Cardiomyopathy

[Elaine]

http://www.fabcats.org/owners/heart/cardiomyopathy.html

Since the sad loss of dear Abi, I have been reading as much as I can about the condition, as I do. The type of condition Abi suffered could well have been genetic as we are unaware of any viral infection that she may have had in the past.

[Elaine]

Is HCM genetic?
HCM in humans, in the majority of cases, is an inherited genetic disorder, with over 130 genetic mutations already identified.

It is now also believed that HCM in cats could also be genetic. Recently, genetic mutations have been identified in both the Maine Coon and Ragdoll breeds of cat, and there is ongoing work looking for further mutations in the Norwegian Forrest Cat and Sphinx. Within the Maine Coon breed, approximately one third of tested cats are positive for the mutation. However, not all Maine Coons with HCM are positive and this particular mutation has not been identified in any cats other that Maine Coons and their progeny. The mutation identified in the Ragdoll is located within the same gene as the Maine Coon mutation. However, this mutation is different to that identified in Maine Coons and to date, there is no information on the incidence of this mutation within the Ragdoll breed.

Genetic testing of affected cats can be useful in identifying which cats carry the mutation. Whilst a positive test result means that the cat is genetically predisposed to HCM, unfortunately a negative test only means that the cat does not have that one particular mutation. It does not mean that the cat being tested doesn’t have HCM.

Is there a screening scheme available to detect cardiomyopathy in cats?
The Feline Advisory Bureau, together with the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society (VCS) have set up a scheme to detect the presence or absence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM). See below..

[dinahsmum]

I wondered if she got a 'silent infection' when Caspurr was ill. No symptoms, but the virus got into her bloodstream and lodged in the heart muscle? Dunno - I'm not a vet.
The research you quote is quite alarming Elaine - the breeding of pedigree cats does not appear to be helping their health and wellbeing in some cases - like dogs Maybe moggies are best?

[Elaine]

I guess it might be possibe Hilary, another question to ask the vet and find out.

[mattde]

This was a concern when I purchased my Maine coons, best to go to a good breeder that tests the stud and queen cat.

[Elaine]

Originally Posted by mattde

This was a concern when I purchased my Maine coons, best to go to a good breeder that tests the stud and queen cat.

I agree but for those cats who are rehomed several times or the ones that come through rescue, very often come with no papers. This makes it difficult to find out if the parents had been screened or not.

[mattde]

I agree its difficult, hopefully responsible breeders should try to eradicate the problem from the start of the breeding process.

[Elaine]

Originally Posted by mattde

I agree its difficult, hopefully responsible breeders should try to eradicate the problem from the start of the breeding process.

Hopefully but I doubt it, sadly there isnt adequate testing for this condition and if hobby breeders fail in thier moral obligation to inform owners or other breeders of suspicous deaths from the bloodline, then the problem is ongoing.

[borderdawn]

ALL responsible breeders will test for HCM in breeds of cats affected by it, its done by a cardio specialist and should be done yearly.

Sorry to hear about your Cat Elaine, as you say if she was a rescue you cant trace her breeders, as Im sure they would want to know, get theirs tested (should be anyway) and cease breeding from the line if anything crops up.

[Elaine]

I have located the breeder Dawn and I have emailed her. Her website shows, if my calculations are correct, that the father died suddenly last year and that one of her siblings was kept as a breeding queen, but I think from the guest book, she is being rehomed. The website also says that her breeding programe is being reduced due to work commitments. From what I can tell, other breeders or cat show people have bought cats from the same bloodline.
I just feel that even if the breeder didnt know or suspect anything up until last year when the stud became ill, surely the decent thing to have done would have been to inform people that there may be a problem.
Or is that just me because I hate injustice and would fess up to my failings and take responsibility.