Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 6/25/2008

Question
Hello,  I purchased a calico sphynx from what was registered and for all accounts, a reputable breeder.  Unfortunately, later on, I found out that that was not the case but, alas, too late for me and Isolde.  I purchased her for breeding and bought Tristan from someone else and off we were to go.  Unfortunately, when Tristan arrived all Hell broke loose.  They both got incredibly sick; Tristan with pneumonia and a herpes virus and Isolde with diarhea and an upper respiratory virus.  At first we thought it was Tristan but, it turns out that it was Izzy carrying something like a herpes virus that was dormant until Tristan came along.  Then, we find out that she had a level 2 murmur at about one year of age and, with ultrasound, she has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardio myopathy.  So, she is coming up on two years old now and still has the diarhea and now has seemingly no bowel or bladder control; she's going everywhere and destroying the house.  Is this likely to be due to the hcm or is it more likely a comorbid problem?  I am beside myself.  I don't want to get into invasive medical procedures and neither do I want to euthanize her before it is necessary.  My vet is great but is very into treatment, treatment, treatment and suggested a colon biopsy for her and I don't want to do that; she is too weak and it is too invasive.  Any advice?

Answer
Heather -

I think you should continue to seek treatment. It is not uncommon for
exotic breeds such as the sphinx to have more medical problems than our "domestic" breeds and it is imperative that you work with your veterinarian to ensure that your cat receives the medical care she needs.  You should have bloodwork done to evaluate organ function and possibly radiographs to evaluate the integrity of the GI tract.  

An evaluation of her diet may be warranted to deterimine if she may have developed inflammatory bowel disease.  This can certainly cause excessive and inapropriate defecation.   A urinalysis can help to rule out urinary tract infections that can lead to inapropriate urination.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM