8 DNA Health Tests That Protect Maine Coons
There are a variety of Maine Coon health tests you can take that will give you a comprehensive look at your Maine Coon’s genetics. You can purchase a testing kit from a variety of laboratories.
Some tests can tell you about your cat’s breed or coat genetics, while others can warn you about genetic disorders like Spinal Muscular Atrophy or Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
Reasons To Buy Health Tests
The Maine Coon is a naturally occurring cat breed but does suffer from a few genetically inherited disorders in cats.
Here are some reasons why you might want to DNA test your Maine Coon:
1. Understanding Your Cat’s Health
Genetic tests give you a more comprehensive idea of your cat’s health. For example, you might discover your Maine Coon suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy a fatal genetic disorder that cannot be cured.
2. Double Checking Breeding Cats
Many Maine Coon breeders include a guarantee that their breeding cats are genetically tested. If you want to double-check though, order an independent genetic test.
3. Testing If Cat Is Healthy Enough To Breed
Responsible Maine Coon breeders order DNA testing kits for all of their breeding cats. While some disorders require two copies of the gene to be expressed, all the breeding cats should test fully negative for any disorder.
This keeps the Maine Coon pedigree line healthy and ensures all of your kittens will live long happy lives.
4. Cat’s Ancestry
DNA tests reveal the health and breed of a cat.
What Cat Genetic Tests Can You Buy?
Cat genetic testing can tell you a lot about your pet, depending on what you are testing for.
If you have decided that you would like to get your Maine Coon DNA tested, here are the different tests you can order:
1. Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK Deficiency)
TPK deficiency tests cost about $40 to $45. (Fact-checked May 2023). This test requires a cheek swab, which you can send to Genomia or UC Davis for results.
2. Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD1)
PKD1 test requires a cheek swab sample, which you can send to Genomia or UC Davis. This test costs between $32 and $40. (Fact-checked May 2023).
3. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
To test for HCM, send a cheek swab sample to UC Davis or Genomia. This test costs $40 to $45. (Fact-checked May 2023).
HCM testing in cats is important because this fatal disease can be tested early on, but symptoms don’t appear until later in life.
Learn more about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in this article.
4. Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
Test for SMA by sending a cheek swab sample to UC Davis or Genomia. It costs between $40 and $45. (Fact-checked May 2023).
Learn more about spinal muscular atrophy, in this guide.
5. Allergies
You can get a DNA test to determine if your cat has allergies. Comprehensive DNA tests look for allergies to:
- Food
- Pollen
- Trees
- Grasses
- Mold
- Mites
- Parasites
Send in a serum (blood) sample of 3ml. The test will cost you approximately $184 from Genomia (fact-checked May 2023).
6. Pathologies
You can get a full test of:
- Chlamydophila Felis
- Feline Leukemia Virus
- Feline Herpes Virus
- Feline Coronavirus
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
This will cost you a total of $176 from Genomia. (Fact-checked May 2023).
7. Coat Genetics
To learn more about the genetics behind your Maine Coon’s coat, order a comprehensive test from Genomia for $220, testing for:
- Agouti
- Colorpoint
- Dilute
- Long Hair
At UC Davis, you can also test for the albino gene for $40 or white dominant and white spotting genes for $50. (Fact-checked May 2023).
8. Breed
To test a cat’s breed, get a genetic profile DNA test from Genomia for $46.
Alternatively, you can test your cat’s breed and health problems for $159, from Basepaws.
Swab your cat’s cheek and send the sample back to the laboratory (source 1).
Maine Coon Health Risks
There are some genetically inherited conditions that Maine Coons can have, including:
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a degenerative disease with no cure. It appears during kittenhood and cannot be reversed. It is not fatal and can be managed.
The condition causes the neurons in a cat’s back and hind legs to degenerate until the cat is barely able to use them.
Cats with SMA cannot jump, run, or climb the same way that most cats can. And, an otherwise healthy kitten may start walking with a swaying or limping gait. Over time their back legs become weaker, as the disease progresses.
SMA is not painful, but cats with this condition require extra care to enable their mobility.
Learn more about Spinal Muscular Atrophy, in this article.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a genetically inherited disorder that does not present symptoms until later in life.
This disorder causes the walls of the cat’s heart to slowly thicken until blood can no longer flow freely through it. If a cat tests positive for HCM, there is no way to stop it.
These are the main signs and symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Also known as PKD, Polycystic Kidney Disease causes small cysts to form on a cat’s kidneys. The severity of this disorder can vary.
Some cats’ cysts grow slowly, while others grow quickly, which can lead to renal failure at a young age.
Cats with PKD can be treated with fluids as well as medications to ease symptoms of nausea or vomiting.
Unfortunately, treatment can only alleviate symptoms and cannot get rid of PKD.
These are the key signs and symptoms of polycystic kidney disease.
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency is a genetically inherited disorder that results in a lack of the enzyme Pyruvate Kinase.
This enzyme allows red blood cells to metabolize energy, and without it, the red blood cells die prematurely.
This can lead to weakness, lethargy, jaundice, pale gums, and a host of other symptoms.
While there is no way to cure PKdef, symptoms can be managed with blood transfusions or, in more severe cases, a splenectomy.
Cats with mild to moderate PKdef can live relatively long lives, but cats with severe PKdef often die at a young age.
Watch out for these early signs of pyruvate kinase, in your Maine Coon cat.
Hip Dysplasia
One of the most common Maine Coon health problems is hip dysplasia. Unlike the conditions listed above, it cannot be genetically tested for.
While it does tend to run in families and is sometimes genetically inherited, it is a complex disorder that cannot be revealed in a simple test.
When a cat has hip dysplasia, one or both of their femoral joints are malformed. This joint is supposed to rotate smoothly in the pelvis, but when it is malformed it begins to grind against the pelvis.
This is painful and only gets worse as the joint wears away the bone, becoming loose.
While hip dysplasia is a chronic condition, it can be managed and even slowed if you catch it early enough.
Since Maine Coons are incredibly active cats, it is important to introduce them to low-impact physiotherapy or gentle exercise like swimming, so you do not add strain to their joints.
As hip dysplasia advances, you may need to provide pain medication.
You may also need to provide steps throughout the house so your cat can get to its favorite resting places without needing to jump.
Learn how to identify hip dysplasia in Maine Coon cats, by reading this article (source 1,2).
Cat DNA Tests
If you would like to get a genetic health test to learn your cat’s breed, you might prefer the Breed + Health DNA test kit from Basepaws, which costs $159.
If you want to learn about your cat’s full genome sequence, purchase the comprehensive kit from Basepaws for $599.
If you simply want to know your cat’s breed, you can get a genetic profile DNA test from Genomia for $46.
Finally, if you are interested in individual tests for things like Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy or Polycystic Kidney Disease, order individual tests from UC Davis or Genomia.
(The pricing information was fact-checked in May 2023).
Life Expectancy
This hardy cat breed developed naturally in the cold American state of Maine and has an average life expectancy of 12 – 15 years.
Free Cat DNA Test
Some laboratories offer free DNA testing if you are willing to send in samples of your cat’s DNA and your cat has been diagnosed with certain conditions.
These offers are not always available, but laboratories will sometimes provide free testing in exchange for using your cat’s DNA to help learn more about the conditions they suffer from.
