Health
All of our breeding Bengals cats undergo a series of health test to screen for various possible hereditary diseases, including Pk Deficiency and PRA-b through UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Genetic Laboratory. Kittens are not tested but can be upon request of the potential buyer at the buyers expense. This is non refundable! Color tests are also available upon request.
Bengal Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA-b)
The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California – Davis and the Lyons Feline Genetics and Comparative Medicine Laboratory at the University of Missouri announce the release of the new genetic test for progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), which causes an autosomal recessive blindness in Bengal cats. The disease causes the destruction of the cells that register light (photoreceptors) in the back of the eye (the retina). The loss of the cells begins around 7 weeks of age and slowly progresses until the cat has very compromised vision by approximately 2 years of age1. However, blindness develops at different rates in different cats. We have examples of cats over 2 years of age chasing a laser pointer; however vision testing by an ophthalmologist indicated that the cats should be blind. Blind cats tend to have more difficulty at night, sometimes becoming more vocal and more attached to their owners. The pupils are usually more dilated for affected cats than for cats with normal vision in the same lighting conditions. Affected cats also tend to carry their whiskers in a more forward position. Once affected cats know their surroundings, they are very mobile and active. Our thanks to the breeders who came forward and helped us establish a colony so that we could define the condition and find the gene responsible for this defect.
The causative DNA variant appears to be novel to the Bengal breed and occurred early in a popular lineage of the Bengals. We expect Bengal cats worldwide to have the condition and we have had reports of affected cats in the United Kingdom, Europe and the USA. Bengal PRA is autosomal recessive, thus two copies of the mutant DNA variant are required for the cats to be blind. The blindness can be detected either by the DNA test or by an eye exam prior breeding age. Carriers, cats with one copy of the mutation, can only be detected by the DNA test.
The results of these research efforts are being prepared for publication in a scientific journal. However, we are releasing the new test ahead of the publication because breeders are continuing to use carrier cats and even blind cats in their breeding programs, and thus Bengal PRA blindness is rapidly spreading.
Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency
(PK Deficiency) in Felines
Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK Deficiency) is an inherited hemolytic anemia caused by insufficient activity of this regulatory enzyme which results in instability and loss of red blood cells. The anemia is intermittent, the age of onset is variable and clinical signs are also variable. Symptoms of this anemia can include: severe lethargy, weakness, weight loss, jaundice, and abdominal enlargement. This condition is inherited as an autosomal recessive.
Based on a survey of 38 breeds, the mutation responsible for PK deficiency has been found in significant frequency in Abyssinian, Bengal, Domestic Shorthair and Longhair, Egyptian Mau, La Perm, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest, Savannah, Siberian, Singapura and Somali. Cats of these breeds are at higher risk of having PK deficiency or producing affected offspring; genetic screening for the mutation is recommended. A few breeds showed very low frequency of the mutation (less than 0.2%) and are low risk: Exotic Shorthair, Oriental Shorthair and Persian.
The VGL offers a DNA test for PK deficiency to assist owners and breeders in identifying affected and carrier cats. The test uses DNA collected from buccal swabs avoiding invasive blood collection. Breeders can use this test as a tool to avoid breeding carriers together which would produce 25% affected offspring.
All of our breeding Bengals cats undergo a series of health test to screen for various possible hereditary diseases, including Pk Deficiency and PRA-b through UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Genetic Laboratory. Kittens are not tested but can be upon request of the potential buyer at the buyers expense. This is non refundable! Color tests are also available upon request.
Bengal Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA-b)
The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California – Davis and the Lyons Feline Genetics and Comparative Medicine Laboratory at the University of Missouri announce the release of the new genetic test for progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), which causes an autosomal recessive blindness in Bengal cats. The disease causes the destruction of the cells that register light (photoreceptors) in the back of the eye (the retina). The loss of the cells begins around 7 weeks of age and slowly progresses until the cat has very compromised vision by approximately 2 years of age1. However, blindness develops at different rates in different cats. We have examples of cats over 2 years of age chasing a laser pointer; however vision testing by an ophthalmologist indicated that the cats should be blind. Blind cats tend to have more difficulty at night, sometimes becoming more vocal and more attached to their owners. The pupils are usually more dilated for affected cats than for cats with normal vision in the same lighting conditions. Affected cats also tend to carry their whiskers in a more forward position. Once affected cats know their surroundings, they are very mobile and active. Our thanks to the breeders who came forward and helped us establish a colony so that we could define the condition and find the gene responsible for this defect.
The causative DNA variant appears to be novel to the Bengal breed and occurred early in a popular lineage of the Bengals. We expect Bengal cats worldwide to have the condition and we have had reports of affected cats in the United Kingdom, Europe and the USA. Bengal PRA is autosomal recessive, thus two copies of the mutant DNA variant are required for the cats to be blind. The blindness can be detected either by the DNA test or by an eye exam prior breeding age. Carriers, cats with one copy of the mutation, can only be detected by the DNA test.
The results of these research efforts are being prepared for publication in a scientific journal. However, we are releasing the new test ahead of the publication because breeders are continuing to use carrier cats and even blind cats in their breeding programs, and thus Bengal PRA blindness is rapidly spreading.
Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency
(PK Deficiency) in Felines
Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK Deficiency) is an inherited hemolytic anemia caused by insufficient activity of this regulatory enzyme which results in instability and loss of red blood cells. The anemia is intermittent, the age of onset is variable and clinical signs are also variable. Symptoms of this anemia can include: severe lethargy, weakness, weight loss, jaundice, and abdominal enlargement. This condition is inherited as an autosomal recessive.
Based on a survey of 38 breeds, the mutation responsible for PK deficiency has been found in significant frequency in Abyssinian, Bengal, Domestic Shorthair and Longhair, Egyptian Mau, La Perm, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest, Savannah, Siberian, Singapura and Somali. Cats of these breeds are at higher risk of having PK deficiency or producing affected offspring; genetic screening for the mutation is recommended. A few breeds showed very low frequency of the mutation (less than 0.2%) and are low risk: Exotic Shorthair, Oriental Shorthair and Persian.
The VGL offers a DNA test for PK deficiency to assist owners and breeders in identifying affected and carrier cats. The test uses DNA collected from buccal swabs avoiding invasive blood collection. Breeders can use this test as a tool to avoid breeding carriers together which would produce 25% affected offspring.
