Heart Screening On Cats (Echocardiography)
When you want to test your cat for HCM you contact one of the veterinaries stated on the list decided by PawPeds. The listed veterinaries are very experienced in this particular field of heart scanning. This group of experts cooperates with PawPeds and the goal is to receive the same result no matter which of the listed veterinaries you choose to make an appointment with.
Click on the button to see the current list of veterinaries associated to the health program.
You have to bring a special form for the HCM test when you go to the veterinary. You can download it here:
Please fill in all details about your cat on your computer and then print it. Handwriting is hard to read sometimes. Don't forget to sign the form before your appointment. You must take the form and your cat's pedigree certificate along to the HCM examination. Make sure the cat's pedigree is already registered in the pedigree database of PawPeds, by sending it to one of your breeds registrars.
The cat has to have an identification in the form of either a microchip or a tattoo in order to be entered in the register of the health program. If the cat doesn't have an identification number yet you can have that done at the same time.
The veterinary fills in the test results and sends a copy of the form to the registry keeper for the health program. 60 days after the HCM examination was performed the results will be available to the public.
Recommendations For Testing And Breeding
Research shows that HCM is inherited autosomal dominant with incomplete penetration and with variable expression in the Maine Coon breed. This means that the gene not always shows and that it varies depending on how early the disease occurs and how severe the disease gets despite of the fact that it is dominant. It is estimated that 10-15% of the Maine Coons have HCM.
As HCM is a so called progressive disease, which means that it developes gradually during the years, it is considered to be more difficult to fight in comparison to other diseases. PawPeds has worked out a health program which will advise breeders to carefully select their breeding stock in order to minimise the quantity of affected cats in the breed in future.
PawPeds has together with the cardiologist and professor Jens Häggström (who works at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden) formed recommendations for testing and breeding with regard to HCM in the Maine Coon breed.
Click here to read the recommendations for testing and breeding regarding HCM.
Help!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the contact persons for the health program!