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Abyssinian Breed Council Newsletter -- May 2000

Norm Auspitz, Abyssinian Breed Council Secretary
1110 Lodge Hill Rd.
Louisville, KY 40223-5510
Home: (502) 244-6133
E-Mail: BC-Secretary@AbyssinianBC.org
Abyssinian Breed Council URL: http://www.AbyssinianBC.org

To the Abyssinian Breed Council, this is only my second newsletter, so I expect to have it full of useful information. I am getting this out in anticipation of the CFA Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, NM. There are a number of items I want to cover herein: (1) recap of the results of the International Show in Kansas City, MO and the Abyssinian Breed Council meeting, (2) announcement and suggested agenda for our usual breed council meeting at the annual, (3) Information on Pyrokinase Deficiency in Abyssinians as supplied by Kendall Smith.

Times continue to be tumultuous for CFA. The WIAB continues to be very controversial and seems to have morphed into many mythical guises. Having read all the rhetoric spawned by this policy proposal for the board, it is clear people seem to have been reading into it what they have wanted to read into it. Furthermore, it seems to be blamed for all the ills of CFA. I find it disheartening that the Abyssinian breed has been pulled into the debate. The saw of merging Abyssinians and Somalis appears to have popped up, although it is difficult to find more than one or two breeders on either side who favor this. There has been a "trial balloon" floated about showing shorthair variant Somalis as Abyssinians. Again, it is hard to find very many people who support his. I believe that, if people are interested, we should talk about this at the breed council meeting in Albuquerque.

Of more importance has been the lessons learned in dealing with legislative issues which are much more of a threat to our entire hobby. Hopefully, all who attend the annual will avail themselves of the opportunities to learn more about these threats!

To reiterate what I wrote last year, at this time, the Abyssinian breed has remained a constant in that once the wording of the color standards was updated, there have been no major changes to the standard, only necessary refinements. We have seen the Abyssinian evolve to a somewhat more stylistic cat without losing its "out of the forest" charm. Again, this year's top Abyssinians prove we still have a range of acceptable styles, all of which have done well in the show rings.

I have also included a page of 6 raffle tickets for a set of Mimi Cat's most special and wonderful cage curtains, to be drawn at the 2000 International Show. These tickets are $5.00 a piece and the proceeds will be used for Abyssinian health issues as decided by the breed council. Just cut along the dotted lines, and, please, please, please, try to sell as many tickets as you can. If every breed council member sold $30.00 worth of tickets, we would have a substantial sum to put towards Abyssinian specific health related issues.

Also, we would like to make the Aby breed winner booklets and awards more self sufficient. Thus, we will once again be charging people $5.00 per extra booklet. We have already sold one and they are not even printed yet. I understand, from Michael Brim, the CFA Publicity Chairperson, that such booklets go a long way to making our breed even better known to the general public. Michael was very impressed with the quality of these booklets. So far we have had people willing to subsidize the rosettes and covers for these booklets. Eventually, however, it would be nice if booklet sales were able to cover all costs.

As many of you may know, UPS managed to destroy the stuff from the Sacramento annual which I shipped home. We lost 70 booklets and some of the top Abyssinian awards I was bringing home for various people. All of these will be replaced. We attempted to recover our money and were given a nominal fee. It seems that UPS will insure the contents of a package (for a fairly small amount of money). However, unless you have insured the package, they will only give $100.00. A lesson to be learned by one and all.

Respectfully Submitted,
Norman Auspitz


Mimi Cat Great Cage Curtain Raffle Ticket

Mimi Cat Great Cage Curtain Raffle Ticket

Name:     _________________________
                                                          
Address:  _________________________

Phone:     _________________________




Mimi Cat Great Cage Curtain Raffle Ticket

Name:     _________________________
                                                          
Address:  _________________________

Phone:     _________________________




Mimi Cat Great Cage Curtain Raffle Ticket

Name:     _________________________
                                                          
Address:  _________________________

Phone:     _________________________




Mimi Cat Great Cage Curtain Raffle Ticket

Name:     _________________________
                                                          
Address:  _________________________

Phone:     _________________________




Mimi Cat Great Cage Curtain Raffle Ticket

Name:     _________________________
                                                          
Address:  _________________________

Phone:     _________________________




Mimi Cat Great Cage Curtain Raffle Ticket

Name:     _________________________
                                                          
Address:  _________________________

Phone:     _________________________

1999 International Show

Best Shorthair Kitten!!
Best Kitten in Show!!
Bastis Tim Buck 3
Red Male
Breeder: Wain Harding, Peter Renteria, Lynn Martin
Owner: Wain Harding and Randy Primmer

