What is your vaccine protocol?

Personally, I've recently decided not to vaccinate adult cats. I'll give them their kitten series and a booster in a year, and that's it. I feel this confers immunity for life and is safer than giving unnecessary vaccines and risking cancer and immune disorders. I also do not give FeLeuk vaccines. I'd like to keep them UTD on rabies vaccine for legal reasons, but I haven't found a vet that will sign off on 3 or 4-year rabies for cats (but they'll do it for dogs!!! GRRRR!), and I WILL NOT give it yearly.

My first cats got yearly vaccines (ALL of them, including FeLeuk) for their first 8 years, and one of them developed bad IBD. We stopped vaccinating her at age 11, and she "mysteriously" recovered after a few years of not vaccinating. And that's not something that normally gets better with age. She's 19 now, and her digestive system seems to be working just fine.

So, what's your vaccine protocol, and why?

Mine just get the kitten series (2 injections) but I live in New Zealand and rabies isn't a problem here

I do pretty much the same now - kitten vacs + booster at 1 year and yearly rabies. No FeLeuk. Years ago, they got the whole yearly routine including FeLeuk (fostering feral kittens at that time). The more I read the more convinced I am that we way over vacinate and it's just not necessary.

I'm doing two rounds of kitten shots, then a booster at 1 year and never again. I lied to my vet that Jake had a severe reaction (he did have a reaction but only mild) so that he can leave me alone and let me do what I want for my kitten! Get this- he requires that you provide record of shots that are up to date or else he will not proceed with any treatment before he gives the required shots...Grrr I hate vets!
I do plan to give Jake a rabies shot eventually, but for now he is safe inside and will never be allowed outside. Forget what the law says- I'm breaking it! Not giving unnecessary shots...

My vet recommends and does the kitten series and then a booster at one year. Rabies is given at anytime before 6 months and then again a year after that. The one given at a year is the 3 year vaccine so we only have to get that every 3 years. FVRCP is given again at 2 years and then that goes on a 3 year schedule as well.

I do opt to get the FeLV during the kitten series (initial shot and then booster one month later) but I do not do it again after that and my vet also does not believe it is necessary after the initial kitten series. The reason we get it is because we are a multi-cat household and I feel better safe than sorry.

I also vacc kitten shots, but after a few years of doing yearly titers on previous cats, I stopped the 1 year booster and anual updates.
Titers showed adequate antibodies.
I also do not give FeLuk.

My 15 year old had a severe reaction to a rabies Vacc when she was 10 and her then vet wrote her a medical waiver from it, I nearly lost her.
And like you, after intial rabies shot, I will not give it yearly and have yet to find a vet that does the three year protocol in my area.

Mai Kitties: In case no vet has informed you, the greatest danger (IMO) with the Feline Leukemia vacc is that it will often show up as a false postive on the FeLuk test and if your cat should ever become lost and end up in a shelter, most will euth. on a positive test.

Riley and Xander have both had kitten series and a one year booster. I'm not sure what I will do after this. Riley has his yearly coming up next month so I will decide at that point. My vet does use purevax though.

Originally Posted by Arlyn

...In case no vet has informed you, the greatest danger...with the Feline Leukemia vacc is that it will often show up as a false postive on the FeLuk test and if your cat should ever become lost and end up in a shelter, most will euth. on a positive test.

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Not true.

The FeLV vaccine will only result in the production of antibodies...not the virus itself. The "standard" FeLV test, the Snap test, searches for the actual virus.

I believe that you're thinking of the FIV vaccine. That (if it "takes") will also produce antibodies...and, for FIV, the Snap test detects antibodies only...which is why a FIV Snap test is not an accurate test for the FIV virus.

Blaise, once again, you imprudent use of bolding makes you look like a bully, you should really learn some less harsh means of getting your point across

Now then, you are right, I'm probably mistaking the two, however, FeLV is a vacc that is generally not reccomended for healthy, strictly indoor cats as they are virtually zero risk.
Vets should put more effort into educating people on which vaccs are needed for indoor only cats and which are superfluous, insteading of painting all with the same risk percentage brush.

Mai Kitties: In case no vet has informed you, the greatest danger (IMO) with the Feline Leukemia vacc is that it will often show up as a false postive on the FeLuk test and if your cat should ever become lost and end up in a shelter, most will euth. on a positive test.

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FELV will not show up on an FELV/FIV snap test. However cats vaccinated with FIV will show postivie on the snap test. Here in the county I live in if you want to vaccinate for FIV you have to microchip your cat so that if the county ever catches your cat they can scan it and realize it belongs to someone and that if it tests positive, it's likely it has been vaccinated and isn't just stray who has it because they will euth. strays who are FIV+.

FeLV is a vacc that is generally not reccomended for healthy, strictly indoor cats as they are virtually zero risk.

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This is very true. Especially when, I don't know if you're like me, but I do get worried about over vaccination.

I did the kitten series on both my cats. They get an annual FVRCP vaccine and every 3 years a rabies[required by state]. I did start them with the FELV vaccine but I stopped because they are indoor only. I would consider stopping the FVRCP but I've seen what distemper does to cats and I guess I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've even seen cats up to date on vaccines get it and it's a sucky illness.

