Hamelin Alexia, Begon Dominique, Conchou Fabrice, Fusellier Marion, Abitbol Marie
1 Paris East University, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, and Faculty of Medicine, Créteil, France.
Current address: Veterinarius, Maisons-Alfort, France.
J Feline Med Surg. 2017 Apr;19(4):382-393. doi: 10.1177/1098612X16628920. Epub 2016 Feb 1.
Objectives Polydactyly has been reported in a number of vertebrate species, including the domestic cat. It is a common characteristic in some breeding lines of the Maine Coon. The aim of this study was to assess the limb phenotype of polydactyl cats using physical and radiographic examinations. Methods We used physical examination and radiography to characterise the polydactyly phenotype in a cohort of 70 Maine Coon cats, including 48 polydactyl cats from four different breeding lines from Europe, Canada and the USA. Results The phenotypic expression of polydactyly showed great variability, not only in digit number and conformation, but also in the structure of the carpus and tarsus. Comparison of the size of the radius in polydactyl and non-polydactyl 3-month-old kittens and adult females did not reveal any difference between polydactyl and non-polydactyl cats. Conclusions and relevance We conclude that polydactyly in Maine Coon cats is characterised by broad phenotypic diversity. Polydactyly not only affects digit number and conformation, but also carpus and tarsus conformation, with no apparent deleterious consequence on feline welfare.
目的 多指畸形在包括家猫在内的多种脊椎动物物种中都有报道。这是缅因库恩猫某些繁育系的常见特征。本研究的目的是通过体格检查和影像学检查评估多指猫的肢体表型。方法 我们采用体格检查和放射成像来描述70只缅因库恩猫群体中的多指畸形表型，其中包括来自欧洲、加拿大和美国四个不同繁育系的48只多指猫。结果 多指畸形的表型表达具有很大的变异性，不仅在指的数量和形态上，而且在腕骨和跗骨的结构上也是如此。对3个月大的多指和非多指小猫以及成年雌性猫的桡骨大小进行比较，未发现多指猫和非多指猫之间存在任何差异。结论及意义 我们得出结论，缅因库恩猫的多指畸形具有广泛的表型多样性。多指畸形不仅影响指的数量和形态，还影响腕骨和跗骨的形态，对猫的健康没有明显的有害影响。