2nd Best Shorthair Cat in Championship!!
GC Bastis Tupelo Nights
Red Male
Breeder: Wain Harding - Peter Renteria - Lynn Martin
Owner: David Raynor

Congratulations to all the breeders and owners for these singular honors!!!!!

Friday night of the International show, we held our traditional breed council meeting at 8:00 PM. Even being that light, there were some who did not get out of the show early enough to have dinner and make the meeting. We could order in Pizza or something and make this into a dinner meeting. Any suggestions?

We covered three items:

  1. Kendall Smith gave an excellent talk on Pyrokinase Deficiency . This is not to be confused with Polycystic Kidney Disease . Text of this talk and supporting documentation is included herein.

  2. What does it take for CFA to accept "other color" Abyssinians?
    This is a most interesting question. A number of things must happen to allow for new colors in the Abyssinian breed.
    The clause in the standard disqualifying for any other than the specified four colors must be changed.
    AOV's must be accepted in the Abyssinian breed.
    After sufficient new colors would be shown, the breed council would have to accept the new colors.
    What might be more likely is for these "other color" Abyssinians to attempt to be recognized as a new breeed, with the Abyssinian standard. Of course, ruddy, red, blue, and fawn would not be able to be shown.

  3. Is there any real desire to change the head type of the Abyssinian standard to make our cats more "extreme"?
    The consensus of folks who attended the breed council meeting was that the Abyssinian head standard should be left alone. There was no dissenting opinion voiced on this point!

Abyssinian Breed Council Lunch Announcement

This year, we will, once again try an Abyssinian Breed Council lunch on Saturday afternoon June 17, 2000 at 1:00 PM. And is scheduled for 2 hours. The price is $19.00 per person, payable to CFA. Please make your reservations before June 07, 2000.

The following is a tentative agenda for the meeting:

  • Introductions and announcements
  • Awards
  • Breed Club Reports
  • Open Discussion

PK Deficiency from a Breeder's Perspective
Kendall Smith, Kenipurr Cattery

Let me tell you about Brandy, which is why I am here tonight. Brandy was 20 months old, and I was showing her toward a Regional win. In the fall of 1998, she began cycling heavily. By December, she was losing weight so I planned to breed her after Christmas. While I was away, my American Shorthair male got loose and bred two of my Aby girls, Brandy included. In January, she was still losing weight and began vomiting. A vet exam turned up the pregnancy and severe anemia. My vet was convinced she was bleeding out somewhere. As there was no apparent injury, he suggested a bone marrow biopsy. That result came back as "normal, regenerative cells." Her FeLV test was negative. Next he suggested a special fecal test which was negative for blood in the intestines. I had her spayed, hoping that hormones were playing a role in her anemia, but still she went downhill. At that point, my vet held a phone conference with two veterinary clinical pathologists. They told him Brandy had "some aspect of AIHA, but not AIHA." We didn't know what else we could do, and she continued her cycle of vomiting and losing weight, then no vomiting and gaining back weight. Soon after, both Kim Ghobrial and Erin with SABRE posted the information about PK anemia testing to the Aby list. The words, "cyclical anemia" jumped out at me. I tested Brandy, and her results showed her to be affected. She has two mutant genes. Privately, from some of you wonderful people, I learned about the experimental splenectomy surgery. My vet was willing, and on Aug. 24, weighing 4.9 pounds, Brandy had her surgery. On Sept. 29, just 36 days later, she weighed 7 pounds. She has returned to the show ring that she loves, and is just 2 points shy of granding as an alter

