Experiences from Large Scale Breed-screening for Feline Cardiomyopathy.

Presentation Description / Summary: Feline cardiomyopathy (FCM) is the most common cardiac disease in cats and the disease is shown to be inherited in several feline families of different breeds.. Large-scale breed-screening for FCM is important for reducing the incidence of the disease in pure-bred cats and a large scale program was initiated in 2003 and is currently ongoing and it includes many cat breeds in many countries and continents. The experiences and information from this breed-screening program where echocardiography is used as a screening tool has substantially increased the knowledge concerning the occurrence of FCM and the long term outcome of screening. The large database that this screening has produced has enabled establishment of robust multi-examiner normal reference ranges, allowed quantification of the contribution of several factors to the overall variability of echocardiographic measurements, and identification of appropriate intervals for re-examination for optimal cost/benefit. This presentation will outline the screening program, describe the steps taken to establish reference intervals for echocardiographic measurements and the quantification of sources of variation. Furthermore, the outcome of cats having participated in the program will be presented. This information is fundamental for recommendations concerning time intervals for repeated examinations.

Learner Outcomes: Understanding of the meaning and optimal use of normal reference ranges of feline echocardiographic measurements Understanding of the diagnostic challenges in identifying mild forms of feline cardiomyopathy Understanding of the occurrence of feline cardiomyopathy in pure-bred cats