Vaccinations

Anyone ever used these? I am thinking of purshasing vaccination for my cats online. It is time for the annual thing and I want to do it myself. It appears to cover everything. Is this all they need? I give my dogs their shots but have never done the cats at home.

Eclipse 4+FeLV (Box of 25 Doses) \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$154.99
By Schering. Modified live panleukopenia (feline distemper), rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and chlamydia with killed feline leukemia virus. Given subcutaneously or intramuscularly. For cats 9 weeks of age and older. Box of 25 doses.



I am going to buy the above OR single doses of the below for individaul cats. Which is a better choice for the cats??? Need advice..

Feline Focus™ 5 $7.95 per dose
Feline Leukemia, Rhinotracheitis, Calici, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia Vaccine (MLV & Chlamydia).
A modified live virus vaccine with chlamydia combined with a tissue culture derived, feline leukemia virus, subgroups A & B. Recommended for immunization of healthy cats & kittens. Inject 1 ml SQ or IM at 9-10 weeks of age & repeat 3-4 weeks later. Annual vaccination is recommended. Do not use on pregnant cats. Syringe included.

Jenn...don't buy your vax until you get some feedback from members who do their own.
Years ago I use to vaccinate my kitties.
Protocol has changed since then.

I wonder if you started a plea for advice in Ferals you might get a response there from member who are doing their own.
Title it doing own vaccinations or something like that....

Reasons protocol has changed....

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/ca...d_sarcoma.html

UC Davis is an exellent vet school.
http://vetmedicine.about.com/gi/dyna...ccinproto.html

crap.............. that's horrible..

I know....
It is very important that you understand the now protocols and the reason for them.
Did you notice that the leg is recommended for one of the more suspicious vaccines.
That is so that if a sarcoma develops...the leg can be amputated.
But, it is a fast, deep growing kind of cancer so there is serious concern.

That should not stop you from protecting your kitties with the right vaccinations at the right times.
You just really need to know which ones to use, where on the body and how often.

There are many vets that still don't use the current protocols.
Mine is a perfect example....
He recommend the core vaccine's annually,
I knew better, asked his techs and they only vaccinate the core vax every 3 years now.

You are a smart woman....
take your time....
do the research and you will figure out what is best for each cat and dog under your care.
Then you can order what you need.

Thank you xo for the advice. I will see what I can find out. I did start a thread in the feral section to see if anyone knows anything.

All of the cats except for Cow and her babies plus felix and festus have have all their shots. And the boys and cow plus three of her babies have already had their rabies shot.

I read something recently on injection sites and it said that anyvaccine containing rabies or feline leuk should ONLY be given in the hip. I did not think of that possibly having anything to do with leg amputations however.

So, the sarcoma's might be related to something in either of those shots.

For all the good the vets do, sometimes a step backward is in order.

I'll let you know if I find out something.. It would be absolutely awful to give your cat cancer by vaccinating them. The guilt would be unbearable.

FABCATS ...Interesting info on vaccines...

What problems may be associated with vaccination?

Side effects from vaccines are very rare, especially in view of the thousands of doses that are administered every year. The most common side effects are very mild, and include lethargy, inappetence or tenderness at the injection site. More marked side effects may include vomiting, diarrhoea, lameness, fever, signs of respiratory tract infection, or lumps at the site of injection. Kittens and young cats appear to be more likely to develop problems than older cats. Another adverse effect that may be reported is lack of efficacy. Whilst this may be due to genuine vaccine failure, it may also be due to infection before vaccination, or a deficient immune system resulting in an inability by the cat to mount an immune response.

The side effect that has received the most attention in recent years is fibrosarcoma – this is a tumour that develops at the site of vaccination. A number of cats may develop a small nodule at the site of injection, associated with inflammation. This will normally disappear within three to four weeks, but if it does not, the chronic inflammation can lead to the development of a fibrosarcoma tumour. Inflammation is more likely to arise with vaccines that contain a substance called an adjuvant which is included in the vaccine to improve their efficacy. Adjuvanted vaccines are typically the FeLV and rabies vaccines.

The incidence of fibrosarcoma in the USA is estimated to be one case per 10,000, whereas in the UK it is estimated to be 0.04 cases per 10,000 doses of vaccine. This difference may be explained by different vaccines available in the two countries, and the greater frequency of rabies vaccination in the USA .

Injection-associated fibrosarcomas are very invasive, which makes them difficult to remove. In the USA , some guidelines recommend rabies vaccinations are administered in the right hind leg, and leukaemia vaccines are administered in the left hind leg. This is partly because, should a fibrosarcoma develop at these sites, limb amputation is possible and offers a better chance of complete removal than trying to remove an invasive tumour from the neck region.

While fibrosarcoma is a devastating disease, it should be remembered that FeLV is also a fatal disease. The incidence of FeLV is far greater than fibrosacroma, at one to two cases per 100 cats, with some areas having a much higher prevalence of disease.



