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Index
There are some genetic diseases, where it MUST be a normal
procedure for a serious cat breeder to have his breeding cats tested. This is also a
question of ethics, how seriously a breeder does take breeding and improvement
of a certain cat breed.
Some genetic diseases are more likely in a specific cat breed, some are not.
This page will not give a theoretical lecture about the
various test methods, that can be read much better in the section called
"Literature".
This chapter lists the various diseases and test, which are
available to give an overview.
| click on the
disease, to get a more detailed description |
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| Amyloidosis |
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Affected are mainly:
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Deafness in White
cats |
BEAR test |
Affected can be all
cat breeds and all white cats,
where the white is based on the epistatic white (genetically spoken: white
based on the gene W). |
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Deafness in
Bicoloured cats |
BEAR test |
There could be
affected all cat breeds and all
Van-bicolored
cats, where the Van-pattern is based on the Piebald spotting gene
(homozygous for gene S). |
GM1- &
GM2-
Gangliosidoses |
DNA-test available |
Affected are:
- Korat
- Siamese
- European Shorthair
- Domestic cats
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HD
Hip dysplasia |
X-ray |
Affected are all heavy
cat breeds, which have a
longer body to carry, such as:
- Maine Coon
- Norwegian Forest cats
- also Exotic, British Shorthair and Persian
- Siberian
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HCM
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy |
rough test:
stethoscope
detailed test:
Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Echocardiogram (with Doppler)DNA-test for
Maine Coon and Ragdoll. |
Affected are:
- Maine Coon
- Ragdoll
- Sphynx
- Devon Rex
- Persian - Exotic
- American Shorthair
- British Shorthair
- Scottish Fold
- Siberian
- Norwegian Forest
- Turkish Van
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| Klein-Waardenburg
syndrome |
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Deafness may affect
all breeds and all odd-eyed white or extremely white spotted cats
(Van-cats). |
| Patella luxation |
inspection by the vet, if necessary also
X-ray |
Affected are mainly all heavy
cat breeds, such
as:
- Exotic
- British Shorthair
- Maine Coon
- Norwegian Forest cats
- Persian
- Siberian cats
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PKD
Polycystic kidney disease |
DNA-test available |
Affected are mainly:
- Exotic
- Persian
- but also all breeds, which have Exotic or Persians in
their pedigree, for example British Shorthair
- American Curl, as in this breed still outcrosses with domestic cats of
unknown origin are permitted.
One of my American Curl was tested positive for PKD.
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PRA
Progressive Retina Atrophy |
inspection of the eyes
with an ophthalmoscope
by ERG (Electroretinogram)
by DNA-test for rdAC
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Affected are mainly:
- Abyssinian
- Somali
- Persians, Exotics
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| Strabism |
inspection by the vet |
Affected are all
cat breeds, which may have a
Siamese-pattern:
- Himalayan, Colourpoint Longhair and Shorthair
- Ragdoll
- Birman
- Neva Masqerade
- Si-Rex
- Siamese, Balinese
- Snow Bengal
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| Degeneration or
missing of the Tapetum lucidum |
inspection of the eyes
with an ophthalmoscope |
Affected are all
cat breeds and all white or extremely white spotted cats. |
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In general:
- If tests are available, breeders must take the chance to test
their cat breed, especially when a specific cat breed is likely to inherit a
certain genetic disease.
Such tests must be part of a responsible
breeding plan, which every breeder must have, to eliminate unwanted
genetic diseases in cats.
- Cat clubs must have a chapter about tests in
their breeding rules, which are mandatory for their breeders and
must take every step to improve breeds.
Clubs call themselves
"breeding" clubs, and as such they are responsible to take every
measurement to eliminate genetic diseases from the various breeds.
- Cats which are tested positive for a genetic disease - and even, if
the cat is only strongly suspicious for inheriting a genetic disease
- shall be neutered.
- Rules and laws, which are based only on
prohibitions for breeding, are bad rules and bad laws.
Such rules
miss the most important aim to educate responsible cat breeders and to
get the breeders to breed for healthy cats.
| click on the
disease, to get a more detailed description |
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| Amyloidosis in
cats |
- As this disease is very difficult to detect, it shall
be considered not to breed with such lines, where frequently Amyloidosis
had been detected.
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| Deafness in White
cats |
- Deaf cats have to be neutered and shall not be used for
breeding, and all their offspring have to be tested.
- White cats shall only be bred to coloured cats.
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| Deafness in Bicoloured cats |
- Deaf cats have to be neutered and shall not be used for
breeding, and all their offspring have to be tested.
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GM1- &
GM2-
Gangliosidose in cats |
- Breeding with carriers shall not be permitted. Carriers
shall be neutered.
- It might be taken into account that health is more
important than the colour Blue in Korats.
- It might be also taken into account to get imports from
Thailand.
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HD
Hip dysplasie in cats |
- Cats which are diagnosed with HD1 or more, shall be
neutered and not used for breeding.
- Cats which are diagnosed with HD or are suspicious for
it shall be breed with great caution and their offspring shall be also
examined.
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HCM
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats |
- If a cat is suspected to have HCM, it shall be
neutered.
- The number of animals is still large enough, so there
is no necessity to breed with such cats to increase the gene pool.
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| Klein-Waardenburg
syndrome in cats |
- Deaf cats have to be neutered and shall not be used for breeding, in
no case. If it can be avoided, only very few litters shall be produced
with such cats.
- Males shall not be used as studs for other breeders' cats.
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| Patella luxation
in cats |
- Cats where patella luxation has been diagnosed, shall
be used with great caution for breeding. And if avoidable, only very few
matings shall be made.
- Males shall not be used as stud males for other
breeders.
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PKD
Polycystic kidney disease in cats |
- Cats which are tested positive must be neutered and
shall not be used for breeding.
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PRA
Progressive Retina Atrophy in cats |
- Periodic tests are necessary for those types of PRA, where no DNA-test
is available. Thus, animals used for
breeding shall be tested at least every 2nd year.
- All animals used for breeding shall undergo the ophtalmologic test
periodically.
- For rdAC is now a DNA-test available.
- Cats tested positive for PRA shall not be used for breeding and shall
be neutered.
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| Strabism in cats |
- Cats, which have strabismus, shall be neutered and not
be used for further breeding.
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See the specific section for each disease, click
on the disease (in the left column of the tables above) to get a
more detailed description and a literature list.
Please be aware, that most articles in English.
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