Savannah Cat Chat - THE Place for Savannah Cat Talk
Welcome to the Savannah Cat Chat Forum! Our forum has been in existence since 2012 and is the only one of its kind. We were here, serving the savannah cat community before Facebook and Instagram! Register for a free account today to become a member! Please use an email program other than Hotmail, since Hotmail accounts are blacklisted by many servers and ISP's. Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site in some of the forums by adding your own topics and posts. But in order to take advantage of the full features, such as a private inbox as well as connect with other members ad access some of the larger topics, a donation of $2.99/mo or $25/yr is requested. This will allow us to continue running this forum!
Update on "New owner, new cat" post
- Thread starter Heidi Nelson
- Start date
Heidi Nelson
Savannah Kitten
Is there a screening test for HCM, or do you just do periodic echos to see if the heart is enlarged? This is the most common heart disease for cats, so how do I prevent a repeat experience. How will I know if Mickey's sisters will have it also, and pass it to their litters? Second, there are so many breeders out there. Any advice on picking a breeder if Mickey's sisters are not bred?
I don't know the answer to the first part of your question. We have a list of member breeders you can start with and you can also PM or email Paige, this forum's owner, for advice regarding breeders.
Some breeds also have a DNA test (which isn't foolproof from what I've heard). For SV's the only test is Cardiac Echo. Has to be done after cat is one year old. But what is more helpful is having the cats parents screened every year and having clean scans for their lifetime. They can have a clean scan one year and then be diagnosed with HCM the next.
Unfortunately there is no fool-proof way of knowing if a cat is prone to developing HCM. The only genetic screening tests are for Bengals and Ragdoll. Echos can be done, but even if an echo is normal when scanned, a cat can still be carrying the gene and develop the disease later in life, which means it can be passed on to its offspring. HCM is not a huge issue in the Savannah breed, but as pointed out, it is the most common heart problem in cats across all breeds. Some breeders are fastidious about screening their cats, but to be honest, it is very expensive and most cannot afford it. I have never had a cat or kitten with HCM, however when there are HCM screening clinics in my area I try to take my current (or upcoming) breeders to be screened.