Because of their button noses, doll-like eyes, and squished cheeks, flat-faced cats have gained a lot of popularity recently. However, this cuteness comes at a cost. Cats with these flat features are referred to as "brachycephalic" in technical terms, and there are numerous health hazards associated with them.
Read on to learn about the dangers of brachycephalic cats and how excessive breeding has harmed these animals' health and wellbeing if you're thinking about getting one.
A brachycephalic cat is what?
Read on to learn about the dangers of brachycephalic cats and how excessive breeding has harmed these animals' health and wellbeing if you're thinking about getting one.
A brachycephalic cat is what?
To put it simply, brachycephalic refers to a shortened head. This is seen in brachycephalic cats, whose skull bones are significantly shorter than those of a typical, healthy cat. Brachy means shortened, and cephalic means head. The anatomy or soft tissue of the face or nose changes as they become more recessed, leading to a host of health issues.
When a kitten with a genetic mutation that gave it a flatter face developed in the 1950s, flat-faced cats initially gained popularity. This became highly sought-after throughout time, leading to increased breeding of kittens with this trait in mind. Cat breeding is an extreme technique that has gotten worse recently in an attempt to make cats appear more flat-faced, but at the expense of the animals' health and well-being.
Cat breeds with brachycephaly
At the moment, the following types of breeds are categorized as brachycephalic:
1: The exotic shorthair.
2: Himalayan.
3: Persian.
4: Fold in Scotland.
5: Chinchilla.
6: The British Shorthair.
It's crucial to keep in mind that some members of breeds designated as brachycephalic may have varying degrees of this problem.
Do cats with flat faces have respiratory issues?
Yes, brachycephalic airway conditions are common in cats with flat faces. A collection of upper airway anomalies, which could involve the following, are associated with this syndrome:
Stenotic nares are tiny, severely constricted nostrils that impede breathing.
Extended soft palate: This occurs when the soft palate is longer than the length of the mouth, partially obstructing the trachea (windpipe) opening.
Hypoplastic trachea: the diameter of the windpipe is smaller than usual.
Everted laryngeal saccules: saccules were tiny sacs located in the larynx, the voice box. In this condition, the pressure from the increased breathing effort causes the saccules to spin outwards or get drawn into the airway, further obstructing the airway.
For cats with flat faces, stenotic nares and extended soft palates were the most typical issues. Cats may experience only one of the aforementioned problems or multiple of them.
Indications of feline brachycephalic airway syndrome
In addition to the obvious signifier of having a rounder face, cats can also exhibit other indicators, like:
1: Breathing via their oral cavity.
2: A louder breathing sound.
3: Easy to tire; in severe situations, they could pass out after working out.
4: Coughing.
5: Choking.
6: Withdrawing.
7: Throwing up.
It's important to keep in mind that not all cats with brachycephalic airway syndrome will exhibit the other symptoms described above in addition to having a flattened face. Take your cat to see a vet as soon as possible if you have concerns about them.
Diagnosis of brachycephalic airway syndrome
Veterinarians can identify cats with brachycephalic airway syndrome by looking at their conformation. While stenotic nares can be identified visually, interior problems like an enlarged soft palate and everted laryngeal saccules could require evaluation under anesthesia.
Treatment for brachycephalic airway syndrome
The course of treatment will be determined by the symptoms and severity of the illness in your cat. Your cat's veterinarian could advise a weight-loss plan if it is overweight, since fat cats can have much more severe signs of brachycephalic airway syndrome. In addition, your cat might need to limit their exercise and stress levels, as well as stay out of the heat.
To lessen airway inflammation, medical intervention in the form of oxygen therapy or anti-inflammatory medications may be required, but it's crucial to understand that this won't solve the issue.
If there is a significant impact on your cat's respiration, surgery might be necessary. A wedge of tissue that helps with breathing may be removed from the nose with a stenotic nerve; to avoid blockage, extended soft palates may be surgically reduced, or everted laryngeal saccules may be eliminated.
The severity of your cat's brachycephalic syndrome will determine the optimal course of treatment, which your veterinarian may advise you on.
Additional flat-faced cat breed health concerns
Cats' aberrant bone structure can cause a variety of health issues that affect their eyes, faces, teeth, and even reproductive systems, in addition to respiratory difficulties.
1 - Vision issues
Because of their big, protruding eyes, brachycephalic cats often have trouble closing their eyelids, which raises the risk of contact keratitis, which is a dry eye injury. Additionally, they might have sequestrum development, which is the process by which a portion of the eye's surface dies off and is rejected by the healthy cornea that remains, or corneal ulcers, which are defects or breaks in the layers that form the surface of the eye. Another problem is persistent epiphora (overflow of tears over the face), which results in persistent tear staining because the tear ducts protecting their eyes can't drain into their nose because of their deformity.
2 - Dental issues
Because of their incredibly short faces, cats with flat faces have shortened jaws and misaligned teeth. They are therefore more likely to get dental diseases if they are unable to bite or chew correctly.
3 - Birthing issues
It has also been demonstrated that this shorter bone structure is connected to pelvic size, resulting in a condition called "dystocia," which means difficulties delivering delivery.
4 - Skin issues
Cats with brachycephaly often have a lot of folds in the area around their faces, which increases their risk of fungal and bacterial infections.
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