Health of the Chartreux cat: the most common diseases
Discovering the Carthusian cat and its health: let’s see what are the most common diseases and how to detect them promptly to protect it.
Have you decided to enrich your life with the wonderful company of a Carthusian cat and want to know what are the common diseases of this breed? Let’s find out everything you need to know about the most frequent pathologies and the state of health of these irresistible cats.
The most common diseases in the Carthusian cat
The Carthusian cat belongs to the breeds of cats that live longer: the average lifespan, in fact, is more than 15 years. In addition, these specimens are characterized by strong endurance and excellent health.
For this reason, these healthy and long-lived cats have often been the subject of study, to understand their secret. The results of the research have also established that the most common diseases in the Carthusian cat tend to occur less noticeably and aggressively than in other breeds.
Medial patellar dislocation
Among the common diseases in the Carthusian cat is the dislocation of the patella, which tends inwards relative to the knee. In most cases, it is a congenital malformation, but it can also be of traumatic origin.
In animals that are affected by it, the patella protrudes from the articular rails. This is evident because the cat limps and has difficulty walking. Depending on the severity of the situation, the veterinarian may decide to intervene surgically with specific surgical techniques.
Struvite calculations
Kidney stones in cats, and especially those formed by struvite crystals, are among the most common diseases that affect the Carthusian. The symptoms through which this pathology manifests itself are:
Pain when urinating
Frequent and incomplete urination
Meow during urination
Blood in the urine
Lack of appetite
Weakness and general malaise
In most cases, after administering antibiotics to the cat to heal the inflammation, it will be necessary to subject the feline to a specific diet for its disorder, consisting of special medicated foods.
Polycystic kidney disease
Polycystic kidney disease is common in carthusian cats. It is a hereditary pathology, which also affects other breeds such as the Persian and the Maine Coon. During the first years of life, polycystic kidney disease progresses slowly and asymptomatically.
It involves the formation of cysts within one or both kidneys. Over time, they grow to impair kidney function. Among the symptoms of this pathology are:
Slimming
Dehydration
Halitosis
Unfortunately, to date there is no cure for polycystic kidney disease. An adequate therapy prescribed by your veterinarian, however, can help slow the progression of the disease.
Hip dysplasia
Among the most common diseases in the Carthusian cat is hip dysplasia. It is a rare hereditary transmitted pathology, which causes a degeneration of the joints from the first months of the animal’s life.
With the passage of time, damage prevents the cat from walking, playing and jumping regularly. Symptoms of hip dysplasia are:
Strange noises at the hip during the movement of the cat
Chronic pain in cats
Arching of the back
Shoulder enlargement
In severe cases, the cat will have to undergo surgery for complete hip replacement.
