Tonkinese — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-rdAc)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited, untreatable form of blindness carried from the breed's Siamese ancestry. Affected kittens have normal vision at birth that degenerates from around seven months old, with most cats fully blind by three to five years.
Ask to see: PRA-rdAc (CEP290) DNA test on both parents, showing an N/N (clear) result
UC Davis VGL — PRA-rdAc test (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/pra-rdac)
Burmese head defect (BHD)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A severe skull and facial malformation carried from the breed's Burmese ancestry. Kittens with two copies of the mutation are stillborn or die shortly after birth and require euthanasia; one copy causes no defect but can produce a slightly shortened face.
Ask to see: Burmese head defect (ALX1) DNA test on both parents, showing an N/N (clear) result
UC Davis VGL — Burmese head defect test (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/burmese-head-defect)
Burmese hypokalemia
An inherited disorder, also carried from Burmese ancestry, causing episodes of low blood potassium and muscle weakness, most visible in the neck as a wobbly gait. It is not usually fatal and is manageable with potassium supplementation once diagnosed.
Ask to see: Burmese hypokalemia (WNK4) DNA test on both parents, showing an N/N (clear) result
UC Davis VGL — Burmese hypokalemia test (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/burmese-hypokalemia)