Cardiomyopathy

[topazicatzbeth]

hi all, i just wanted to post this on behalf of the breeder, she does not go on forums and is not very computer literate. lol

the stud cat had shown no signs of illness until he suddenly collapsed and was pts a week later.

a pm was not advised by her vet as he said it wasnt a typical presentation for hcm and didnt believe it to be hereditary. perhaps this should have been done but at the time the breeder was distraught at losing him and went with her vets advise.

the breeder is rehoming some of her cats due to work commitments, initially she was going to stop breeding due to the upset of looseing the stud, but i persuaded her to just downsize. her younger cats i.e abis sister have been rehomes as people want to buy the younger ones apposed to the older ones.

Of ALL the other litters he sired noboddy has reported any other problems.

She IS going to inform all people that have offspring for breeding that there is a potential problem.

DNA tests went in the post today from my two that are sired from this boy so we will know more when they return.

we would like to say the only contact she has had from abis owners is an e amil from elaine which im afraid was not very nice and she will not be responding to it.

we would also like to point out that even IF there had been a known problem how could she have informed people when abi had been rehomed again without her knowledge.

we do not wish this to become a slanging match we just wanted to set the record straight that appropriate measures are now being taken now a potential problem has been highlighted.

[Elaine]

Thanx for all the contributions to this thread.
My intention was to highlight a serious condition which then led to the questions over moral obligations of vets, breeders and owners alike.
I can only urge any one who has a cat die so young and unexpectedly to do the right thing, have a post mortem done, contact the breeder and if you feel it necessary contact the governing bodies concerned.
I feel that there is no more to be gained by this thread at this time as i did not intend for this issue nor Abi's untimely death to be belittled by unecessary squabbling.

[charliebubs]

I'm so sorry to hear about the death of Abi......poor baby.

I do know that HCM is cropping up in raggies, but it tends to be the "Old English" types.

Before breeding Lily I had her DNA tested for HCM, just to be safe. Although, she is a tabby and therefore not an "Old English". Her results were clear and so were those of her kittens.

Personally, I will be testing every queen and every litter - just to be safe.

I would point out though, that HCM can appear at any time. Even though I am taking the best precautions with my furbabes, there is unfortunately no ideal fix. I could test and get a clear result, but the cat could ultimately still die of HCM.

Here's a link to the DNA testing facility........it's not very expensive, so there are no excuses!!

http://www.animalsdna.com/feline/hcm/

[Elaine]

Thankyou Charlie for the info.

[Elaine]

Just wondering how the tests went Beth?

Testing for HCM?
Genetic tests are available for particular mutations which are recognised in the Maine Coon and Ragdoll breeds. However, not all cats with HCM will demonstrate these mutations. Therefore, a negative gene test does not rule out HCM (even in one of the aforementioned breeds). At present, the most accurate method for diagnosing HCM is the use of cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography).
Is there a screening scheme available to detect cardiomyopathy in cats?
Yes, there is a Feline Advisory Bureau scheme available which is aimed at detecting the presence or absence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It is run in association with the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society (VCS).