Ragdoll health pre-disposition

[sol]

Congratulations to your kitten!

I know a few Ragdoll breeders here in Sweden and accordning to them the Ragdoll is prone to thinned renal cortex and therefor most breeders in Sweden screen the kidneys of their Ragdolls before breeding them. I'm not sure what the thin renal cortex means for the individual cat though.

 

[familytimerags]

Originally Posted by Sol

Congratulations to your kitten!

I know a few Ragdoll breeders here in Sweden and accordning to them the Ragdoll is prone to thinned renal cortex and therefor most breeders in Sweden screen the kidneys of their Ragdolls before breeding them. I'm not sure what the thin renal cortex means for the individual cat though.

I have spoke at length with vets and other Ragdoll breeders here in the states, and most do not screen for PKD (polycystic Kidney disease). Reason being, it hasn't shown up very often in Ragdolls, unless there happens to be a Persian/Himalayan outcross, which are known to have more prevalent problems with PKD. I have decided with that information to not screen for PKD, but for HCM. Ragdolls are the breed being helped for HCM Research, it is being thought that the gene that causes HCM in the Ragdoll breed is recessive, and more research is being done. Funding is being raised by breeders and pet owners at www.ragdollresearch.org. They are accepting donations, as well as have a raffle and auction planned.

 

[pondwader]

He's gorgeous!

You can see his pink paw pads, which if he were blue would be a slate blue color, or even at least darker than they are. He's a beautiful lilac

I would love to see more pics of him

 

[reddicequeen]

Here's my Remy he will be a year old at the end of the month. He weighs 16 lbs and he is such a sweetie. He is not show quality...due to a weak chin...our joke about him. He thinks he is a dog...and he is quite the little nosey guy...he enjoys plumbing, electrical work, folding clothes and helping with my make up.
He is the first cat I have ever owned...or should i say who has owned me!!P.s. your baby is beautiful

 

[sol]

Originally Posted by FamilytimeRags

I have spoke at length with vets and other Ragdoll breeders here in the states, and most do not screen for PKD (polycystic Kidney disease). Reason being, it hasn't shown up very often in Ragdolls, unless there happens to be a Persian/Himalayan outcross, which are known to have more prevalent problems with PKD. I have decided with that information to not screen for PKD, but for HCM. Ragdolls are the breed being helped for HCM Research, it is being thought that the gene that causes HCM in the Ragdoll breed is recessive, and more research is being done. Funding is being raised by breeders and pet owners at www.ragdollresearch.org. They are accepting donations, as well as have a raffle and auction planned.

PKD is a completely other issue. The kidney condition I described is an unnamed condition and it may be the reason why CRF is more common in the Ragdoll (at least in Sweden) than in other breeds. Breeders choose to screen in order to find these cats an exclude them from breeding. The test is done in the same way as a PKD test and indeed PKD will show itself if the cat has it but what the vet is looking for is a thin renal cortex, not PKD. Many Ragdoll breeders screen for HCM to.

It's pretty much like the reason why I choose to have my cats hearts thoroughly checked by a heart specialist, not because I'm particulary worried about HCM (even though it does exist in the Devon Rex) but because I wanna know the heart status of my breeding cats. Heart defects are the most common congenital defects in cats so knowing the heart status in breeding animals is good, HCM or not.

 

[natalie_ca]

Originally Posted by Mairi II

What is a "moggie"?

According to a google search it means:

Term used in Great Britain to describe a domestic non-pedigreed cat. Also used as an affectionate term for "stray" cats.