Are purebred cats more likely to get heart disease? Parents of furry children must read this!

Author: Sinan, a pet nutritionist

Reviewer: Liu Bo, China Agricultural University/Associate Professor

"Cat heart disease" is not only the most common disease among domestic cats, but also one of the diseases with the highest mortality rate. Are purebred cats more likely to get heart disease? Is cat heart disease really all due to genetics? Today's article will dispel all the rumors about "cat heart disease" and solve the "heartache" of cat owners!

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01

Myth: Purebred cats are more likely to develop heart disease

Analysis: Heart disease in cats is not associated with most breeds.

Many cat owners lamented, "Are cats getting more and more delicate these days? Why haven't we heard of so many cases of heart disease before?"

In fact, it is not that there are more heart diseases, but that there are more families with cats, cat owners are becoming more health-conscious, and medical standards have also made considerable progress. In the past, when a cat suddenly died, there might not be the conditions to investigate the cause, but now there are scientific methods to detect it earlier, and we feel that we are dealing with diseases more often.

Cat owners also need to understand that cat heart disease is not related to most breeds. Whether it is a rural cat or a purebred cat, there is a certain probability of heart disease. As a cat owner, you should give your baby a physical examination on time, raise them scientifically, and do not abandon them.

02

Myth: Cat heart disease is genetic

Analysis: In addition to genetic reasons, cat heart disease may be caused by a variety of reasons.

Because cat heart disease is difficult to detect, cats with the disease may not show any symptoms in the early stages. Even if some careful cat owners can pay attention to the abnormalities of their cats, they can only watch their beloved pets die.

At present, most cat heart diseases are idiopathic or primary, that is, the exact cause is unknown, but some cats with heart disease carry the disease-causing gene. Currently, the breeds reported include Maine Coon, Ragdoll and British Shorthair , but carrying the disease-causing gene does not necessarily mean that the cat will get sick. Purebred cats such as Persian cats, Bengal cats, Sphynx cats and Norwegian Forest cats are considered to have a higher risk of developing the disease. According to the current research progress, only Maine Coon and Ragdoll cats are supported for genetic testing.

In addition, there are the following situations that pet owners should be wary of↓

① Stress: Many cat owners like to take their cats to make new friends. However, unlike dogs, cats are solitary animals. Some so-called "social activities" are likely to cause stress in cats. Acute stress and severe tachycardia can reduce diastolic function, especially for cats with obese heart disease who already have symptoms of heart failure, which can aggravate their congestive heart failure. Eliminating useless social activities may be the easiest way for cat owners to protect their cats.

② Hyperthyroidism: Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disease in cats over 8 years old. Thyroxine can directly stimulate myocardial cells, activate the sympathetic nervous system, and put the affected cat in a high metabolic state, thereby increasing the heart load and causing myocardial thickening.

③ Dietary taurine deficiency: Unlike dogs, cats cannot synthesize taurine themselves. If cats do not consume enough taurine in their daily diet, they will be more likely to develop dilated cardiomyopathy and eventually lead to heart failure.

Currently, regular cat food contains sufficient taurine, so there is no need to supplement cats separately. However, in some low-quality cat food and canned cat food, taurine may not be added enough. If the cat owner fails to supplement it separately in time, the amount required by the cat's body cannot be met.

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Common and Uncommon Feline Cardiomyopathy

All heart-related diseases can be called heart disease. Feline cardiomyopathy is the most common type of heart disease in adult domestic cats. Including the well-known "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy", there are four main types of cardiomyopathy in domestic cats↓

The first type: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common, accounts for about 60% of all heart diseases. According to popular science data, the incidence of HCM in ordinary cats is about 15%, and the incidence in elderly cats is about 29%. The overall shape of the heart of a cat with mild HCM may not change much, but the inner wall of the heart thickens, resulting in a smaller left ventricular cavity and a decreased ability of the heart to transport blood. Eventually, heart failure will occur, and it is often accompanied by the occurrence of blood clots.

The second type, restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), is less common. In this type of cardiomyopathy, scar tissue in the myocardium makes the muscle stiff and inelastic, which also limits the normal functioning of the heart, resulting in a decrease in blood transfusion capacity and eventually heart failure.

The third type: dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), is even rarer. In patients with this type of heart disease, the heart becomes larger overall, the myocardium becomes thinner, weaker and unable to pump blood effectively, eventually leading to heart failure.

The fourth type: Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which is rare . Cats with this disease experience dilation of the right ventricle and right atrium, thinning of the right ventricular wall, and usually right heart failure.

In addition, cats may present with unclassifiable cardiomyopathies, which are classified as “nonspecific phenotypic cardiomyopathy .” In addition, cats may also develop myocarditis and infectious myocardial disease.

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in conclusion

Cat heart disease may be caused by many reasons, not necessarily due to genetics. Whether it is a rural cat or a purebred cat, there is a certain probability of heart disease. The most common type of heart disease in adult domestic cats is feline cardiomyopathy, which mainly includes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Cat owners should raise their furry children scientifically and take them for regular physical examinations.

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