Hypersexuality Responsive to Phenobarbital in a Male Neutered DSH Cat

Liatis, T. and Cherubini, G. B. (2019) Hypersexuality Responsive to Phenobarbital in a Male Neutered DSH Cat. 32nd Annual Symposium of the European Society of Veterinary Neurology, Wroclaw, Poland, 13-14 Sept 2019.

Abstract

Hypersexuality manifests as biting knap, mounting, pelvic thrusting, penile erection and/or coital intermission. Temporal limbic structures play a significant role in the regulation of sexual arousal independently of testosterone. Moreover, thoracic spinal cord, second sacral, hypogastric and pudendal nerves contribute in erection/ejaculation. Hypersexuality has been reported as a sign of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in humans, and experimentally in cats. A 6-year-old, vaccinated, male neutered DSH cat was presented due to polyphagia and hypersexuality manifested since he was adopted one-year before. Physical and neurological examination were unremarkable, including absence of scrotal testicles and penile spines, indicative of testosterone absence. Differential diagnoses included TLE, inadequate neutering/cryptorchidism, primary behavioural problem, bladder neoplasia, myelopathy/neuropathy (e.g.FIP), adrenal hyperplasia/neoplasia. Haematology, biochemistry and TT4 were almost unremarkable. Blood serology for FIV, FeLV and FCoV was negative. Serum pre-and-post-hCG stimulation testosterone ruled out cryptorchidism (<0.3 nmol/L). Abdominal ultrasound revealed mildly enlarged colonic lymph-nodes, the cytology of which revealed mild reactive hyperplasia. Urinalysis and culture were positive to Enterococcus spp. MRI of brain and spinal cord, and CSF analysis were unremarkable. CSF PCR for Toxoplasma gondii, FPV, FCoV and Bornavirus was negative. Attempts to treat hypersexuality as a behavioural issue, UTI (co-amoxyclav), pain (meloxicam) and anxiety (diazepam) were unsuccessful. Thus, phenobarbital was prescribed in a low dose (1mg/kg,PO,q12h) which eliminated the episodes of hypersexuality without sedating. Phenobarbital withdrawal resulted in hypersexuality re-establishment. One-year later the cat remained episode-free on phenobarbital. This is the first report to present a presumptive TLE characterised by hypersexuality in a neutered male cat.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Additional Information: Flash Poster Abstract.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Liatis, Dr Theophanes
• Authors: Liatis, T., and Cherubini, G. B.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine