What Health Problems are Common in Savannahs?
Savannahs are a new breed and as yet do not have any health issues associated with them. Of course, different breeds have been used in SV breeding programs and those breeds may bring genetic susceptibilities with them. As a breeder, I have attempted to ensure that my cats are as healthy as they possibly can be. They, of course, are vaccinated and given regular health checks. They, additionally, have bloodwork and cardiac ultrasounds before they are used in my breeding program to ensure that their hearts are healthy and show no signs of a heart defect or development of HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, currently one of the the top causes of sudden feline death). The ultrasounds will be repeated regularly during my cats’ lives to make sure their hearts remain healthy. I also monitor the Coronavirus titers of my cats. Coronavirus is the cause of FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), although it requires a mutation of the virus to develop this deadly disease.
