Originally published October 18 2005
Researchers identify heart disease gene in cats
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common ailment among Maine coon cats, and now researchers have identified the gene associated with the disease, prompting the development of tests that will expose the predisposition.
Ricky, a Devon Rex cat, played the piano, jumped through a hoop, and was once mistaken by a bank teller for a wind-up toy.
Ricky had another, less-fortunate distinction: he suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common form of heart disease in cats.
When Ricky died of a massive heart attack in 2002, his owner, Steve Dale of Chicago, set up The Ricky Fund for research into feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in conjunction with the Winn Feline Foundation, which funds research into cat-related health problems.
Since then, among the advances researchers have made include identification of the gene that causes HCM in Maine Coon cats, a great step in the path toward treating the disease.
By cracking open the textbooks of life through the sequencing of the canine and feline genomes, researchers are discovering new approaches to pet health and disease.
They've begun to identify the genes responsible for certain inherited diseases and create genetic tests to identify affected animals.
These breakthroughs mean new hope for people whose cats and dogs suffer from such diseases, as well as for breeders, who can use new techniques to screen for disease and prevent passing it on.
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