Maine Coon: Common Diseases

2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

The Maine Coon it is mainly known (and loved) for its large size, for its long and thick hair and for its docile and affectionate character. However, it is exposed to some health risks, and it is good to know them so that you can prevent or treat them. So here's what the most common diseases in a Maine Coon.

There are many ailments that affect this cat genetic and therefore closely related to its race, and have a rather significant impact and a fairly strong impact on it. This does not mean that your cat will certainly exhibit these problems, just that he is more at risk than others.

There hip dysplasia it is very common in larger dog breeds and is considered to be related to the large size of these animals. The same is true for the Maine Coon, where males are more at risk than females because they are larger and exert more strain on ligaments and muscles. This disorder can cause arthritis and in rare cases even paralysis.

Generally the sick cat shows few distinctive clinical signs in its first years of life, but it tends to perform progressively slower movements and to behave like a much older cat. However, there are more serious cases in which a kitten can find itself limping conspicuously even at 6 months.

Although painful, hip dysplasia does not endanger the life of the animal like other diseases. This is, for example, the case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, one of the most common heart diseases among felines. It is often found in Maine Coon, usually in adulthood or elderly.

The gene considered responsible for this disorder, which consists of a progressive thickening of the heart muscle and has a high mortality rate, has been isolated but not all the specimens that carry it end up getting sick.

L' spinal amyotrophy (SMA) is another well-documented genetic and hereditary disease in Maine Coons. It causes degeneration of the motor neurons of the spinal cord and consequent atrophy of the muscles and limbs. Fortunately, it is quite rare.

Symptoms mainly consist of abnormal posture, difficulty moving and jumping, decreased muscle mass, muscle instability and weakness. They occur quite early in the cat's life, typically around 3-4 months of age.

The disturbance of the polycystic kidney (PKD) affects about 6% of cats each year and manifests itself at birth with the presence of small cysts inside the kidneys which, over the years, will enlarge, infecting the still healthy tissue, resulting in kidney failure. The Maine Coon is affected by this disease in a different way than other breeds: they will be able to lead a happy and relatively normal life and in any case will not show symptoms before 7 years of age.