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Cats Symptoms Cure |
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Symptoms Cats
> Cats Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyrodism (Paper Bone Disease)
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Cats Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyrodism (Paper Bone Disease)
Signs of this bone condition are seen most often in young, growing
kittens, but the basic changes in metabolism and bone which occur are
induced in any cat fed a diet unbalanced in calcium and phosphorus. The
cause of this nutritional bone disease is usually a diet that consists solely
or primarily of meat (muscle or organs such as heart, kidney, or liver). This
results in an abnormally low calcium intake and abnormally high
phosphorus intake, and in turn stimulates the parathyroid glands to make
metabolic adjustments in an attempt to return blood calcium and
phosphorus to levels more nearly normal. Since insufficient dietary calcium
is available to make the necessary adjustments, the skeleton is called
upon to furnish it and demineralization of bone occurs.Since the demand for calcium is particularly high in the first six to eight
months of a cat's life, signs of paper bone disease are usually most
marked in animals of this age. Bowing of the legs, abnormal spinal
curvature, and reluctance to move (a sign of pain) occur and have been
misdiagnosed by some owners and veterinarians as rickets. Spontaneous
fractures may even occur, and if the condition is left untreated death may
be the final result. Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism can be very
deceptive. Because meat is high in protein and fat, kittens fed improper
high-meat or all-meat diets can maintain a healthy appearance in terms of
body weight and normal hair coat while the bony changes are occurring.
Unless you have seen the disease before, you may have difficulty
recognizing paper bone disease. Your veterinarian, however, should be
able to diagnose it, and you will need veterinary expertise to treat it
successfully. The best thing you can do as an owner is to prevent paper
bone disease by feeding your cat (young or adult) a balanced diet.
Skeletal Abnormalities (Polydactly, Patellar Luxation, Hip Dysplasia)
The incidence of abnormalities of the appendicular skeleton in cats
historically has been rare. The most commonly recognized abnormality has
been the formation of extra complete or partially formed digits on each
affected foot, particularly the front feet. This condition is called polydactyly
and is caused by the action of a single dominant gene. Polydactyly is
usually of no serious physical consequence to an affected cat. However,
some cats have as many as four nearly normal extra digits on the affected
feet and in these there is a tendency for the toenails on the extra toes to
grow into the digital pads causing discomfort and infection if the claws are
not kept trimmed.
As the popularity of purebred cats has risen so has the incidence of
more serious skeletal diseases. Patellar luxation (dislocation of the
kneecap) was first recognized in the Devon Rex breed, but is now seen in
others as well. Hip dysplasia, a deformity of the hip joint in which the joint
socket is abnormally shallow and the head of the femur is malformed, has
also been diagnosed in lines of purebred cats.
Both patellar luxation and hip dysplasia are diseases that are strongly
genetically influenced in dogs and appear to be similarly influenced in cats.
Most cats affected with such skeletal abnormalities are not significantly
impaired in their day-to-day function. However, all affected individuals are
predisposed to develop osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease), and
markedly affected animals may have problems with lameness throughout
their lives.
Dog breeders who minimize the importance of skeletal abnormalities
that seem to cause no obvious problems for their animals are responsible
for the persistence of these problems in dog breeds. The time to stop the
establishment of similar crippling, genetically influenced diseases in cats
is before the problem becomes as prevalent as it is in purebred dogs. Be
sure that any kitten you acquire (purebred or random bred) is found normal
on repeated physical examination through his or her skeletal growth period
and be sure that any cat selected for breeding has a normal
musculoskeletal system.
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