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Health Issues in the Persian Cat - HCM

POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE (PKD)
FELINE INTESTINAL PERITONITIS (FIP)
HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY (HCM)

Health is a major concern at Donegal Cattery. All Donegal Cattery breeding cats are DNA PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Negative, tested at UC Davis Genetics Laboratory and/or Texas A& M Research Facility (CatDNATest). See the PKD section in Health Issues in the Persian Cat (page two) for more information on this disease. FIP (Feline Intestinal Peritonitis), a death sentence to susceptible young cats, is addressed in Health Issues in the Persian Cat (page three).

Breeders have been aware of PKD and FIP for decades now and most are making efforts to eliminate PKD genetically and minimize FIP incidence with appropriate breeding practices. If they are not doing this, then it is wise to question their ethics in breeding Persian cats.

In recent years another disease has permeated the Persian breed and that of several other breeds. It is a disease of genetic origin that involves a mutation in a cardiac gene (cardiac myosin binding protein C) that codes for structural proteins, which in turn has an effect on the muscular development of the heart. The outcome of this heart disease called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an enlarged heart typically involving, but not limited to, the cardiac ventricle with early changes evident in the cardiac septum and/or mitral valve. Large male cats seem to be affected at higher rates. Given the high incidence of HCM recently discovered in Persian cats (up to about a 40% of the breed affected) and the blind eye it has received from many breeders, this disease will be addressed first.

If you would like to see what strides are being made with the Sphynx breed regarding HCM, you can go to the Hairless Hearts web site where they are joining forces with other breeds in HCM research through this direct link, http://www.hairlesshearts.org/. Or you can simply click on the link below. In addition to a very extensive resource on this disease, they help to set up HCM clinics where breeders and/or pet owners can have their cats receive cardiac ultrasounds to look for signs of HCM. Many are unaware that Persian cats are behind several of the newer breeds, including the Sphynx cat.

HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY (HCM)

All Donegal Cattery breeding cats receive cardiac ultrasounds at two years of age at The Sound Cat in Wilmington, NC (veterinarian: Rosemarie Williams, DVM). www.thesoundcat.com Results of these tests are listed for each Sire and Dam and/or their ancestors on their respective web site pages. Any cats with ultrasounds that indicate signs of HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) are retired from the breeding program. It is a breeder’s responsibility to find these carriers and quell them from breeding. If left untreated this highly heritable cardiac disease, which causes an enlarged heart, will lead to CHF (congestive Heart Failure) or sudden cardiac death.

Ultrasound is the only definitive test for this disease. As of March, 2013 there is no DNA test available for any type of Persian cats, only for Maine Coons and Ragdolls. Symptoms which include lethargy, deep chest breathing at rest, and/or hind leg paralysis (due to a blood clot) can occur as early as young adults, just over one year of age. Hyperthyroidism and Hypertension can lead to thickening of the heart’s ventricle and should be ruled out as a cause before determining that the cat has the inherited form of HCM. Some of these cats will have heart murmurs at a young age, but not all of them. Many cats develop symptoms in middle age (six to eight years old) and some will die of other diseases that develop concurrently with an enlarged heart in their latter years (i.e. congestive heart failure, renal failure, and pancreatitis).

When the disease itself becomes the cause of their demise, it typically manifests itself in the form of congestive heart failure (CHF). Human medicines and a canine medicine (used off label in felines as are many other medications) have offered the addition of months or even years to the life of CHF cats. You can read about Donegal’s Irish Crème, a CHF survivor of three and a half years at the time of this writing (March, 2013) on the HandiCats Donegal page of this web site. He has been maintained on enalapril (a blood pressure medicine), furosemide (a diuretic), and pemobendan (brand name, Vetmedin, for contractility of the heart).

CH Donegal’s Irish Crème (Irish)

When Donegal’s Irish Crème was diagnosed with CHF and her two and a half year old tortie point Himalayan named Foxy had died in her arms from the same illness, Jeanne O'Donnell of Donegal Cattery did some detective work.

CH Donegal’s Fox Trot (Foxy)

She sought out the common denominator of those two cats and a cat she had placed with a local friend who was also diagnosed with HCM, GP Donegal’s St. Patrick.

GP Donegal’s Saint Patrick (Patrick)

The common denominator was Ronan, their sire. His cardiac ultrasound confirmed Jeanne O’Donnell’s fears. Unbeknownst to her Jeanne’s foundation breeding male had been passing this disease for years.

CH InTheWind Peadar Ronan of Donegal (Ronan)

Because of the heartache that accompanies premature death from enlarged hearts in these wonderful cats, it has become a passion for Jeanne O’Donnell of Donegal Cattery and Susan Youngman of Victorian Gardens Cattery to help eradicate this disease in the Persian breed.

