Rare N Bare Sphynx Cattery
Sphynx, Bambino, Elf, & Dwelf Kittens
Sphynx Health
Sphynx Cats are generally healthy but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some common health problems that Sphynx Buyers should be aware of.
Obesity
Cats will over eat if they are bored! So keep your cat happy by playing games, buying toys and puzzles etc and just keeping them company, particularly Sphynx enjoy human companionship. If you still think your cat is over weight you will have to restrict the amount of food the cat eats per day, you can use the guidelines on the packaging of commercial cat food or you can go by the rule of thumb 2% of the cat’s proper body weight for a raw diet. We believe a raw diet of meat and supplements is the healthiest diet for a cat. We feed our cats Big Country Raw. All kibble is high in carbohydrates which cause excess weight and other disease in cats.
Dental Disease
Sphynx cats are susceptible to tartar build up, tooth decay and gum disease, their teeth should be brushed at least 3 times per week to remove food debris and tartar.
Panleukopenia, Calicivirus, Rhinotracheitis, and Rabies
Yikes, that is quite a mouthful! Fortunately these bacterial and viral infections are easily avoided by keeping your Sphynx vaccinations up to date.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is the most common heart disease in cats, in Sphynx cats it is common and the cause is unknown at this point, in some breeds a familial link has been established so just in case it is found to be familial in Sphynx cats too we will test our parent cats.
There could be a nutrition link so we will feed our cats a low carb diet, we feed Big Country raw. And keep them at a healthy weight.
It is very hard for a breeder to prevent HCM in the kittens when a cause is unknown but we do everything in our power to minimize the risk.
All pets should have their hearts checked at the vet annually. Early detection could save your cat’s life.
We offer a 5 year HCM guarantee , if your pet is fed a raw diet and kept at a healthy weight, vet checked annually and dies from HCM in the first 5 years we will replace your kitten.
Parasites
Fleas, ticks, ear mites, hookworms, roundworms, heartworms, and whipworms can invade your cat’s body, prevention is easy with a product like Revolution, the product is administered monthly.
Urticaria Pigmentosa
Rare disease. Feline urticaria pigmentosa is caused by the accumulation of the defective mast cells (a type of white blood cells) in the skin, bone marrow, liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Genetic predisposition to urticaria pigmentosa has been identified in humans, but is also suggested in the Sphynx and Devon Rex cats. The direct cause of feline urticaria pigmentosa remain unknown. Because the condition has been primarily identified in naked cat breeds, studies suggest (Nolie et al, 2009) that the disease may be related to this phenotype. It is supposed that this skin disease is closely related to allergic phenomenon which can trigger and/or worsen dermatitis. Irritants known to worsen the symptoms of feline urticaria pigmentosa are parasites, environmental allergens, food allergens etc.)
Taurine Deficiency
Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, which can be caused by a dietary deficiency of the amino acid taurine. While DCM was a big problem in the past, all major cat food producers now add taurine to cat food, so DCM is rarely seen in cats with high-quality diets today.
When feeding a raw diet you should be aware that rabbit, chicken and lamb are low in taurine so we suggest adding other proteins or adding the taurine supplement.