What diseases are Maine Coon cats prone to?
Though generally healthy, Maine Coon cats can develop a few health conditions, including:
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM): HCM is an abnormal thickening of the heart’s left ventricle that leads to improper blood flow. It is the most common cause of heart disease in cats and can result in sudden death.
- Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia occurs when the hip joint grows abnormally or is misshapen. The abnormal shape prevents the joints and sockets from adequately meeting one another, resulting in rubbing and grinding instead of sliding smoothly. Over time, the rubbing from dysplasia can cause various issues, such as pain, lameness, and secondary osteoarthritis. Surgery can fix the joint if diagnosed before the onset of arthritis.
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic disease caused by the loss of neurons in the spinal cord that trigger the skeletal muscles. The lack of neurons leads to muscle weakness and degeneration. The condition is not painful and does not prevent cats from leading a normal life.