Abyssinian cats can inherit renal amyloidosis

Renal amyloidosis is a disease that is apparently well established as being associated with Abyssinian cats. It is also a disease associated with Siamese, and oriental cats (src: http://www.merckvetmanual.com)

In medicine, amyloidosis refers to a variety of conditions in which amyloid proteins are abnormally deposited in organs and/or tissues, causing disease. A protein is amyloid if, due to an alteration in its secondary structure, it takes on a particular insoluble form, called the beta-pleated sheet. (the section in grey is a Wikipedia® verbatim copy of a part of a larger article)

In the case of renal amyloidosis the amyloid proteins are deposited in the kidneys.

The onset is 1-5 years of age. Severity varies. Some cats may live up to 10 years from diagnosis.

Symptoms include poor hair condition, weight loss, lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, polydipsia - Polydipsia is a medical symptom in which the patient drinks abnormally large amounts of fluids (the section in grey is a Wikipedia® verbatim copy of a part of a larger article), polyuria - polyuria is a condition characterized by the passage of large volumes of urine. Polyuria is sometimes used to refer to urinary frequency, or frequent urination, irrespective of the volume of urine passed. Polyuria often appears in conjunction with polydipsia (increased thirst), though it is possible to have one without the other, and the latter may be a cause or an effect (the section in grey is a Wikipedia® verbatim copy of a part of a larger article)

Cats are dehydrated. There may be gingivitis and oral ulcers. The kidneys are small, irregular and firm.

Abyssinian cats can inherit renal amyloidosis to genetic diseases in purebred cats