FCK in Savannahs (Flat Chested Kitten syndrome)
Although I am not a veterinarian, I have been working with and around the Savannah breed for the past 8 years and believe Savannahs are more prone to FCK than other breeds of cats. Therefore I created this page to help breeders/owners with very basic questions/concerns in regard to FCK in their Savannah kittens.
You may be asking what is FCK? FCK is a strange syndrome where an otherwise healthy kitten around 10 days to 2 weeks suddenly exhibits flattening of the chest. The best way to describe it is via feel versus actually seeing the flattening. When you pick up a kitten, you should note a roundness to the chest/ribcage. If a kitten has or is developing FCK, you will note that the roundness does not carry through to the sternum. Instead I've heard it described as picking up a banana with your hand wrapped around the flattened front.
FCK can be a serious impairment resulting in death. While the rib cage is flattening, the kitten will struggle to breathe and pull a full lungful of air into his/her lungs. The heart also tends to appear to work overtime as the kitten's system is struggling to function as normally as possible.
You may also note a significant spinal dip in between the shoulder blades-- this is very typical of an FCK kitten.
There are options for a kitten exhibiting FCK. First, you need to ensure the kitten is not struggling to gain weight. Invest in a good kitchen scale and record your kitten's weight--in grams-- daily. If the kitten is not gaining on average 10 grams a day, you may want to consider supplementing. You can supplement with kitten glop or you can purchase commercial made kitten formula. You do not want your kitten wasting its calories fighting to eat, fighting to survive-- so if your kitten is losing or barely gaining, go ahead and supplement.
SUPPLEMENT Momma with additional taurine. There is enough anecdotal evidence which makes me lean towards always supplementing with taurine in regard to any Queen which has had a kitten previously with FCK. I will usually crush up a 1000 mg tablet and sprinkle it on my girls' food-- they will eat it without issue or complaint.
You also should encourage your FCK kitten to sleep on its side as much as possible. You may note your kitten likes to sleep chest to the floor or even on its back. You want to discourage this and encourage side sleeping. This will help the rib cage naturally round out.
Massages are thought to be very beneficial. Gently massage the ribcage into its correct form-- don't apply hard pressure, but gentle pressure. You can do this multiple times throughout the day.
You may consider putting a 'cast' on your kitten's ribcage made from cardboard. There are sites which will help you with these casts, but I would recommend not taking this step unless your kitten is severely effected by FCK. Please ensure the cast is not restricting the kitten's breathing as this will only make things worse.
Swimmer kitten is a possibility with FCK kittens. What's swimmer kitten? When the kitten should get up and start playing, learning to jump and pounce-- the kitten's front or rear (or all four) limbs splay out and the kitten remains belly down to the ground. This is FIXABLE. Do not panic. With splinting-- you can have a swimmer kitten up within literally 48 hours. Message me for more details on splinting.
FCK is scary-- but if the kitten makes it past the initial stages, most kittens will grow out of it.
Owners-- please note-- FCK is not a reason to leave your new kitten unfixed. There has been a lot of discussion about this in the community lately. An unaltered female may pyo-- which can result in death-- and an unneutered male is not a good pet to live with. So instead of avoiding spay/neuters, I would recommend waiting until 6-8 months and then going to a full service vet who will monitor your baby closely and ensure they get through the surgery with ease.
You may be asking what is FCK? FCK is a strange syndrome where an otherwise healthy kitten around 10 days to 2 weeks suddenly exhibits flattening of the chest. The best way to describe it is via feel versus actually seeing the flattening. When you pick up a kitten, you should note a roundness to the chest/ribcage. If a kitten has or is developing FCK, you will note that the roundness does not carry through to the sternum. Instead I've heard it described as picking up a banana with your hand wrapped around the flattened front.
FCK can be a serious impairment resulting in death. While the rib cage is flattening, the kitten will struggle to breathe and pull a full lungful of air into his/her lungs. The heart also tends to appear to work overtime as the kitten's system is struggling to function as normally as possible.
You may also note a significant spinal dip in between the shoulder blades-- this is very typical of an FCK kitten.
There are options for a kitten exhibiting FCK. First, you need to ensure the kitten is not struggling to gain weight. Invest in a good kitchen scale and record your kitten's weight--in grams-- daily. If the kitten is not gaining on average 10 grams a day, you may want to consider supplementing. You can supplement with kitten glop or you can purchase commercial made kitten formula. You do not want your kitten wasting its calories fighting to eat, fighting to survive-- so if your kitten is losing or barely gaining, go ahead and supplement.
SUPPLEMENT Momma with additional taurine. There is enough anecdotal evidence which makes me lean towards always supplementing with taurine in regard to any Queen which has had a kitten previously with FCK. I will usually crush up a 1000 mg tablet and sprinkle it on my girls' food-- they will eat it without issue or complaint.
You also should encourage your FCK kitten to sleep on its side as much as possible. You may note your kitten likes to sleep chest to the floor or even on its back. You want to discourage this and encourage side sleeping. This will help the rib cage naturally round out.
Massages are thought to be very beneficial. Gently massage the ribcage into its correct form-- don't apply hard pressure, but gentle pressure. You can do this multiple times throughout the day.
You may consider putting a 'cast' on your kitten's ribcage made from cardboard. There are sites which will help you with these casts, but I would recommend not taking this step unless your kitten is severely effected by FCK. Please ensure the cast is not restricting the kitten's breathing as this will only make things worse.
Swimmer kitten is a possibility with FCK kittens. What's swimmer kitten? When the kitten should get up and start playing, learning to jump and pounce-- the kitten's front or rear (or all four) limbs splay out and the kitten remains belly down to the ground. This is FIXABLE. Do not panic. With splinting-- you can have a swimmer kitten up within literally 48 hours. Message me for more details on splinting.
FCK is scary-- but if the kitten makes it past the initial stages, most kittens will grow out of it.
Owners-- please note-- FCK is not a reason to leave your new kitten unfixed. There has been a lot of discussion about this in the community lately. An unaltered female may pyo-- which can result in death-- and an unneutered male is not a good pet to live with. So instead of avoiding spay/neuters, I would recommend waiting until 6-8 months and then going to a full service vet who will monitor your baby closely and ensure they get through the surgery with ease.