Diseases of Scottish Fold cats and their symptoms

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Scottish Fold is a fairly young breed that is known for its unusual appearance and peaceful nature. Funny ears, pressed to the head, have become the hallmark of these amazing creatures. However, such a mutation carries the risk of genetic disorders. Consider the most common diseases of Scottish Fold cats and their symptoms. Let's analyze the methods of treatment and prevention.

History and features of the breed

In 1961, a kitten was born in Scotland, which surprised others with an unusual mutation. With age, his ears did not rise, like other cats, but remained pressed to his head. This feature is associated with the deformation of the cartilage of the hearing aid. It was this kitten that became the progenitor of the whole breed, which was called Scottishfold. Since the type of heredity in the mutated gene is incomplete dominant, only a part of the kittens are born lop-eared.

Now the breed is very popular all over the world. On a rounded muzzle with flattened ears, the eyes look unusually large. In addition, lop-eared cats are famous for their simple disposition, and therefore there are rarely problems with their upbringing.

However, the mutation of the genes responsible for the deformation of the ear cartilage can also affect the he alth of the Scottishfolds. Often in cats of this breed, deafness was noted, as well as problems with the formation of bone and cartilage tissue. For some time, the breeding of such animals was considered inhumane. The wrong approach to the selection of producers can lead to disease of the joints of the Scottish Fold cat. In England, the breed is not registered and cannot participate in exhibitions.

Causes of osteochondrodystrophy of the Scots

Osteochondrodystrophy is a disease of cartilage and bone tissue, which is the result of a genetic mutation. In a he althy Scottish Fold cat, the gene responsible for the unusual shape of the ears is contained in a single copy. Due to the presence of a double set of genes in an animal, a deformation of the skeleton occurs. The mutation manifests itself in the form of a disease of the limbs. In a Scottish Fold cat, the vertebrae grow together, the paws become short and inactive, and the muzzle is often deformed.

Osteochondrodystrophy is the result of crossing two individuals of this breed. According to the calculations of geneticists, 50% of lop-eared, 25% of straight-eared and 25% of sick kittens should appear in the litter of such a pair. Although in practice, due to the individual characteristics of the parents, the percentage of sick babiesmaybe more.

Many inexperienced breeders, in order to get more lop-eared kittens in the litter, cross two Scottishfolds, resulting in the birth of sick animals. Doing so is prohibited!

Symptoms and diagnosis of osteochondrodystrophy

The main symptoms of diseases of Scottish Fold cats are:

• wrong gait;
• animal unwillingness to jump;
• shortened and deformed limbs;
• short tail, wide at the base, often stiff.

The disease can manifest from the first days of life. The older the kitten, and the greater the load on diseased joints, the worse the condition of the animal becomes. Diagnosis of the disease is possible from the age of seven weeks. It is carried out using x-rays.

How to avoid genetic abnormalities

Treatment of osteochronroystrophy is impossible. A sick cat should be given painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs that will alleviate the condition of the animal.

In order to prevent the disease, it is necessary to avoid mating two lop-eared cats, as well as closely related relationships.

To obtain offspring that has all the qualities of the breed, Scottish Fold cats can be crossed with other species. In this case, genetics improves, different kittens appear in the litter.

British shorthair cats are often used to produce lop-eared offspring. In this case, the difficulty may lie in finding a suitable partner, externalwhose characteristics are closest to the Scottish breed. American Shorthair cats are also often used for mating.

Skin diseases

One of the most common diseases of the skin and coat of Scottish Fold cats is ringworm. It is transmitted through direct contact with another infected animal. The main symptoms: the appearance of small rounded bald patches on the muzzle, paws and tail. Later, dry crusts form in their place. The disease is treated with ointments and tablets prescribed by a veterinarian. It is important to disinfect all things that a sick animal has come into contact with.

Often in lop-eared cats, and a little less often in females, there is a "ponytail". The most pronounced symptoms of the disease of the Scottish Fold cat include: hair loss around the tail, fatty deposits on the fur coat in the same area, inflammation and swelling. Anti-inflammatory ointments are used for treatment. The cat needs to be washed frequently and the hair on the tail combed thoroughly.

