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Diseases and Disorders

PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy )

PRA , also called night blindness , is a hereditary eye defect . This deviation begins with night blindness. The cat in the dark so can not or hardly see. This can manifest itself in fear of going out in the dark. PRA eventually end in total blindness . The majority of cases, the PRA is inherited by an autosomal recessive gene ( RDG ) , which means that an affected the cat gene from both parents need to have inherited without the parents themselves do not have to be affected. Also made ​​this cat has his or her descendants ‘ saddled ‘ with one PRA gene. A smaller part of the PRA cases is caused by an autosomal dominant gene ( Rgy ) . PRA can be determined by means of an opt- halmscopische test , however, only when the disease manifests itself already . The disease can manifest between the age of three months and seven years , there is no medicine or surgery that PRA can remedy. Our animals are tested for impairment and found negative oftwel clean.

 

PL ( Patellar luxation )

Patellar luxation roughly translated means ” loose kneecaps .” It is a congenital defect that all cats but also in other animals such as dogs occurs . PL is hereditary , but it is still unknown how it is inherited . It is thought that the origin of it is due to different genes , there is in each case not zijnzen to a single gene that causes it . A cat with PL often has trouble with jumping and running and in extreme cases can shoot the kneecap out of place . “In severe cases, the knee can be operated on. It is the habit of most breeders to the knees of the kittens and breeding standard refrain from looking through a veterinarian. This is what the vet manually , ie that he hand trying how far a kneecap bends when pressure is practiced . one should not confuse all knee problems PL because of a fall or accident the dislocated kneecap can also touch and then it’s a knee injury

 

PKD ( Polycystic Kidney Disease )

PKD , also known as polycystic kidney disease , is an inherited disease which occurs in both domestic cats Breed , but also in other mammals including humans. A cat suffering from PKD , will have multiple cysts ( vesicles in the kidneys which will increase in the course of time in number . The cysts prevent kidneys increasingly to work in a normal way . PKD has always fatal , because kidney function eventually virtually eliminated . the disease can not be behandled . but an affected animal to a special diet prescribed get that kidney burdened as little as possible. This process can not be gestop but will the cat in a more pleasant way what are older. This deviation inherits dominant and berist a single gene .: simply by not breeding animals suffering from the deviation of the disease can be prevented. PKD can only be demonstrated from the age of ten months by an ultrasound, performed by a specialist physician.

 

PKdef ( pyruvate kinase deficiency in the Abyssinian and Somali. )

Pyruvate kinase is an enzyme which plays an important role in energy metabolism . A shortage ( deficiency) of this enzyme leads to a shortage of energy include red blood cells ( erythrocytes ), which they can hardly do their work and premature death . This creates a shortage of red blood cells. Appearance we see pale mucous membranes . We call this anemia or anemia .

Red blood cells provide for the transport of oxygen through the body. The oxygen is bound to the hemoglobin ( red blood dye) . In case of early death of erythrocytes will place an increased degradation of hemoglobin ( haemolysis ) . This happens especially in the spleen , a portion of the hemoglobin ( the heme – group) , however, is broken down in the liver. The residues which are hereby remain (including bilirubin) in the blood plasma to give a yellowish color. At sufficiently high concentration to the mucous membranes, the white of the eyes and even skin discoloration yellowish.

Hypertrophic Cardio Myopathy 1 ( HCM1 )

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM ) occurs in almost all animal species , including humans. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden heart failure among young adults. This also applies to a number of cat breeds . The animals die of heart failure and thromboembolism (blood clots) . Due to various causes , the heart muscle ( myocardium ) thicken ( hypertrophic be ) , so that its function can not properly fulfill. On the basis of these causes a subdivision is made in primary and secondary hypertrophy. The heart muscle in the end thickened in such a way that the normal function is impeded and heart failure arises . Eventually a so overfilling image where there is fluid in the lungs ( pulmonary edema) . The cat gets difficulty breathing , fluid retention , and eventually to death .

spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is very similar to similar defects in humans and other species. The disease is characterized by weakness and atrophy ( wasting) of the muscles.

 

Cat’s disease

Cat’s disease is caused by the Panleukopenia virus that causes an infection in the gastrointestinal tract . At the same time dies is an important part of the white blood cells of the cat. Cats with feline distemper always have high fever, diarrhea that is often bloody , they broke and dry very quickly. Cat’s disease is notorious for its high percentage of cats that will die from this disease. If the disease is left to its die than nine out of ten adults and (almost) all kittens. Is a direct treatment deployed , then the chance that the animal survives larger. However, the treatment of feline distemper is lengthy and intensive. Because the immune system of the cat can no longer function are additional problems lurking . Each bacterium or virus that comes along can get a grip on the animal and incipient inflammation of the head which normally quickly pressed by the immune system can then go their free passage . There is an excellent vaccination against feline distemper available and the first grafting a kitten at the age of about nine weeks old and then to twelve weeks. Repeat this vaccination every two or three years to avoid getting the cat cats disease.