Jeanne O’Donnell is calling this endeavor:

"Ronan's Big Heart"
The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Dilemma in Breeding Persian Cats

In desperation she called the office of the geneticist doing genetic testing in 2008 for The Cat Fanciers Association and asked them why they have a genetic marker for HCM in Maine Coons, but didn't have a genetic marker for the most popular breed of cats, the Persian. They told her that there was a research project beginning and that it sounded like she had the perfect colony for it. They then put her in touch with Dr. Brown of the CFA who subsequently referred her to Gus Cothran, DVM at Texas A&M University's genetic research center. He had recently begun a research study for HCM in Persian cats.

Since late summer of 2008, Donegal Cattery has been providing DNA and pedigrees of Donegal cats (including breeding adults, kittens produced since 2008, and many cats that have been placed throughout the years with the cooperation of their owners) in the landmark study for HCM at Texas A&M. Dr. Cothran had told Jeanne O’Donnell at the beginning of her participation that a diseased heart could tell them more about the genetics of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy than all of the DNA samples she could provide.

Ronan succumbed to multi organ failure in August of 2012 at the age of thirteen, a long life for a cat with well established cardiomyopathy, and was euthanized. His heart, and that of a cat who was normal (no evidence of HCM) at the time of euthanasia, were harvested by her veterinarians Rosemarie Williams, DVM and Jennifer Rockwell, DVM at The Sound Cat in Wilmington, North Carolina for the comparative research. These veterinarians have also contributed to this research endeavor with diagnoses based on exams, results from cardiac ultrasounds, and by sending samples of both hearts. By the beginning of 2013 the experience Dr. Williams has had with Persian cats has revealed an incidence rate of HCM in about 40% of the breed. She has been in practice now for over 30 years. Dr. Williams and her associate, Dr. Rockwell, have devoted their careers to that of a “cats only” veterinarian practice.  

Jeanne O'Donnell conversed with Dr. Cothran shortly after her veterinarian submitted the specimen on Ronan's heart to verify that he had received it. A diseased heart is what they were hoping for to provide the genetic data they needed. Dr. Cothran told her there has been set back in the research. The program was moving right along until he lost his "fellow" who was helping him on the project.

Hoping that this facility would be the first to discover the genetic marker for this disease, Jeanne O’Donnell had participated enthusiastically. She was hoping to be the first breeder to know the genetic HCM status of all cats from Donegal Cattery who have been included in the study. Sadly, as of late 2012, these hopes have been challenged. Due essentially to funding, the HCM Persian research study has taken a step back. To say that Jeanne O'Donnell was crushed after all the effort, time and expense she invested (mailing homemade testing packets to previous clients, shipping DNA samples with pedigrees, paying for cardiac ultrasounds and necropsies with biopsies of her cats) would be an understatement. She was "heart broken."

Maine Coon breeders banded together in the face of HCM and were conscientious in funding the discovery of the gene for their breed. As small as that breed is, it puts Persian breeders to shame as Persian cat owners account for the greatest percentage of purebred cats. Many breeders have ceased breeding because of the cost of screening for HCM and the heartache associated with this disease.

Yet there are still many Persian breeders with the financial capabilities to contribute. Because it is the most popular breed, Persian breeders have the greatest potential for monetary contributions to this endeavor and a MORAL OBLIGATION for seeing it through. If we don’t get behind this, more breeders will cease breeding because of the heartache associated with such a high percentage of a loss of cats at a premature age. Then the breed itself may come to an end with too small a gene pool to keep its vigor. Or worse, the breed will develop a reputation of having a “lethal” gene.

YOU, an obvious Persian cat lover, can leave a “paw print” in the medical history for Persian cats. YOU, especially BREEDERS, can and should help by making a generous donation to project:

"Ronan's Big Heart"

If the genetic marker can be discovered for Maine Coons and Ragdolls, it can be discovered for Persian cats as well. Jeanne O’Donnell can provide you with contact information for the researcher if you would like to become involved with this research. You can reach her through the Contact Us page of this web site. You will need to provide your email address and/or phone number and put Contribution to Ronan’s Big Heart in the Comments section. You will be submitting DNA samples directly to the researcher, not to Donegal Cattery.

Even more important than DNA submissions, we need monetary contributions. A grant is imperative if this research is going to continue. Follow this link for instructions on how to submit monetary donations to the Persian HCM Fund via the Winn Feline Foundation. Once we have accummulated the minimum amount required for a grant, Dr. Cothran will then submit a grant request for funding his Persian HCM research. Your participation in monetary contributions and DNA samples can add miles to this research endeavor and will help to ensure the future of the Persian cat breed.