Quite often in long-haired lop-eared individuals, when combing, you can find dandruff on the skin. It appears due to improper, unbalanced nutrition or the presence of skin parasites. It is necessary to review the diet of the animal, and also treat the cat from parasites.

Gastritis

Gastritis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of an organ. This is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which is most common in lop-eared cats. Gastritis may occur due to improper andunbalanced feeding, eating too hot food or only dry food. Sometimes gastritis can be the result of other gastrointestinal diseases carried by animals.

With such a disease, the Scottish Fold cat has the following symptoms: loss of appetite, weakness and apathy, nausea and vomiting, belching, bad breath. During painful attacks, the animal moves with difficulty and meows plaintively. To treat the disease, it is necessary to review the pet's diet. You need to use only high-quality feed. It is best to transfer the cat to wet canned food or you can soak dry food, drinking water should always be in the public domain. To alleviate the condition of the animal, you can use anti-inflammatory and pain medications.

Eye diseases

Due to the special shape of the skull in Scottish Fold pets, tearing can sometimes be noted. In addition, cats with lighter coats have brown discharge under the eyes. Sometimes they are mistaken for gore. Most of the time, these discharges are normal. The owner should remove brown marks with a cotton pad moistened with clean water. As a last resort, a doctor may prescribe eye drops. Sometimes brown discharge under the eyes can indicate an internal disease of the animal. If a cat suddenly develops brown marks under the eyes, it is necessary to carefully monitor it and note other symptoms that may indicate an illness in the animal.

Sometimes lop-eared pets haveglaucoma. As a result of an increase in intraocular pressure, the sensory organs of the animal become inflamed and enlarged. Cataract is manifested by clouding of the lens. Keratitis is the result of mechanical damage to the eye. With it, tearing, pus discharge, clouding of the lens can be noted. Without timely help from a veterinarian, a cat may well become blind.

Diabetes

Scottish pets, especially spayed ones, are quite often obese. It is overweight cats that are most vulnerable to diabetes. It can also manifest itself as a result of constant stress, other diseases, injuries, and malnutrition. In the behavior of the animal, one can easily recognize the main signs of this disease. The Scottish fold cat gets itchy, so she will constantly try to scratch her skin with her paws. Also noted: a drop in activity, apathy, constant hunger and thirst, exhaustion. When diagnosed in the urine of a cat, an increased content of sugar is observed. Due to the lack of insulin in the blood, protein metabolism is disturbed.

When the first symptoms appear, the animal must be urgently shown to the doctor. A sick cat periodically needs to inject insulin. In addition, it is important to strictly adhere to a special diet. The diet should consist of boiled chicken meat, fish, fruit juices, hercules, mineral water, low-fat broths. Sick animals should be closely monitored and in case of exacerbation of the disease, urgently seek help from a specialist. Proper care will significantly extendsick cat life.

Pericarditis

Pericarditis is the most common cardiovascular disease in Scottish Fold cats. Causes of appearance: infectious and colds, infection with parasites. With pericarditis, a cat's heart sac becomes inflamed. The disease can have an acute and chronic form. The animal's activity decreases, shortness of breath appears, body temperature rises, it feels pain, symptoms of intoxication appear. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a veterinarian after examining the he alth of the pet. When treating, they first try to cope with the cause that caused the pericarditis. In addition, therapy is carried out aimed at eliminating the symptoms. The cat is given antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and diuretic drugs.

Obviously, in such a unique breed as the Scottish Fold cat, diseases are often associated with structural features, as well as with a mutation in the gene responsible for the shape of the ears. The hereditary diseases that Scottishfolds are prone to can be avoided if they are bred wisely. You can not breed animals of the same breed, otherwise a certain percentage of sick kittens will appear in their litter. It is necessary to carefully monitor the coat and eyes of Scottish pets. If the first symptoms of the disease occur, the animal must be urgently shown to the doctor.