CATTERY FELIS LIMOUSI
HEALTH
Below you can find additional information about important health tests.
HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
HCM is an incurable hereditary heart condition in which the heart muscle thickens. This thickening prevents the heart from properly performing its pumping function. Initially, there is usually little to see in your cat. Sometimes a murmur or an irregular heart rhythm can be detected by your vet during heart auscultation. But this is not always present. The following symptoms may occur at a later stage: lethargy, poor grooming of the coat, decreased appetite, faster and more difficult breathing, blood clot formation resulting in paralysis of the hind legs, sudden death.
Currently, echocardiography (heart scan) is the only way to confirm or rule out HCM in British Shorthairs. Responsible breeders will have their breeding animals tested for this condition and will only breed with animals that are free of HCM. Currenty no DNA test is available yet for the breed. The disease can remain masked for a long time (untill the age of 7 years old), so it is important to repeat the echocardiography every 1-2 years. Unfortunately a negative test offers no 100% garantee that the cat itself or his offspring will not develop this disease at a later stage in life.
PKD (polycystic kidney disease)
PKD is an incurable hereditary condition in which multiple fluid-filled cavities (cysts) are formed in the kidneys. The cysts become increasingly larger and take the place of healthy kidney tissue. As a result, kidney function will increasingly deteriorate. Reduced kidney function is accompanied by symptoms of drinking more, urinating more, frequent vomiting, reduced appetite, weight loss, etc.
There is a reliable DNA test for the British Shorthair that can rule out the disease. An ultrasound of the kidneys can also be used for exclusion. Responsible breeders will screen their animals for this condition and only breed with animals that are free of PKD.
FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus)
FELV (feline leukemia virus)
FIV is also called cat aids. The virus is mainly transmitted through fight and bite wounds, but transmission can also occur during pregnancy or via lactation. The virus attacks the immune system. Initially, there will be no or only vague symptoms. On average 3-5 years after infection, symptoms such as chronic gum disease, recurring fever, persistent colds, etc. will occur. The cat's immune system is then so weakened that the body becomes much more susceptible to other viruses, parasites, bacteria and fungi. As a result, a trivial infection can be fatal to the body. There is currently no treatment to cure FIV, but support can be given to FIV-positive cats so that they can more easily overcome secondary infections. There is still no vaccine available to prevent the disease. The only way to prevent infection is to ensure that there is no possible contact with infected cats. Cats that roam freely outside are therefore at higher risk.
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FELV is also called leukosis. The virus is mainly transmitted through prolonged social contact such as sharing the litter box and food and water bowls or by washing each other. To a lesser extent, the virus can be transmitted through bite wounds, during pregnancy or via lactation. The virus causes anemia, tumors and reduced immunity. Symptoms occur from a few months to 2 to 3 years after infection. There is no treatment for this disease, although, as with FIV, supportive measures are possible. Fortunately, there is a vaccine for this disease to largely prevent infection.
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The diagnosis of these diseases is made by a combined blood test where both diseases can be tested together. Breeding animals are best tested annually or semi-annually for FIV and FELV.
Blood group determination
In cats, three types of blood groups can occur: blood group A, blood group B or in rare cases blood group AB. Blood group A is the most common blood group but there are certain breeds where blood group B also occurs frequently. The British Shorthair is one of those breeds. If a parent combination is made where the mother has blood group B and the father has blood group A, then the mother will produce antibodies against blood group A. These antibodies are passed on through the milk after birth. These antibodies will attack the red blood cells of kittens with blood group A. As a result, these kittens get into big trouble as they get symptoms of weakness, jaundice, anemia, have reddish-brown urine, ... which ultimately leads to death in many cases. In order to avoid these problems, it is important that the blood groups of the parent animals are compatible. That is why responsible breeders will always perform a blood group determination.