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kitten second distemper booster?

post #1 of 8
11/22/10 at 11:06am
Thread Starter 
My vet called today and said it was time for me to schedule an appointment for Tails' distemper booster. The only problem is, I took him in the first time for his booster since he had the original shot at the anti-cruelty society where he was before. I have never heeard of a cat needing two boosters for distemper, Memphis only needed the one. Is it different because Tails is only 3 months old? Or has my vet gone bonkers?
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post #2 of 8
11/22/10 at 11:15am
some vets do it as a precaution... Mine does it this way*set of 3* if started prior to 10 weeks of age
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post #3 of 8
11/22/10 at 11:46am
When the shots are done early on they usually do 3. When a shots given at say 6 months they will say just one booster. Does the vet know about the other shot given?

All my cats either had just one(day of surgery vet required) or the newer ones who went to my current vet got no shots.
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post #4 of 8
11/22/10 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies. Tails was 8 weeks when he got his first distemper shot, so this explains why he is recommended to get a second booster.
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post #5 of 8
11/22/10 at 1:27pm
Is your vet aware that your cat had an initial shot at the ACS? Because if he had a shot at 8 weeks he should only need one booster at 3 to 4 weeks after the first one. A third booster is usually only given, in my experience, if the kitten is an orphan and is therefore given a first shot at about 4-6 weeks. 8 weeks is the normal age to give the first FRVCP (distemper, etc.) shot and that's just repeated once to give full coverage.
I would guess that your vet may have overlooked the fact that your kitten had already had a shot and assumed that the shot you had with them was the first one. Or perhaps they just want to do a series of two shots themselves so that they feel satisfied that it's done correctly. In my experience some vets don't trust the shelter vets. Or they just want to make an extra buck.
There is no harm in giving a third shot but unless they use some strange vaccine I've never heard of there is no need for a second booster.

I'm not a vet professional but I do cat rescue and have had numerous kittens vaccinated so I consider myself pretty knowledgeable on the topic. We vaccinate our cats and kittens ourselves now days (saves us a lot of money) and the insert for the vaccines we use state that an initial shot should be given at 8 weeks and repeated in 3-4 weeks.
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post #6 of 8
11/22/10 at 1:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ziggy'smom View Post
Is your vet aware that your cat had an initial shot at the ACS? Because if he had a shot at 8 weeks he should only need one booster at 3 to 4 weeks after the first one. A third booster is usually only given, in my experience, if the kitten is an orphan and is therefore given a first shot at about 4-6 weeks. 8 weeks is the normal age to give the first FRVCP (distemper, etc.) shot and that's just repeated once to give full coverage.
I would guess that your vet may have overlooked the fact that your kitten had already had a shot and assumed that the shot you had with them was the first one. Or perhaps they just want to do a series of two shots themselves so that they feel satisfied that it's done correctly. In my experience some vets don't trust the shelter vets. Or they just want to make an extra buck.
There is no harm in giving a third shot but unless they use some strange vaccine I've never heard of there is no need for a second booster.

I'm not a vet professional but I do cat rescue and have had numerous kittens vaccinated so I consider myself pretty knowledgeable on the topic. We vaccinate our cats and kittens ourselves now days (saves us a lot of money) and the insert for the vaccines we use state that an initial shot should be given at 8 weeks and repeated in 3-4 weeks.

Hmm... I'll ask about that when I call them. The papers I gave them from ACS only list four different health-based issues they check for and treat(distemper vac, rabies vac, ear mites, and deworming), so I don't see how he could have overlooked it. Also, the original appointment was scheduled specifically for his booster. He's a very good vet (my landlord has been going to him for 15 years to treat her cats and dogs) but I wonder if maybe he isn't used to dealing with kittens who had everything done so young? ACS neuters at 8 weeks, and loads their cats with all their vaccines at once (my kitten was treated for ear mites, distemper, had two different dewormers, and was neutered all in the same day) because they are a high-kitten-turnover shelter (honestly, what shelter doesn't have a high turnover rate for kittens?), so I could see how my vet would have different ways of doing things than ACS.
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post #7 of 8
11/22/10 at 4:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rad65 View Post
Hmm... I'll ask about that when I call them. The papers I gave them from ACS only list four different health-based issues they check for and treat(distemper vac, rabies vac, ear mites, and deworming), so I don't see how he could have overlooked it. Also, the original appointment was scheduled specifically for his booster. He's a very good vet (my landlord has been going to him for 15 years to treat her cats and dogs) but I wonder if maybe he isn't used to dealing with kittens who had everything done so young? ACS neuters at 8 weeks, and loads their cats with all their vaccines at once (my kitten was treated for ear mites, distemper, had two different dewormers, and was neutered all in the same day) because they are a high-kitten-turnover shelter (honestly, what shelter doesn't have a high turnover rate for kittens?), so I could see how my vet would have different ways of doing things than ACS.
Just a FYI ... Most states will not accept a rabies shot done prior to 14 weeks..some up to 20 weeks..

My vet explained that months immunity could be with the kitten till 6-10 weeks any shots given while her immunity is in them will not benefit the kitten... Two different wormers probably is a cost saver, one for round , hook and the other for tape
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post #8 of 8
11/22/10 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
Just a FYI ... Most states will not accept a rabies shot done prior to 14 weeks..some up to 20 weeks..
Sorry if my repetition was confusing. The paper from ACS lists if he had rabies vac, which he did not because he was too young at the shelter. My vet gave him the rabies shot with the distemper booster at 12 weeks, which he said was fine?
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