Conclusions

Vaccination is generally a safe procedure that has substantially reduced the incidence of serious disease within the feline population. That said, vaccines are not entirely without risk, and appropriate and judicious use is indicated. Individual cats that do not tolerate vaccines may still be protected if the vast majority of the feline population is protected, as the infections do not have sufficient numbers of susceptible hosts to become established. However, if a sufficiently high number of cats were to be unprotected, diseases such as panleukopenia that are currently very rare could become re-established within the feline population.

END....
-------------------------
BY THE WAY:
...In pharmacology, adjuvants are drugs that have few or no pharmacological effects by themselves, but may increase the efficacy or potency of other drugs when given at the same time. So basically, this is why the cancer is happening... The companies are making the vaccines too strong by adding this ingredient...

I am going to see if I can find cat vaccines without the added ingredient... It would minimize the risk.

It is perfectly fine to do your own vaccines if you know what you are doing. Things change, now the big vet school in Ohio here is telling students to rotate where they vaccinate. rabies in the back leg, vaccines with FeLV in the left I beleive and vaccines without FeLV in the right. And then rotate each time you vaccinate. This is a newer thing, years ago vaccines went in the back of the neck area. Now there is a concern with vaccinating in the back of the neck, if cancer forms or some other reaction, you can't remove it there whereas vaccinating in the legs, you can just remove the leg. It is absolutely important to read up on standards before doing it.

I would not use killed virus's as that just makes absolutely no sense to me. And unless your cat is outdoors or comes into contact with strays, no real need to FeLV either. IMO, also what I learned in school.

So research and get some ideas and hopefully more people who vaccinate on their own will chime in and say what all they do and where they order from.

You can order from: Revival
Drs. Foster and Smith

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=86

Here are the recommendations consistent with the 2006 American Assoc. of Feline Practitioners that is in the same catalog that Jen recommended.

Notice what they say about determining what is appropriate for each cat.
I think that will help you.

I always have my vet chart which area ( upper leg) was used for which vax.
You might want to do the same.

Let us know what else you learn about this critical subject because we are all just learning...regardless of who does the vax.

On UPCO you can get single doses of the 4 in 1 for about $3.95 each if I remember correctly.

Comes with its own one use syringe.

Just go to UPCO.com and go to vaccines for cats.

I use the intra-nasal vaccine for all my cats. No injection site sarcoma risk, as there is no injection. It's a modified-live virus.

Also much easier to administer. Protocol is one dose at 12 weeks, then another at one year.

If administered prior to 12 weeks, will need to repeat again at 12 weeks.


Just an FYI, no kittens under 6-7 weeks of age should be administered a modified-live virus vaccine, it can cause brain damage. If young kittens need to be vaccinated, they should only be given a killed virus.

Well, the nose knows best.....

This is what I have found.

Heska UltraNasal, FVRCP Cat Vaccine, 20 x 1 dose $100.00

Feline UltraNasal Vaccines provide protection against the most prevalent causes of feline upper respiratory disease and feline panleukopenia without the use of needles. The Feline UltraNasal FVRCP Vaccine protects against rhinotracheitis virus, calicivirus and panleukopenia.

I would like a pack of 25 doses if I can find it. May have to buy a few single doses.

So tell me Kai Bengals, how exactly do you administer this? I read about it but I would rather hear it first hand.

And does this cover everything that they need. I have always just told the vet...give them what they need... Does this cover it all?

Thanks, Jenn

EDIT: found a video link to play showing how to administer this med.
DEMO VIDEO HOW TO ADMINISTER ULTRA-NASAL VACCINES

LOOK AT THIS.

FOCUS 3 DROPS $3.80 PER DOSE PER CAT


THIS PROTECTS AGAINST THE SAME THING AS THE EXPENSIVE HESKA PRODUCT ABOVE BUT IS MUCH CHEAPER. 76.00 FOR 20 DOSES...

This is what the link says.

Feline Focus 3, Cat Vaccine, Drops

General Product Information
Focus 3 vaccine drops are designed for ocular and nasal administration. Each of the viruses are widespread and are common disease causing agents in cats.

Indications
For the vaccination of healthy, susceptible cats as an aid in the reduction of diseases caused by Feline Rhinotracheitis (Herpesviurs), Feline Calicivirus, and Feline Panleukopenia. Cats can be vaccinated at 12 weeks of age. If cats are vaccinated at less than 12 weeks of age, a second vaccination should be administered at 12-16 weeks of age to assure vaccination against Feline Panleukopenia.