Cat flu

Cat flu is caused by different viruses, particularly Calici and Rhinotracheitis and Chlamydiae , a bacterium. These cause severe cold symptoms in cats : fever , sneezing, inflamed eyes and a foul nasal discharge. Most cats infected with the virus have no appetite or do not want to drink so they weaken faster and can dry out. Unlike cats disease has flu rarely results in death . That may be the case when pneumonia involved. Some animals spend their entire lives long after they have chronic colds to flu ago. A cat may reach flu by direct contact with the virus , e.g. by a cat sneezing and thus is spreading the virus . Kittens can be vaccinated at the age of nine against the flu vaccination and this provides about nine to twelve months of protection. However, the vaccination against flu never works one hundred percent because flu and flu can have various causes. Chronic flu animals are always ‘ sick’ en may even have regular pussige nasal discharge. Since cats here too much sneezing , you can imagine that it is not hygienic . In addition, chronic flu young patients regularly swallow antibiotic treatment if the disease flared up again very fast.

 
FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis )

FIP is a dreaded disease that cats are still many uncertainties . The virus that causes FIP bhoort to coronavirusssen . Coronaviruses are carried by virtually every pig in the gastrointestinal tract, without the animals there is much affected by this . Darmonstekingen diarrhea and as a result , the heavier sympthomen of an infection with a coranavirus . The FIP disease arises from a combination of factors. When the corona virus undergoes a mutation that happens regularly in itself , the cat’s body may react by producing antibodies. In many cases, the body knows indeed make short work of the virus, in other cases arises a reaction that causes the animal receives FIP. By a yet unknown factor walk the immune complexes (these are antibodies that have enclosed in the virus) , more or less fixed in the blood vessels , which thereby will ignite with the syndrome as a result.

The symptoms of FIP vary , but always the animal is lethargic , has a fever and loss of appetite, and is in a bad condition. There are two well-known forms . Dry and wet FIP FIP.

Wet FIP ​​is expressed in a swollen abdomen and labored breathing. Only after the animal is deceased or via a ( painless ) abdominal puncture in a living animal can be identified or inflammation of the peritoneum and / or pleura is (was ), the body that places a straw yellow , has created stringy fluid .

Dry FIP can cause inflammation in almost all organs. The problem of , in particular, dry FIP is that it can be proven so difficult. Blood tests which objects ears antibodies against coronaviruses , namely, do not distinguish between a normal and mutated virus. Since all cats sometimes have been in contact with coronavirusssen or come with it meedragem are often positive test results and the amount of antibodies found in the blood, and even vary per animal per period. Testing is pointless .

Therefore FIP is an incurable disease that always has a fatality . In the dry form , the vet may prescribe corticosteroids that slows down and it does not stop .

 
FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus )

FIV cats known as AIDS related to AIDS that affects people (HIV) but is absolutely not contagious to humans and vice versa. A cat can be infected with this virus when it enters directly into the bloodstream. Usually this is done by fighting with an FIV infected cat , just sometimes by pairs and in rare cases of mother cat FIV can go to her boy . The disease course is similar to ” AIDS people .” An FIV infected cat may show no symptoms for years but can also suddenly become ill quickly . FIV attacks the immune system of the cat so that he or she is prone to all sorts of problems . Known disease inaugural symptoms are diarrhea , weight loss , tumor formation, fever. There may be all sorts of infections flare up and liberate inflammation. FIV can not gegezen and always fatal . This is one of the reasons that breeders will not let go walk their animals. it is always possible that an affected neighborhood cat or wanderer infected breeding stock . Is usually by breeders tested this when there is covered and so you know that the kittens have no FIV.

FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus)

FeLV , commonly called feline leukemia or feline leukemia virus is a deadly viral disease that occurs in various forms. As with FeLV FIV affects the immune system of the cat . FeLV can be quite easily transferable to other cats: cats eat from the same bowl or they provide each other’s fur , it can be transmission of the virus . Also, a mother her ( unborn ) infected kitten. The virus can survive for a very short time in the outdoors. Cats must therefore really have contact with each other to get it . Many Coming symptoms found in this disease , are also worries reproductive problems. ( distress and paralysis).