The Issue with Anesthesia
And Vaccination
There is a lot of controversy regarding the anesthesia used on our beautiful cats. The truth is that their biology is a little different than your average domesticated cat because of their serval ancestors.This gives them a smaller than average liver. During most major surgeries a cat is put under anesthesia with a mixture of multiple drugs, one of which is Ketamine. Now, the biggest issue with Ketamine is that it is processed through the liver and for a regular cat, they are given so little that it doesn't affect them. With Savannahs and servals, this could mean that a simple surgery has now cost you the life of your beloved pet. While some breeders do not believe this to be an issue, most of the Savannah community believes the risk to be too great.
We also adhere to the firm belief that a killed vaccine is the most effective method of protecting our babies. While we will use a modified live vaccine when needed, but it can create a more severe side effect on the kittens. Always watch your animal for 24 hours after a vaccine is given to make sure that there are no ill side effects.
Unlike the belief held by some veterinarians, vaccines have been shown to be just as effective in Savannah cats as any other domestic cat.
Is it okay to declaw a Savannah?
The easy answer to this question is No. It is never okay to remove an entire joint of a cat's paw because they are scratching somewhere you don't want them to. It will cause early arthritis, and often times causes cats to stop using the liter box because their feet don't like the feeling of litter on their pained feet. It causes aggression and anxiety.
If you are ever having an issue with any cat scratching where they shouldn't, please feel free to reach out to us and we will help work you through the situation. There are hundreds of corrective options that don't involve mutilation.