Benefits

* Single dose protection without needles, drop administered so easier on both owner and cat
* Significant protection against all major feline diseases
* Peace of mind - no chance of injection site sarcomas
* Safe - may be used in kittens as young as 3 weeks of age
* Easy to handle for pet owner - no pain for young kittens
* Convenient, single-dose packaging, dropper included

For Use On
Cats and kittens

Directions For Use
Remove the metal seal and rubber stopper from each vial. Using the enclosed dropper, rehydrate the lyophilized vaccine with the accompanying 0.5mL of liquid vaccine. Shake until dissolved. Immediately withdraw the rehydrated vaccine into the dropper. Place one drop of vaccine in the corner of each eye. The remaining vaccine is administered by placing the vaccine equally in each nostril as the animal inhales. THIS VACCINE IS NOT TO BE INJECTED. Annual revaccination is recommended.

Precautions
Store out of direct sunlight at a temperature between 35°-45°F (2°-7°C). Do not freeze. Use entire contents when first opened. Do not vaccinate pregnant animals. Burn containers and all unused contents. In rare instances reactions can occur due to unusual sensitivity following use of this product. In such cases administer epinephrine as an antidote. The vaccine will not protect against disease in the face of incubating Feline Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus or Feline Panleukopenia virus infection. Therefore, only healthy cats should be considered as candidates for vaccination. In some cats a slight watery discharge and occasional sneezing may occur 4 to 7 days after vaccination. A transient drop in the white blood cell count has been noted at times 5-6 days after vaccination. Oral lesions may be observed after vaccination but heal without incident. Contains gentamicin and Amphotericin B as preservatives

You mix the two vials together, aspirate the solution into a small eye-dropper type dispenser (supplied with the Vax). You will need to administer equal amounts in each nostril, so don't squirt all of it into one side.

Best way is to gently scruff the kitten, so you can tilt their head back and control the movement. Place the eye-dropper close to the nostril without actually touching it and squeeze half of the solution out. Repeat on the other side.
Usually if you're quick, you're done with both sides, before the kitten even knows anything is going on. Off they go, back to playing. They may be a little lethargic the next day, but they bounce right back. Obviously, no limping from injection site soreness.


This Vax does not contain the Clamydia virus, which is considered a "non-core" virus and only occurs in about 5% of cats. If you feel Clamydia could be an issue, you'll have to stick with the injectables.

It does cover the 3 major highly contagious viruses. Rabies of course will still need to be done as an injection along with FeLV if you feel your cats are at risk.

BTW: I use the Heska Vax. I don't know...sometimes...you get what you pay for.

Interesting that the Focus 3, instructions say to place a drop in each eye.

I don't know about that. I wouldn't want to put any of the Vax in the kittens eye.

You know you could be right about the Heska..... I found another site that sells the 20 doses for 90.00. That's not a lot different in the price of the drops.

One more question. The Heska then is considered the core vaccination????

Is that right?

Core Vaccines are bascially the "must have's"

Distemper (Feline Panleukopenia)

Calicivirus

and Herpes (Feline Rhinotracheitis)

The other vaccines should be considered based on risk assessment. These Vax's are not considered Core Vaccines.

Clamydia. Only 5% cats have it, so the risk is low

Feline Leukemia is transmitted by bites, etc. from infected cats. I would not get this Vax if the risk of this occuring is low to non-existant.

FIP Vax, has been known to cause FIP in immune system compromised cats. Once again, risk of exposure should guide you in determining whether any benefit out weighs the possiblity of actually giving your cat FIP with the Vax.

Mine should probably be fine with this then. They live in an enclosure and in the house. They are not exposed to others outside their perimeter and I have no plans on getting any more. So this should work for me....

My problem is I can't find any single doses for sale. Heska sells 20 x 1 dose packs. I need 24. Possibly 23 because one cat might not cooperate very well. But I will try before I give him a shot...

I'll call my vet and see if they sell single doses and if so , how much?

And thanks so much for the GREAT info!!! This is the answer to all the problems concerning sarcoma's... No more needles for mine... I had never heard of nasal vaccinations until today.

Jenn

This is really exciting info.
I wonder why my vet does not offer it as an option?
I will call tomorrow and ask.

I don't know if this info will be helpful, but Abby just had her vaccines today. She gets a rabies shot every 3 years, so she did not need it this year.

As far as distemper, it used to be an intra-nasal that would be administered like this:

one drop in each eye, one drop in each nostril, rest in mouth.

This year was a more updated one that was just a drop in each nostril. I do not know exactly what it is for other than distemper. My receipt says Distemper 4 - "most common upper respiratory infections"

Many cats will start sneezing a few days later, supposedly this new one causes fewer cats to sneeze, and those that do sneeze less. Abby has sneezed after the vaccine before, so it will be interesting to see how this one goes.

She gets the distemper vaccine every year.

Total charge today was $83

Exam - $47
Distemper - $20
Fecal exam - $16

This is just so exciting to me.. Thank you Abby's mom for posting... I wonder how many people use this type of vaccine? Post and let us know if she starts sneezing. I read that some do and some don't...

All I can say is I am definately going with the nose vaccine..