Through a friend, I discovered that Dr. Lothrop, one of the leading experts in erythrocyte metabolism involved in PK deficiency, was at the Scott-Ritchey Research Center where his focus is on dogs. He said that Dr. Giger discovered the normal sequence and mutation for PK in cats and was the best source of information. Since Dr. Giger has not yet published his findings (although I do have his rough draft if anyone wishes to read it), for the time being, he is the only one able to provide this DNA test. Molecular diagnosis is THE way to do carrier screening. In response to my question of what do I say to the unconvinced, Dr. Giger said, "As we have experienced with other hereditary diseases, the breeders and pet owners are somewhat hesitant to accept a new hereditary disease in their breed. DNA testing is one of the most accurate tests available as it looks specifically for the mutated gene in an animal. Most certainly, we have no plans to provide a test that is not useful. Developing this test and running this test is considerably more expensive than what we are presently charging." I actually told him that I REALLY want to believe in a faraway lab with unknown people performing a test I've never seen. The cost of the test itself is $75. Add to that a blood draw fee and shipping. I use overnight FedEx so that I can track the package. It costs me about $20 for shipping and amounts to about $100 per cat.

Have any of you lost an Aby with a diagnosis of "anemia of some sort," "a fluke anemia," "probably Hemobartenella," or "some aspect of Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia"? Have you heard others talk about the anemia that "follows dilute lines"? Think about this; PK is a recessive gene. When you breed for dilutes, you are breeding for a recessive gene. Of course if the PK mutation is there, you're going to see it quicker! If my line-chasing is accurate, it's out there almost everywhere, but because it's a recessive, many breeders seldom see it. Or it was a pet with an owner who never notified the breeder. Or it was a breeding cat with an owner who didn't want to notify the breeder. Or it was a cat misdiagnosed with hemolytic anemia. Or it was a breeder/owner who doesn't want to admit it.

This is a simple recessive, easily removed from the gene pool through DNA testing. A cat who has PK deficiency has 2 mutant genes, one from each parent. This means that both parents are at the least, carriers. Some males have lived long, healthy, productive lives only to test as affected at 8-12 years of age. Think about the numbers of carrier or affected kittens that male produced before being tested. Females don't seem to be so lucky. Affected females appear to have trouble with their first litters: aborting, premature delivery, or death of the female.

In order to not lose cats and bloodlines, you breed a known carrier to a known clear cat. Then test any kitten you consider keeping. Keep the clear kitten. You have the genetic components in a non-carrier package. With RA so rampant in our Abys, it is imperative that we use some of the carriers, but only keep clear kittens. Carriers will not become ill with the disease, and when bred to clear cats, no offspring will become ill. If a cat is affected, you alter it. I personally wouldn't breed a known affected female since everything I've heard indicates that she will die soon after the first litter. If it is VERY important to use a male, breed the affected male to a known clear female and keep one of the kittens. Without testing, that kitten will be a carrier. Breed that kitten to known clear cats, and test any of those that you keep.

When I told Dr. Giger about this meeting and asked for information to pass on, he wrote a short "speech" for me to read to you.

Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency in
Abyssinian and Somali cats causing intermittent anemia
Urs Giger

Anemia is one of the most common clinical signs and abnormal laboratory test results in companion animals. Although acquired conditions such as infections, immune disorders, intoxications, blood loss and chronic organ failures represent the main causes of anemia, hereditary blood diseases leading to anemia are also important in clinical practice. Several hereditary erythrocyte defects have been reported in cats and a molecular basis of the erythrocyte pyruvate kinase defect has recently been determined.

Pyruvate kinase is a key regulatory enzyme in the metabolism of sugar. Its deficiency leads to a lack of energy production and thus, an instability of erythrocyte blood cells. This will then result in anemia. PK deficient cats typically have intermittent anemia. The age of onset is quite variable and may depend on environmental factors. The youngest affected cat diagnosed with anemia was 6 months of age and the oldest affected cat was 12 years old and was only found based on screening cats for PK deficiency.

