Critical Facts about Polydactyly in Cats
Cats are one of the pets’ people keep for different reasons. There are different types of cats, and it will all depends on how they were born. For instance, you will get a polydactyl cat which can be found in different parts of the world. Such types of cats are said to be born with extra toes. According to the people who have lived with the cats, the extra toes allow them to catch mice. Polydactyl cats, commonly known as six toes cats, are widely found around the seaports. Read this article to learn more about polydactyly in cats.
Polydactyly in cats
This is a condition where a cart is born with more toes than usual. An average cat is born with five and four toes on the front and back paw, respectively. However, cats can also be born with extra toes. This can be an inheritance, and some breeders are interested in keeping cats with this genetic abnormality. Pet owners love such cats because of their attractive physical characteristics.
Symptoms
Cats with polydactyly have extra phalangeal development on both the front and back paw. The feline is more vulnerable to damage due to the additional digit’s variable anatomy. This is because they include soft tissues or might be attached to the wrong bone structure. The extra toes’ nail beds may fuse at birth. This can cause painful claw deformities due to the toes’ uneven growth. Some of the problems these cats might face can be:
- Injury
- Pain
- Nail overgrowth
Types of polydactyly in cats
There are two major types of polydactyly in cats you should know about. That is:
- Preaxial Polydactyly
- Postaxial polydactyly
In preaxial polydactyly, the extra toe grows before the dew claw nada in postaxial polydactyly; it grows after the fourth toe.
Causes
As mentioned above, polydactyl cats are an inheritance from the parents to the offspring. This condition results from a single dominant gene that overpowers other normal genes. If one parent has a polydactyly gene and the other doesn’t, the offspring is likely to have polydactyly. Some types of cats, such as Maine coons cats, are said to be polydactyly breeds.
Treatment
It will all depend on whether you want to keep the cat in this condition. But if you do not want a cat with a polydactyl condition, you need to consider therapy. There are ways these conditions can be corrected. Most breeders don’t go for the option of treating this condition since it is not a dangerous condition. However, some might develop lameness and infection, and such disorders might spread to other body parts. In this case, the cat might face different complications. Surgery is one of the processes for correcting such conditions. It is the best because it will avoid additional injuries.
Getting the best doctor for the work
If you need the best results, you should consider getting the best doctor to do the work for you. There are a lot of pet care providers in the market. The first thing is finding out which service provider is fit for the work. Therefore, look at the following things to get the best.
- Experience
You should hire an expert that can do the work. Such professionals must have enough experience and skills to conduct perfect surgery. Ask them how long they have corrected such a condition or performed the surgery.
- License
A license can help you a lot if you want to verify the service provider’s ability. This is a requirement that they should have to show that they are allowed to offer these services by the state government.
- Insurance
During the surgery, you should expect different results. Injuries and damage might also be involved, which is why you need to protect the cat. Therefore, you need to work with an insured pet care provider. These are some essential things you need to know about polydactyl cats.
