Percentage prevalence of hip dysplasia in Maine Coons by region and country

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The dreaded FHD in MCs!
The dreaded FHD in MCs. Image: MikeB

Here is a chart that may interest some Maine Coon aficionados. It shows the prevalence among Maine Coons of that well know inherited disease: hip dysplasia in various regions and countries. The result? It is pretty much the same everywhere. Finland comes out worst at 28.3 per cent while 'all others' come out the best.

Percentage prevalence of hip dysplasia in Maine Coons by region and country

What can we take from this? The study scientists came to this conclusion (summarised and reworded):
"Feline hip dysplasia (FHD) is a common condition in cats, particularly in certain breeds such as the Maine Coon. This study found that the overall prevalence of FHD in the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) database was 24.9%, with a slightly higher prevalence in males (27.3%) compared to females (23.3%). The percentage of bilateral (affecting both hips) FHD was 56% of the total cases, and the dysplasia was more severe in bilateral cases. These findings should be interpreted with caution, as they may not necessarily apply to other feline breeds or to other populations of Maine Coon cats. It is important to conduct further studies in different breeds and geographic locations in order to better understand the demographics of FHD."
I would take this:

The same breeding practices and method take place no matter where it occurs. The hip dysplasia (HP) health problem is caused by poor breeding practices. Therefore, all Maine Coon breeders have the same rather poor ethical stance.

A last point: hip dysplasia is slightly more common in males compared to females as stated in the summary above. That's interesting. It probably relates to the size of males compared to the size of females. The heavier the cat the more likely HP will be present.

When HP is bilateral (in both hips) it is more severe. As the study states:
"Bilateral FHD was present in 55.3% (225/407) of females and 57.5% (131/228) of males (P = 0.62). The dysplasia was more severe with bilateral involvement."

I hope this interests a few people! 😎😃 

Study: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X17705554

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