Moon's Graden

Sherry

Karen

You are doing the right thing to have his sister checked. The most accurate way
to check for HCM is with an ultrasound of the heart. If you can catch it early,
there are treatments that can help your cat live a relatively normal life.
Unfortunately with some cats, there are no symptoms until the cat suddenly
dies.

| Big pure-bred Maine Coon, indoor cat, maybe 20 lbs, not yet
| 7 years old.  I found him collapsed and making a ***
| noise, checked his mouth for obstructions, and rushed him to
| the vet, but he was dead by the time I got there.

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat... that's terrible!

|
| The vet said it was likely due to cardiac problems - WTF?
| The cat was big, but not overweight - we kept him and his
| sister on Hills Science Diet Light and he never showed any
| signs of ill health prior to the attack that killed him. In
| fact, he was happily chasing her around a few hours prior.

Unfortunately overweight has nothing to do with heart problems. It is just something with
the larger breed cats.

|
| Are cardiac problems specific to the Maine Coon breed? We
| spent $1000 on these two kittens from a recommended Maine
| Coon breeder 6 years ago specifically to avoid health
| problems. Is the age of six considered old for a male Maine
| Coon?

No, cardiac problems are not "specific" to Maine Coons, but do plague the large breed
cats. And, no, 6 is not old for a Maine Coon. My Charlie was somewhere between 14 and 16
when he died. I'm not sure of his age, as he was a rescue.

|
| I'm taking his sister in to the vet to get checked out -
| hopefully she'll be around a lot longer. Her brother was one
| great cat - laid-back, very friendly to everyone, a real
| clown. We're already missing him.

Having the sister checked out is a great idea. Better safe than sorry. Your boy sounds a
lot like my Charlie was...great cat and still sorely missed.
Lynn

Helen
--
A comprehensive guide to feline chronic renal failure -
symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and how to cope with it:
http://www.felinecrf.org

Plus the whole point about HCM is that you so rarely see symptoms. That's
why it's often the case that the cat dies before the problem is detected. It
seems quite possible that the OP's cat did have undiagnosed HCM.

Helen

http://www.felinecrf.org/related_diseases.htm#HCM1

My cat's been on meds for almost four years and although we had ups and
downs in the first year or so, he stabilised and his heart disease has
actually improved as a result of the meds. In fact, the cardiologist
recently said that he now thinks that the HCM may not affect his life span;
and this about a cat who at one stage was too weak to climb the stairs. So
don't give up hope if your girl has it, it may be treatable.

I'm very sorry for your loss )-:

Helen

Sherry

"Their natural origins make Maine Coons a sturdy breed, however, several
breeders mentioned two issues-cardiomyopathy and hip dysplasia-that have
become topics of concern in recent years. A hereditary form of
cardiomyopathy, a disease that causes heart failure or a *** clot that
leads to stroke, has been identified in some cats. Hip dysplasia, joint
condition often seen in large-breed dogs, is also being hotly debated in the
cat fancy."

To the person who lost their maine coon recently: I'm really sorry for your
loss.

| >
| > | The vet said it was likely due to cardiac problems - WTF?
| > | The cat was big, but not overweight - we kept him and his
| > | sister on Hills Science Diet Light and he never showed any
| > | signs of ill health prior to the attack that killed him. In
| > | fact, he was happily chasing her around a few hours prior.
| >
| > Unfortunately overweight has nothing to do with heart problems. It is just
| something with
| > the larger breed cats.
| >
| > |
| > | Are cardiac problems specific to the Maine Coon breed? We
| > | spent $1000 on these two kittens from a recommended Maine
| > | Coon breeder 6 years ago specifically to avoid health
| > | problems. Is the age of six considered old for a male Maine
| > | Coon?
| >
| > No, cardiac problems are not "specific" to Maine Coons, but do plague the
| large breed
| > cats.
|
| This is not correct. It is breed-related, but has nothing to do with size of
| the breed. HCM is relatively common in Persians, Maine Coons and Ragdolls.
| Persians can hardly be described as a large breed. My Persian boy has it and
| his normal weight is 10 lbs.

I stand corrected. I will be sure to pass this information onto my vet and let him know
he was wrong to tell me such a thing.
Lynn

|
| Helen
| --
| A comprehensive guide to feline chronic renal failure -
| symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and how to cope with it:
| http://www.felinecrf.org
|
|
|

Dangerous statement above. Completely untrue.
While a particular breed may be more prone to heart problems,
overall, in cats, excess weight can lead to heart problems.
Excess weight alone can cause the loss of a cat at age 5 even.

Don't contribute to people not taking "overweight" as serious.
It is, and can be deadly.

Suddenly "Fluffy's" weight isn't so cute, and his "favorite snacks"
aren't so "mandatory" when he's died as a result.

Want the longest healthiest life possible? Watching their weight is
part of acheiving that.