by Michael
Oriental Shorthair Cat - this photo by .m for matthijs was added by Michael to show the breed. There is no connection between this cat and the article.
I was informed of Hepatic Amyloidosis in Siamese & Oriental Cats by a visitor (Lisa Lyons) to this website who lives with beautiful Oriental Shorthair cats. You can see her post here: Owned By Two Oriental Shorthair Cats. I had not heard of this disease despite building a page on Genetic Diseases in Purebred Cats
some time ago.
Lisa thought that it was pretty rare in Oriental Shorthair cats. Apparently it also affects Siamese cats, which is unsurprising as they are one and the same cat almost, the Oriental being a "modern" Siamese that has a much wider coat colour and pattern range.
I am not sure how prevalent it is amongst these two breeds; and lets remember that the Siamese is a very popular cat breed.
A site dedicated to this disease (link below) informs us that although we are not sure how commonplace it is, the author of the site feels that it is " fairly widespread". The point she makes is that breeders breed from the same bloodlines (same original cats). On this basis it is likely to be fairly widespread I would have thought.
It is often misdiagnosed and has been in existence for about 30 years.
What are the symptoms?.
The symptoms of Hepatic Amyloidosis in Siamese & Oriental Cats include: feeling ill, pale gums, pale ears, slight jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), high white cell count, low red cell count, vomiting frothy bloody fluid, the disease may wax and wane, come and go.
Amyloid cysts damage the liver causing it to bleed. The cat dies quickly. This can produce an incorrect diagnosis but a biopsy shows blood in the abdominal cavity.
The disease is incurable and fatal. Some cats die within 2-3 years.
What is being done?
Research into genetics as this is an inherited disease. A gene marker is being searched for to understand how the disease works and how it can be cured.
Cat owners who suspect that their cats have the disease should go to this website -- link broken May 2013--- and follow the instructions at the base of the page. This will help in the long term to control and eventually eliminate this nasty disease.
Other information - source: Merck Veterinary Manual
The disease also affects Abyssinian cats and a dog breed, Chinese Shar-Peis. The disease generally leads to hepatic disease (liver disease) as mentioned above.
Another condition associated with Hepatic Amyloidosis in Siamese & Oriental Cats is hypervitaminosis A. Other signs are anorexia (weight loss), polydipsia (excessive thirst), and polyuria (the passage of large volumes of urine), vomiting, icterus (jaundice as mentioned above), and hepatomegaly (an enlarged liver).
From Hepatic Amyloidosis in Siamese & Oriental Cats to Cat Health Problems
Facing a terrible overnight wait until I can see my vet,terrified my beautiful 8 month old white Siamese has this.Whilst not seeming Ill,he has not eaten properly all weekend and has been lethargic,just a couple of days later he has massive weight loss ,his ears and face look yellow and he will not eat or drink at all. Seeing my vet in a couple of hours,praying it’s something else,not only for my kitten but For my 2,other Siamese boys aged 2 & 3 ,who although from a different breeder it turns out are related to my kitten.
OMG I hope he is okay but the yellowness is a bad sign. If you have time and feel in the mood please come back and tell us how it worked out. Good luck to you both.
Was not my usual vet,thinks FIP and tests being carried out now,my fears over Amyloidosis pretty much ignored,I’ve paid extra for blood count to be done to ease my mind,will update but you’re right,yellow is a bad sign and we are not hopeful,really appreciate the support Michael,thank you.
Wishing you both the best.
Please tell me what happened to your baby….I just lost the love of my life 8 days ago. His symptoms were very similar. The vet thought Simon had FIP too and told me it was fatal. Devastated, I brought him home to die, wasting 3 precious days until I got a second opinion from his former surgeon who was out of town.
He did not agree and recommended we start driving 5 hours to see the closest ER vet and internist. He was not eating or drinking, jaundice, lethargic, isolating….and severely anemic.
He received a transfusion of DOG blood! Simon was type B blood(Siamese are almost always type A), it was unavailable in Canada and needed to be flown in from the states. Our vet knew of success in other countries using canine blood and it gave him 3 extra days, buying time until the type B arrived.
He was FIV and FLV negative. He was in critical care for four days. It was horrible. He developed fluid around his lungs which was drained. He tested negative for parasites. He had hemolytic anemia, very low white blood cell count,and a heart murmur.
The night before the blood arrived we visited him around 1130 pm. He looked better, less jaundice. He was more alert, he acknowledged me with his silent meow. Dragged himself to the litter to pee.
I cuddled and kissed him, had a long visit. Told him to hang on, told him how much I loved him and Thank You for loving me. I left feeling so hopeful and happy.
The vet called 15 minutes after I left saying Simon’s heart rate and BP had dropped he was unresponsive. I immediately returned, I am a RN and I saw he was actively dying.
He would not make it Til morning. He had fought hard and suffered more than enough, I had spent eight grand trying to save him….and I had to say goodbye.
This is the most painful experience of my life. I wish I knew what happened. I blame myself.
I wish I knew why he died.
Thanks for commenting Kerry. I think your comment is directed at another person. So sorry to hear about your cat’s passing.
Lost two Flame Point Siamese to this horrible diseases. Was never diagnosed, but I am sure this was what we were dealing with.unfortunately I like this breed gor their beautiful coloring but for the personality .first I lost sammerjoe in 2001, for three years, poor ols boydied in my arms at 161/2 years old.next I got honeybear he eventualky started just like sammers vomiting and losing weight.last3d about three years until he to passed away one 3vening last year.he was 121/2.i just disvovered thid disease.now im getting honeybears sister mochi tested for this, I hope that she will be fine, as she is female, seems most people talk about losing their male cats.maybe it onky affects males.she is healthy and robust at age 14.honeybears nickname 2as hurler or hurley for good reason vomited all over the place, constantly cleaning up after him, poor fellow could never keep food down.miss my boys.
It sounds like you and your cats went through a very tough time. I am sorry to hear that. Thanks for sharing though.