A Neva Masquerade screen runs 3 lines: kidney cysts, heart muscle, and hip joints. The kidney line starts at 10 months with a PKD1 swab plus an ultrasound, the heart line at 12 months with an echo, and the hip line at 24 months with an extended-view radiograph. Each line is cheap on its own; what costs 4 figures is finding a cyst or a shallow hip socket after the cat has been limping for 6 weeks.
Line 1: kidneys, from 10 months
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited cyst disease. The PKD1 marker is the one the commercial panel reads, from a buccal swab or blood, 40 to 120 dollars, back in 7 to 14 days. The genotype never changes, so 1 test is enough for life. A positive cat does not breed, and gets an ultrasound at 10 months, when cysts are usually large enough to count.
Cysts grow slowly in most cats, which is why the recheck interval is set by what the first scan found rather than by a fixed clock. A 2 mm cyst does not need a 3 month scan; a 12 mm cyst with a distorted outline can change kidney function in under 12 months.
Ultrasound is the other half, because a negative panel clears only the marker it tests. Ask for the number of cysts per kidney, the largest diameter in millimeters, and kidney length in centimeters. Under 2 cysts under 5 mm with normal length is a 12 month recheck. A kidney longer than 4.5 cm in a cat under 3 years, or a cortex thinned under 3 mm, moves the recheck to 6 months and adds a urine protein to creatinine ratio, with 0.2 as the line where the conversation changes.
Line 2: the heart, from 12 months
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the reason the echo is not optional. Neva Masquerade has no established breed-specific HCM variant, so a DNA panel clears nothing here: the echo is the test. At 12 months ask for 3 measurements in the report. Diastolic wall thickness under 5 mm is normal, 5 to 5.9 mm is a grey zone with a recheck in 6 months, and 6 mm or more meets the standard definition. Left atrium to aorta ratio above 1.7 means the atrium is dilating and the plan changes inside 7 days. Systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve points to a different drug class.
Repeat the echo every 12 months, and every 6 months past age 8. HCM can appear at any age, so a normal scan at 1 year is a baseline and not a verdict. One echo is 220 to 450 dollars; a heart failure admission is 1,500 to 4,000.
Line 3: hips, from 24 months
Hip dysplasia is a loose socket that remodels under load. The screening view is a ventrodorsal extended-hip radiograph, sedated, with the femurs parallel and pulled straight down. Before 24 months the joint is still changing, so a film taken at 8 months can look normal and still be dysplastic at 2 years. Two numbers matter: the Norberg angle, with 105 degrees or more on both sides being the usual normal cut, and the distraction index if the clinic offers PennHIP, where under 0.3 is tight, 0.3 to 0.5 is loose, and above 0.7 is the band that changes the plan.
Floor matters as much as the film. A cat with a shallow socket that lives on tile slips on turns, and slipping is what converts a loose hip into an inflamed one. Runners on the 2 main paths, a ramp instead of a 70 cm jump onto the couch, and a low-sided box remove most of the daily load.
A cat that bunny-hops when it runs, or sits with one leg out, earns the film early, at any age. Films are 180 to 400 dollars with sedation.
Screening schedule by age
| Age | PKD1 swab | Kidney ultrasound | Echo | Hip radiograph | Urinalysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 months | 1, once | 1, baseline | 0 | 0 | 1, baseline |
| 12 months | 0 | 0 | 1, baseline | 0 | 1 |
| 24 months | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1, extended view | 1 |
| 2 to 7 years | 0 | 1 per 12 months | 1 per 12 months | if lame or stiff | 1 per 12 months |
| 8 years and up | 0 | 1 per 6 months | 1 per 6 months | 1 per 12 months | 1 per 6 months |
Sedation for a hip view is not a cost to trim. A struggling cat rotates the pelvis 5 to 15 degrees, the Norberg angle reads wrong, and the film is repeated, which means a second dose. One calm film at 180 to 400 dollars is the cheaper path.
4 signals to log at home
Sleeping respiratory rate, 30 seconds doubled, 3 times a week: 30 or under is normal, 30 to 39 twice in 24 hours is a call, 40 or more at rest is an emergency. Weight in grams, monthly, on the same scale. Water intake in milliliters per kilogram per day, with 40 to 60 ordinary and 3 days above 80 a kidney flag. Gait after rest: 3 stiff steps that ease are a note, a limp that lasts 48 hours is a booking.
Photograph the sitting posture monthly. A cat that sits with both hind legs splayed forward is unloading the hips, and that photo is worth more to an orthopedist than a description.
When to call, by the hour
| Sign | Threshold | Call within | First move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-mouth breathing at rest | any episode longer than 60 seconds | 0, now | carrier, cool car, never by the scruff |
| Sleeping respiratory rate | 40 or more twice in 24 hours | 2 hours | 30 second video, then drive in |
| Hind legs suddenly paralysed, pads cold | any, even 1 leg | 1 hour | treat as a clot until cleared |
| No urine for 12 hours | 1 missed cycle | 4 hours | bladder palpation at the clinic |
| Limp lasting 48 hours | 2 days, any age | 48 hours | video the gait on a hard floor |
| Weight down 10 percent in 3 months | 0.5 kg on a 5 kg cat | 7 days | weigh weekly, book bloodwork |
What a year costs
| Item | USD | CNY |
|---|---|---|
| PKD1 panel, once | 40 to 120 | 290 to 860 |
| Kidney ultrasound | 120 to 250 | 860 to 1,790 |
| Echocardiogram | 220 to 450 | 1,570 to 3,220 |
| Hip radiograph with sedation | 180 to 400 | 1,290 to 2,860 |
| PennHIP, if offered | 250 to 450 | 1,790 to 3,220 |
| Urinalysis with protein ratio | 60 to 120 | 430 to 860 |
| First year, 3 lines | 440 to 940 | 3,150 to 6,720 |
Evidence is limited: how to read these numbers
This breed has no established HCM variant and no published breed-wide hip score, so the numbers above are screening conventions borrowed from the wider cat population, not breed risk rates. Treat a negative panel as a negative for 1 marker, and treat every normal image as a baseline with a date on it. Prescription items, whether a beta blocker, a diuretic or a pain reliever, come by veterinary prescription only. If 2 cats share the house, align the visit dates with a second screening file and pay 1 exam fee, and use the breed quiz before choosing a kitten.
Five steps for this month
- Order the PKD1 swab now and book the 10 month kidney ultrasound.
- Put the 12 month echo on the calendar and ask for 3 measurements in writing.
- Book the 24 month hip view and ask whether PennHIP is available.
- Start a 3 times a week respiratory rate log tonight.
- Photograph the sitting posture once a month on the same floor.
Terms mentioned in this article
Frequently asked
Does a negative PKD1 test mean the kidneys are clean?
No. The panel reads one marker, so a negative result clears that marker only. Keep the ultrasound at 10 months and repeat it every 12 months, asking for cyst count, largest cyst diameter and kidney length, because cysts can appear later in a cat that tested negative.
Why wait until 24 months for the hip radiograph?
Because the joint is still remodeling before then, and a film taken at 8 months can look normal in a cat that is dysplastic at 2 years. The extended view at 24 months, sedated, gives a Norberg angle and, where offered, a distraction index that can be compared over time.
How often does the heart need an echo?
Every 12 months from the first scan at 12 months, then every 6 months past age 8. There is no established breed-specific HCM variant, so the echo is the only test that shows wall thickness, the left atrium to aorta ratio and systolic anterior motion before symptoms start.