the feed, but people with one pleasure horse or one or two cows don’t always know and the Drs have to treat with selenium and vitamin B (Vitamin B helps everything, I think)."
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My yellow lab had a similar condition that the vet could not diagnose. Eventually all the dog could do is drag her hindquarters. Initially, she lost the ability to jump onto the front seat of my truck. Her hind paws became numb as the condition progressed. Eventually she stopped eating and drinking and became incontinent. She spent a great deal of time licking her paws. While I live in New England, took the dog to Florida once a year for about two weeks and we lived outside, camping.
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My elderly boxer also had a similar condition (complete with numbness) that our veterinarian couldn't diagnose. Two different vets, one in NY and the other in CT. It wasn't until a woman following behind us one day during our evening walked asked about his condition and said that it reminded her of her German shepherd's degenerative myelopathy (DM) and I told this to the first vet that he was able to make a call on it. DM was incurable then and remains so today.
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Has anyone considered that maybe these cats were dying out for a reason, and the mistake was to try to sustain the population? When we interfere with the process of the life and death of a species, we shouldn't be surprised when that process bites back sometimes.
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@David Godinez
The reason many species are dying out: Humans. Extreme Overpopulation of Humans. Please consider THAT.
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@David Godinez I think the reason they are dying out is humans.
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@David Godinez Do you feel the same way about and apply the same logic to humans?
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This is sad to see, but is it possible that we are seeing different videos of the same individual animal or animals taken at different times and locations? I don't know how widely they range.
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As someone who finds big cats beautiful and fascinating, this story saddens me. Many types of big cats are threatened in many countries, and usually because of some sort of human interference with habitat, diet, or because of toxin issues. I hope that the state tries to save these cats, but I do worry whether or not Florida will allocate the time and human / financial resources to solve the problem before the small population is lost.
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Very disturbing. This reminds me of the way toxic algae has been affecting dogs that have been in the algae-affected water here in Austin. I don't suppose there's a connection....
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Probably a result of inbreeding. They should check with the vets at the University of Wisconsin. The condition of the cats looks a lot like the condition that showed up in labrador retrievers a few years ago.
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Sad. i hope they can figure this out. Hate to see it.
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trap an affected animal and do a detailed autopsy; trap prey animals and do a chemical assay for ingested toxins like heavy metals or pesticides; map lineage onto hunting territory; look at hunting range overlap to identify a common geographical area; survey the geographical area for something like an illegal chemical waste discard.
the park service will figure it out, and the cause will most likely be some form of human stupidity and habitat encroachment.
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These big cats are beautiful. I hope scientists find the cause of this disorder. Could some kind of poison be the culprit?
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Humanity's overpopulation is crushing wildlife worldwide and, here in the U.S., we won't even slow down if a "beloved" animal gets in the way of our car, our importance, our urgent supremacy. There are too many people (we really need a national conversation about what it takes to be a responsible parent) and we have altered natural environments and pushed stressed animals to the point where disease is almost guaranteed.
Given the Trump administration's latest move to gut the Endangered Species Act and every environmental regulation, there will be more instances like this tragic, sad case. It's heartbreaking to see this.
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Of course the cat crippling disease is in those four counties, that is where the panthers mainly are.
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I'll eat my hat if this does not turn out to be human related. Pesticides, domestic animals, etc.
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I wonder if this is a form of Cerebellar Hypoplasia seen in house cats. I have a CH kitty. They lead a normal life except walk a little funny. But rarely jump. Thus making stalking difficult I am guessing.
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@AJ Our neighbor had a cat with CH. He moved like these panthers. I am sure it will be hard for these big cats to hunt effectively.
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This is awful. Could it be a focalized infection in the brain? Almost sounds like myoclonus. Perhaps looking at their favorite food source, feral pigs would help. Perhaps employing drone cameras to view other animals and where/what they eat and drink would help with clues. I sure hope the cause is found, and they can help the stately animal.
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I don't know if this will help but I have seen similar impact to hind leg motor coordination in house cats with severe renal disease/ kidney failure that causes a buildup of blood urea. If these animals were exposed to antifreeze (polyethylene glycol), that could result in kidney damage and some types of symptoms. I think treatment includes ethanol flushing it out of their system.
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I had a cat that was born with cerebellar hypoplasia (wobbly cat syndrome). It moved exactly that this.
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Very distressing to see this .... these beautiful animals face so many obstacles. Hopefully, a definitive cause can be found and remedied.
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This is heartbreaking but not surprising that it is happening in Florida.
Florida is the state with the most solar energy opportunities which has made it almost impossible for the renewal energy companies, including solar, to thrive.
Have you ever seen solar panels or windmills anywhere in Florida. Not!
Why is this relevant? Do you really think that Florida politicians care about saving the Florida panther when they don’t even care about the future of their own land and their constituents?
They are probably laughing at this story.
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@Truth Is True As a native of Florida's Gulf Coast, I think your comment misses the mark entirely.
Preserving our natural beauty on the Gulf is one of the few nonpartisan issues that all Floridians agree on and are proud of. Conservation of Florida panthers is a big deal here (second only to the annual red tide blooms.) A single panther death is sure to be reported on the evening news here.
I know the country likes to deride Florida for its faults and general weirdness, but wildlife conservation is something we care deeply about.
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@Celia I have to respectfully disagree with you. After living in FL for 10 years, I continue to be astounded at the general lack of regard for how fragile our environment is. Here in the "green city" of St. Petersburg, we just found out about 21 million gallons on partially treated sewage that the city is pumping into our waters. Record numbers of manatees and other marine life being killed by people in boats, our politicians allowing the sugar industry to pollute our waterways, record amounts of toxic algae blooms. When Scott was governor, he allowed bear hunts - we saw photos of hunters displaying the mother and bear cub carcasses. I could go on but the degradation of this magical place continues unabated.
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@Truth Is True You're absolutely correct. When we first moved to FL we were told that solar wasn't feasible because we didn't have the "right kind of sun". We're being gouged by Duke Energy - forced for pay for a nuclear plant that will never be built and another one that will never be repaired. We call it "lower latitude attitude".
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Whatever it is, I have a cat that started moving this way when he was only six years old. (He's 12 now and it's getting worse). His vet didn't know why he moved this way, but attributed it to arthritis. He's been on a prednisone type pill ever since and it helps with the pain.
Acupuncture has helped him more so I'm thinking it could be nerve related. Thanks for running this story. It's the first time I've seen anything similar in a feline.
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