Some Maine Coons may inherit an increased bleeding tendency

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I have been digging around Google Scholar studies as I like to do sometimes! I was looking for some more information about Maine Coon cats and bumped into a study published on August 21, 2020 which investigated an inherited disease which results in an increased tendency to bleed. 

The disease is called 'dysfibrinogenaemia' and it causes 'afibrinogenaemic haemorrhage', which had been previously reported in a Maine Coon cat.

The scientists in this study concluded that: 
"Dysfibrinogenaemia was identified in clinical cases and their healthy relatives, suggesting that this may represent a hereditary condition of Maine Coon cats. Clinicians should be aware of the increased potential for non-haemostasis in this cat breed and consider assessing clotting function before (elective) surgery."
My interpretation of that statement is that some Maine Coon cats might inherit this disease which can cause increased bleeding which, in turn, would interest Maine Coon cat breeders wishing to improve kitten health and veterinarians who need to conduct surgery on a Maine Coon cat.

On another website, laboklin.co.uk, there is a reference to Maine Coon cats with increased bleeding tendency as well as their relatives. A genetic defect in factor XI was identified. They concluded that homozygous affected cats as well as carriers have been identified in Europe. 

Homozygous means two copies of the defective gene causing this disease. The genetic mutation is identified as being autosomal recessive. That means recessive and not sex-linked.

A genetic test is available to identify Maine Coon cats with an increased risk of bleeding. There are also asymptomatic (Maine Coons and other cats without symptoms carrying this disease) male and female carriers which laboratory implies should be tested to avoid transmission of the disease within a breeding cattery.

The study referred to is: "Investigation of pathological haemorrhage in Maine Coon cats". Link to study: https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105503

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Please excuse the occasional typo due to preparing these articles at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I don't have a proof reader.

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