JFMS CLINICAL PRACTICE 201

The genomes of hundreds of dogs have beensequenced, and the genomes of pedigreedand non-pedigreed cats are in the pipeline via the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencinginitiative.1 Most veterinary colleges teachgenetics in their core curriculum. But whyshould a feline practitioner care aboutgenetics?

We live in an age where everything ‘is in our dNA’, whether you’re a Sony highdefinition TV or a Jaguar automobile. A growing proportion of the general publicunderstands that our good genetic make-upcan be squanderedby poor lifestyle andbad habits; but also,some people whohave smoked a packof unfiltered LuckyStrikes every day canlive to the age of 84.Genetic testing can help us humansanticipate our health risk factors. it can do the samefor cats.

We can alreadyanticipate specifichealth concerns infeline patients usinggenetic testing forsome diseases. dNA is the basis of life andthe foundation of organismal biology. if youaccept comparative anatomy, you mustaccept comparative genetics, as the majorityof genes are the same in all mammals. Gene timing and regulation may vary amongspecies, but only a few hundred genes out of20,000 or so are specific to a cat.

Some defects, like polycystic kidneydisease, are obvious problems with a geneticbasis that can be readily appreciated by catowners and veterinarians alike. But there are other diseases, such as feline infectiousperitonitis, lymphoma, asthma, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease, where the importance of genetic predisposition isless intuitive. But you can bet your bottom

dollar that genetics underpins susceptibilityto almost all diseases, includingpredispositions to infectious diseases. Novel genetic mutations are the cause of many sporadic, idiopathic conditions,including the maladies that affect themajority of the cat population, the non-pedigreed cat.

The trend for genetic testing and whole-genome sequencing will develop significantlyas the standard-of-care for feline patientscontinues to improve, and cats will continueto grow in popularity. in the coming years,

veterinarians will beperforming whole-genome screens ofsome kind as aroutine componentof a diagnosticinvestigation.Whether for tumorsor other diseases, the dNA results willbe what routinelydirects futuretherapies.

Via the internet,anybody can just‘Google it’ andquestion authority as if they are anexpert in the field

(the know-it-all client!). And, we all know the internet was made for cats – they are theinternet stars! indeed, everything you need to know about genetics, you can learn fromyour cat; thus, cat owners tend to be fairlysavvy when it comes to inheritance patterns.For the veterinarian to be perceived as anexpert in the eyes of the client, they musthave a solid genetics foundation. Resourcesare available for refresher courses.2 Felinepractitioners should accept an ‘educated’public and must be able to explain clearly, in a ‘non-scientific’ manner, how geneticmethods can identify and control inheriteddiseases, as well as produce desirablefeatures and prevent undesirable features.

E D I T O R I A L

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2015) 17, 201–202

doi: 10.1177/1098612X15571877

© iSFM and AAFP 2015

It’s becoming clear that ‘simple’ genetic traits, such aspolycystic kidney disease, are just the tip of the iceberg.Complex variants that confer health risks and susceptibilitieslikely account for the majority of the variation in the felinegenome. Courtesy of Steven DiBartola

Understanding genetics: why should vets care?

In the coming years,veterinarianswill beperformingwhole-genomescreens as aroutine ... DNAresults will bewhat directstherapies.

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202 JFMS CLINICAL PRACTICE

Knowledge of genetics is power. Cats canbe bred in a manner to prevent illnesses,eliminating problems before they exist.Genetics can be used to eradicate a disease,never to be seen again (until a new mutationoccurs). However, the veterinarian may nothave the requisite skill set to ‘do it bythemselves’. Fortunately, feline genomics is a science where robust internationalcollaborations based on mutual trust andrespect represent the cornerstone of obtainingsuccessful outcomes for our feline patients. in genomics, working together has solved thegenetic basis for familial hypokalemia in theBurmese cat and a variety of other conditions,albeit getting all the players on the same pageis rather like herding cats. The power ofgenomics is contingent upon finding andsampling sufficient affected, carrier andnormal cats of whatever disease you areworking on, breed-related or not. Withoutdoubt, the veterinarian has a key role inhelping feline genomics leap forward into the future.

it’s a terrific time to develop a betterunderstanding of modern genomicapproaches to feline health, and to be part of cutting-edge approaches to unravellingimportant feline diseases. As discussed in aclinical review on pages 203–219 of this issue– the first of a handful of JFMS reviewsdevoted to feline genetics in the comingmonths – over 70 different genetic variants

have been identified in cats that confer coatcolors, fur types, morphological attributes,blood type and diseases. Hundreds ofthousands of humans have had their wholegenome sequenced to improve their ownhealth or to help identify health-related dNA variants in their children. Let’s worktogether to bring our beloved cats to the samestate-of-the-art healthcare!

Boyd R Jones, Massey University, NewZealand

Susan Little, Bytown Cat Hospital, ottawa,Canada

Leslie A Lyons,* University of Missouri, USARichard Malik, University of Sydney,

AustraliaFrank Nicholas, University of Sydney,

AustraliaDennis P O’Brien, University of Missouri,

USANiels C Pedersen, University of California,

davis, USA

*Corresponding author, Email: lalyons@ucdavis.edu

Resources

1 http://felinegenetics.missouri.edu/ninety-nine-lives

2 Nicholas FW. introduction to veterinarygenetics. 3rd ed. oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

Theveterinarianhas a key rolein helping felinegenomics leapforward intothe future.

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