Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and progression of pyruvate kinase deficiency in Abyssinian
By Kohn, Barbara & Fumi, Christine·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery·2008·Clinic for Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany, Germany·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Clinical course of pyruvate kinase deficiency in Abyssinian and Somali cats
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of Abyssinian and Somali cats with a condition called pyruvate kinase deficiency (PK deficiency) showed a range of symptoms, including lethargy, diarrhea, pale gums, and poor appetite. While some cats did not show any signs, others experienced serious health issues, leading to six of them dying or being euthanized due to complications from the disease. Blood tests revealed many had anemia and other abnormalities. Because some cats can appear healthy despite having this condition, it's advised to test for PK deficiency before breeding to prevent passing it on.
People also search for: Abyssinian cat lethargy · Somali cat diarrhea treatment · pyruvate kinase deficiency symptoms
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine clinical signs, laboratory parameters, and course of disease in Abyssinian and Somali cats with pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency. The clinical course of 25 PK-deficient cats was followed over a time period of 0.8–11.3 years (median 4.3). Eleven cats (age 0.8–7.8 years, median 4.4) did not show signs according to the owners. In 14 cats (age 0.1–5 years, median 1.7) the owners noted lethargy (10), diarrhoea (seven), pale mucous membranes (six), inappetence (six), poor coat quality (six), weight loss (four), icterus (four), and pica (two). Sixteen cats had been used for breeding at least once before diagnosis. Laboratory abnormalities included anaemia (70%), increased aggregated reticulocyte counts (94%), hyperglobulinaemia (80%), hyperbilirubinaemia (53%), and increased liver enzymes (47%). Six of 25 affected cats died (four) or were euthanased (two) at ages ranging from 1.3 to 11.3 years (median 4.1) presumably because of PK-deficiency. These findings emphasise that PK deficiency shows variation in age of onset and severity of signs. As PK-deficient cats can be asymptomatic testing for PK deficiency before breeding is strongly recommended.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfms.2007.09.006