Shaun Sagor, [9 May 2025 at 10:35:22]: I have an 11-month-old male lion cub with a history of sudden onset ataxia with normal mentation. Episodes occur after playing roughly with playmates, very aggressive and territorial especially over his food, eating well and drinking well, otherwise healthy. I have given a single dose of dexamethasone after each episode of ataxia, responds very well and is back to normal the next day for about 3 weeks, and then reoccurs. This started 6 weeks ago. Other lions are fed the same diet and supplements with no similar symptoms. It is clinically healthy on examination. Blood test results are given below. My next step will be to X-ray the spine to investigate a possible atlanto- axial instability. I am unsure if that would respond so well to the dexamethasone? Ulf Tubessing, [9 May 2025 at 20:47:20]: Shaun, try to get an MRI scan done. Please give this guy (if not all of them) Essentiale and see if they react. I have seen multiple related leopards with all sorts of weird neurological abnormalities and major MRI abnormalities respond incredibly well. Shaun Sagor, [9 May 2025 at 21:49:24]: Thanks, will try the Essentiale Shaun Sagor, [13 May 2025} My lion was 10 and had suffered with a very similar thing for several years. It did very well on steroids for most of those years until complete paralysis developed overnight last week. There was no response this time to steroids, multivitamins, antibiotics etc. The haematological clinical pathology profile was normal.
