American Wirehair Cat care: the common diseases of the breed
Here’s everything you need to know about the health of the American wirehair cat: the list of common diseases of the American Wirehair.
Knowing the common diseases in the American Wirehair is essential to promptly recognize any ailments of our four-legged friend, intervening to restore a situation of normality and serenity. Let’s see together the list of the most frequent pathologies in the rough-haired American, to understand symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
Common diseases of the American Wirehair: the complete list
The coarse-haired American is a very long-lived cat. Its average life span, in fact, is between 12 and 18 years.
This feline breed has a healthy and robust constitution: generally healthy, it hardly gets sick.
However, due to the close relationship with the American Shorthair, the coarse-haired specimens are predisposed to the onset of the same diseases that affect the American shorthair.
Among the common diseases in American Wirehair are:
Hip dysplasia;
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy;
Skin disorders.
Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is one of the common diseases of American Wirehair.
This disease affects the joint that gets stuck in the head of the animal’s femur, causing damage to the cartilage.
The main clinical signs that allow to identify this disease are:
Pain in the lower back
Difficulty walking
Abnormal walking
Movement reduction;
Arching of the back;
Abnormal development of the shoulder muscles
Isolation;
Depression;
General malaise.
After diagnosing hip dysplasia through a radiological examination, it will be possible to intervene with the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs, with physiotherapy or with surgery to reposition the joint in place, depending on the stage of progress of the disease.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is also on the list of common diseases of the American Wirehair.
It is a heart disease that affects the left ventricle of the cat, causing a thickening of the walls and a consequential reduction of the ventricular lumen.
By being able to take in less blood than normal, blood circulation is compromised, leading to congestive heart failure.
How does hypertrophic cardiomyopathy manifest itself in cats? The main symptoms include:
Heart murmur;
Artimia;
Difficulty in breathing;
Pulmonary edema;
Pleural effusion.
Unfortunately, to date there is no definitive treatment for this pathology. The prognosis is closely linked to the specific health situation of the cat: the greater the clinical signs presented, the lower the life expectancy of the animal.
Skin disorders
Finally, our list of common diseases in American Wirehair is closed by a series of skin disorders, to which this cat is predisposed due to the delicacy that distinguishes its skin.
In fact, despite its bristly and curled coat, which is responsible for a natural genetic mutation, the skin of this cat is thin and sensitive. Among the most frequent skin diseases in the breed are:
Dermatitis;
Mycosis;
Acne.
Since the skin of the long-haired American is particularly oily, to prevent the onset of these common diseases it is essential to wash your four-legged friend regularly, using special detergents.
If you want to know the essential information to take care of the American Wirehair, in this article you will find everything you need to know.
