Home Vaccinations good idea?

My 4 years old male cat has the feline herpes virus and last year when I brought him in for his vaccinations he had an allergic reaction to one of them (not sure which since he got more than one) and he ended up having a flair up of the virus leading to more vet appointments, antibiotics and Lysine powder which adds up to not being cheap. Anyways, so now that he is due for his annual vaccines I'm debating if vaccinating him is really something he needs (indoor cat that gets to be supervised on the patio occasionally and is in contact with no other animals) or if he does need to be vaccinated, should I just buy them online and give it to him myself at home.

I know where to get the vaccinations and have vaccinated pets before although not often and not officially trained. I hate to put him through so much stress, triggering a flair up of his virus, but I don't want him to go unprotected either.

So in your honest opinion, what are the bare minimum vaccinations you would give (if any) for an indoor low risk cat and is it safe to vaccinate at home with little to no training?

Indoor cats that had the full kitten series and the 1 year boosters only need to be vaccinated every three years. This has become the accepted protocol with national organizations like the CFA and the veterinary associations. Many vets continue to vaccinate every year. I finally found a vet that follows the three year protocol. One of my cats also had an allergic reaction to his one year boosters. The only problem I see with vaccinating at home is if he has another allergic reaction. I know my one that did gets a shot of Benadryl 20 minutes before the vaccine. Another problem could be with the rabies vaccine. For it to be legally accepted in Ohio a vet has to give it, a vet tech can't even give the rabies vaccination to get the certificate that proves a current vaccination.

I vaccinate my dogs, and will be doing the cat, at home. The only thing that we don't/can't give at home is rabies, but ours is three year here anyways.

Everyone here still goes in for a checkup at least once a year, but it's easier for me to vaccinate them at home, then they go in for their checkup when we have the money.

We do it purely to save money, to be honest. I know how to do it properly, a vet tech friend of mine showed me and my vet confirmed. We're a low income family, and especially with my boyfriend being out of work right now, we have to save money as much as we can so that we can afford our pets. Of course, if they have to see a vet for something we're in there right away, whether it's an odd sniffle or something major. It's still important to have your pet checked out often, so vaccinating at home should not replace a vet visit at appropriate times (even a check up if nothing is wrong at home).

Originally Posted by Denice

Indoor cats that had the full kitten series and the 1 year boosters only need to be vaccinated every three years. This has become the accepted protocol with national organizations like the CFA and the veterinary associations. Many vets continue to vaccinate every year. I finally found a vet that follows the three year protocol. One of my cats also had an allergic reaction to his one year boosters. The only problem I see with vaccinating at home is if he has another allergic reaction. I know my one that did gets a shot of Benadryl 20 minutes before the vaccine. Another problem could be with the rabies vaccine. For it to be legally accepted in Ohio a vet has to give it, a vet tech can't even give the rabies vaccination to get the certificate that proves a current vaccination.

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Yep, I never give my cats/dogs shots every year anymore. You can also do titer test that test the immunity and have that on file for kennel's, etc. I think we over-vaccinate our pets and risk their health. So once every three years is sufficient after kitten boosters and that one year booster.

I think it is fine to do them at home if you know how. Just give them early in the morning so just in case there is a reaction you can get to the vet who would be open for the day.

Have you tried calling your vet to see if they will do an in home exam and vacs? If you're an established client they may even if they normally do not.

What all vacs is he receiving? As said, some are not yearly vacs anyways.
I don't believe in getting the FeLv vacs and after having cats react to them I no longer have my cats vaccinated for it. (no one roams outside with strange cats and they're all adults)

In general the best bet is core vacs only and to space them out so they're not given all at once. Especially in a cat with a compromised immune system.

Not to divert this thread, but we had a cat that was diagnosed with diabetes at 12 years old. The vet gave her about a year. We got scripts to administer insulin at home (daily injection) and gave that wonderful animal another 6 years.

My cats got 3 vaccination shots last year--rabies, distemper and I think, feline leukemia.

My cats are mainly indoor though they do go out on a leash every now and then (they haven't this year). The rabies shot is good for 3 years. They have their annual visit on Monday afternoon. I'm leaning towards telling the vet to skip the shots especially in light of the three year guideline. I'm just concerned that since my cats do occassionally go out that perhaps I shouldn't be too lax about the shots?

My cats both had reactions to the shot though they both recovered within 24-30 hours with a lot of TLC.