Pet Health Watch with Dr . Main What Are the Most Common Inherited Diseases in Cats ?
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Pet Health Watch with Dr . Main What Are the Most Common Inherited Diseases in Cats ?
The growth of pet health insurance businesses and large hospital groups has led to the availability of larger data sets about cat diseases . Through scientific advancements this data can be analyzed strategically to identify genetic tendencies . Further there is a deeper understanding of both the canine and feline genome . Veterinary medicine is moving in the direction of understanding canine and feline diseases on a genetic basis , in fact this is the future for pet health care .
One reason that it is important to recognize diseases that have a genetic basis , is that these diseases tend to be chronic and will require long term management . The top five conditions in this article are complexly inherited involving multiple gene combinations and environmental factors .
Feline lower urinary tract disease ( FLUTD ) is the most frequent hereditary predisposition observed in practice affecting up to 2 % of all cats . Persian cats are at increased risk and Siamese are a decreased risk for FLUTD . Although the mode of inheritance is not known , genetic markers have been identified in cats with FLUTD . Once FLUTD is diagnosed practitioners know that the disease can recur if environmental stress factors are not controlled . genetic mutations have not been found but “ liability genes ” have been found in people and the German shepherd dog . It is suspected the same genes are present in cats . In this condition there are environmental variables that include diet and stress . When subjected to a provocative diet or stress only cats with the tendency will exhibit disease . Further cats with this condition have a lifelong propensity .
Polycystic Kidney Disease is the most common singlegene feline disorder seen in veterinary practice . It is caused by an autosomal dominant gene for which there is a genetic test available . 38 % of all Persian cats have the defective gene . Unfortunately most of the cats develop kidney failure around the age of 7 years . If considering a Persian kitten the parents should have negative genetic testing prior to purchase . Ultrasound of the kidneys is useful but no longer the standard of care in screening for Polycystic Kidney Disease .
Interestingly cats without the genetic marker for FLUTD will not break with the disease in a stressful environment .
Diabetes mellitus is number two in frequency and is more prevalent in Burmese , Siamese , Norwegian Forest Cat , Russian Blue , and the Abyssinian . Obesity is a predisposing factor ; but in addition a gene mutation has been identified that is similar to findings associated with type 2 diabetes in people .
Lymphocytic or plasmacytic inflammatory disease is number three in frequency . This refers to cats with stomatitis or inflammatory bowel disease . In this disease
Number five in the top five most common inherited feline diseases is the all to common Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy ( HCM ). 33 % of Maine Coon cats and 20 % of Ragdoll cats carry a gene mutation that affects the heart muscle . Many of these cats will die prematurely as early as 7 months of age . A genetic test is available for both these breeds . HCM also occurs in random-bred cats and individual cats of other breeds . The specific gene mutations in these cats are not identified at this time .
In time , treatment methods will be aimed at diseases on a genetic level . In the past ten years technology in veterinary medicine has changed hugely ; but my sense is that in the next 10 years the change will be even greater . Understanding genetic mechanisms will open the door to greatly positive change in the treatment of these diseases .
Send questions and suggestions for Pet Health Watch to : Dr . Main , WSHS , 1901 W . Ogden Ave ., Downers Grove , IL 60515 Email : director @ wshs-dg . org
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