The clinical signs due to anemia are quite variable. Some animals will develop severe lethargy, weakness, and inappetence, and thereby lose weight. Their mucous membranes will be pale. They may develop some abdominal enlargement due to an enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly). A careful search for acquired diseases, such as infections (hemobartonellosis, FeLV, FIV, and FIP infections), toxins (drugs, onions), and immune mediated hemolytic anemia fails to identify a trigger. Some cats may appear to respond to treatment for hemobartonellosis and immune disease, however, affected cats have very low PK activity in red blood cells.

PK deficiency has been recognized in Abyssinians, Somalis and domestic shorthair cats. This is an autosomal recessive inherited disease where affected animals have two mutated genes and carriers that are asymptomatic have one mutant and one normal gene. Over the past year, we have been testing more than 60 Abyssinian and Somali cats and have identified a dozen affected as well as a dozen carrier animals. To our surprise, not only anemic cats were found to have PK deficiency, but also some apparently asymptomatic cats that might have earlier experienced some unexplained form of anemia and were now found to have this gene defect. PK deficient cats have been found from the east coast to the west coast and from the north to the south of the United States and this disease is likely not restricted to this continent.

We recommend testing the following Abyssinian and Somali cats for PK deficiency:

  1. Anemic Abyssinian and Somali cats
  2. Relatives of affected PK deficient cats
  3. Relatives of carrier animals
  4. Prior to breeding any Abyssinian or Somali cat unless the parents of this cat have been found to be clear of the PK mutation

Testing for PK deficiency is rather simple, requiring a small amount of EDTA anti-coagulated blood shipped by a two-day reliable service to the Josephine Deubler Genetic Disease Testing Laboratory along with a submission form. Your veterinarian will gladly assist you to obtain and ship the blood sample to our laboratory. As affected cats may be in need of a transfusion, it might be prudent to have your cat's blood typed. The same blood sample sent to test for PK deficiency could be used for a blood typing test. Submission forms can be provided or obtained from our web site: www.vet.upenn.edu/penngen. Unfortunately, earlier versions of the submission forms were missing the question about the breed, which is important in our analysis. All data will be kept strictly confidential. Results will be sent within three weeks of receipt of the samples. In addition to payment by check, we now also accept VISA and MasterCard.

Sincerely,
Urs Giger, PD, Dr.med.vet., MS, FVH
Diplomate, ACVIM & ECVIM
Charlotte Newton Sheppard Professor of Medicine and Medical Genetics
Chief, Section of Medical Genetics
School of Veterinary Medicine

PK DEFICIENCY INFORMATION


Check One: ___ Owner      ___ Breeder   ___ Veterinarian           

Name ___________________________________
Street ___________________________________
City  ____________  State ______  Zip ___________
Phone _________________   Fax _______________                                        
Email _____________________________________

Date of sample collection ____________________  
Date of Birth ______________________
Animal's Name ____________________________  
Breed ________________________
AKC#/CFA# or Other registration # _______________
Sex:           	__  Female    	__   Male 
Neutered:	__  Yes		__  No
Sire/Tom ____________________________________ 
AKC#/CFA# _______________________
Dam/Queen _______________________________ 
AKC#/CFA# ___________________

Reason for Testing (select all that apply)  
__ General Genetic Screening                  __ Showing
__ Suspicious Clinical Signs                    __ Breeding
__ Puppy or Kitten (at least four weeks old)
__ Relative known to be affected (please state who)
    _______________________ ________________ 
__ Other (explain) ___________________________

Tests to be conducted
__  PK DNA screening only   $75
__ Blood Typing only   $15
__ Both PK DNA screening and Blood Typing   $90

Please send the sample, form and check payable to 
"Trustees, University of Pennsylvania/Giger" via 
two-day priority delivery mail to:               

Dr. Urs Giger/PK Deficiency
Veterinary Hospital Room 4006
University of Pennsylvania
3850 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA  19104-6010
Phone:  (215) 898-3375
Fax:  (215) 573-2162
Email:  penngen@vet.upenn.edu
www.vet.upenn.edu/penngen


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