My vet only recommends the boosters every 3 years, except for rabies. In Texas a 3 year vaccine is allowed, but our vet practice says the 1 year non-adjuvenated (not sure of spelling) is much safer. I will probably request the titer test though next time Kody is due. When we got him from the shelter last May, they insisted on doing the 3 year rabies vaccine and I have been worried ever since.

Anne

I have two adult resuce cats, and the only thing they've ever gotten are the state-required annual rabies shots, and those I get under protest.

I give my cat exactly what my vet recommends. Some things he gets yearly, and others every three years or so. This is important because my cat does go outside and has contact with other cats.

Mine get the Purevax Rabies vaccine annually. When they approve it for 3 years, we will get it only every 3 years. I am required by law to vaccinate for Rabies and license my cats, so I get the one I feel is the least likely to cause a fibrosarcoma. My cat who died from Fibrosarcoma was vaccinated with the 2 vaccines most implicated in VAS for a good portion of his life. Finding a vet who follows the new protocols wasn't easy.

My cats get their kitten series, then the 3 year recommended intervals of the distemper shot.

When I get a kitty, I do get them their initial shots, but I don't do yearly. My cats remain in doors and are not around other cats so they aren't at risk. The only time my cats are even remotely close to other animals is at the vet and even then my vet said that they don't need to be vaccinated.

1 of mine (Bear)got kitten shots and the rest haven't. Bella got a rabies shot about 1-2 yrs ago, not sure if it was one year or 3. Cody has a 3 year rabies in effect untill 2012.

I decided sometime last year that I will no longer do rabies shots, or the others. Yes, sometime indoor cats get outside on accident-but I personally feel like them getting fibrosarcoma or picking something up at the vets is far more likely than then getting rabies/leuk/aids being indoor cats, even if they temporarily got out.

Originally Posted by Arlyn

Mai Kitties: In case no vet has informed you, the greatest danger (IMO) with the Feline Leukemia vacc is that it will often show up as a false postive on the FeLuk test and if your cat should ever become lost and end up in a shelter, most will euth. on a positive test.

Click to expand...

You have the FeLV and FIV vaccinations confused. FIV vaccinations will cause positive results on FIV tests. FeLV vaccinations do not. I do not vaccinate for FIV.

I have a large household of cat that were all born feral, and I have 2 that still go in and out. I've seen FeLV rampage a feral colony, and by pure accident, brought in a pair of feral kittens that were positive. They infected one of my adults who had been vaccinated. If I had not had my entire household vaccinated at the time, I would have lost a lot more.

That being said, I vaccinate for FeLV annually. It's due to the situation that I have. I'm getting mine on the 3 year rabies vaccine, bit give the balance of vaccines to everyone until they about 10-11 years old.

I'm here in Canada.

Having recently lost my dear cat Taco to fibrosarcoma, thought to be due to vaccinations from years ago, the whole topic of vaccinations leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

I recently adopted a new orange kitty a few days after I had to have my dear Taco put to sleep (his tumors were erupting through his skin, causing discomfort and I just couldn't allow him to suffer). He'd already received his 2 sets of kitten shots there at the Humane Society. They advised me that he'd need his Rabies shot. I had my own Vet give it. I could kick myself. Vet gave it into the scruff area. This same Vet had previously told me, when dealing with Taco, that the "new vaccines" they use today are safe with respect to Vaccine Associated Sarcoma..and that it was the "old ones" that were the cause of this. I believed him. And thanks to his misinformation I stood there watching him give a rabies shot into his scruff, setting him up for VAS down the line. I am so disgusted.

If that's not enough.......while there, the "helpful Tech" tried putting the fear of God into me; that I should get yearly rabies shots for my other for senior "strictly indoor cats".......asking me "do you know that if someone came to your home and your cats bit or scratched someone and they sought medical attention for it and identified your cat as the perp, regardless of the fact that your cats are strictly indoors, if you couldn't provide proof of vaccination against rabies you would have to turn over your cat for 14 days of quarantine!" And heavens, even though I've spent thousands (and I mean thousands) of $$ at this clinic over the years, I was told that getting the shot for each of the 4 would require a $75 exam - each.........so for the low low price of $450, I could get them all vaccinated........but of course I must do this yearly! What a freaking racket.

I was almost convinced I should do it but to heck with it; I am so not about to subject my old cats to a shot they dang well don't need. I guess if the day comes one scratches someone and I have to surrender the cat for a 2 week quarantine, so be it. That just irks me. Is there no common sense? Any vet who I've ever dealt with could attest to the fact that my cats are strictly indoors; at no risk for rabies. what a freaking racket.

I was going to a different vet with Monti. They always gave me the option if I wanted him to get what shot and when. He did get something every year though...one up the nose and one in the leg...because I thought that's what he needed.

I guess that I know now that they don't need them every year I won't do that with Poppy. If this new vet tries to make it mandatory I will switch back to the previous vet.

I'm still kinda iffy about this new vet anyways. It's an animal hospital where they treat all kinds of animals. My other vet only saw cats.

Perhaps you're all aware of the information contained in the Feline Vaccination Guidelines from the American Association of Feline Practioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association's Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force, but if not, you might be interested in looking at the links I've just posted at this thread:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=194042

Kris