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Vaccination Effects

post #1 of 24
9/1/11 at 5:39pm
Thread Starter 
A quick question on the Feline Leukemia Vaccine shot given to my 8-week old. She is sort of groggy now and very sleepy. Is this normal? I called the vet and the office gal said she could be expected to be 'quieter' than normal. Normal for her is tearing through the house at full speed. LOL
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post #2 of 24
9/1/11 at 6:06pm
It's a normal reaction. She will probably be back to normal tomorrow. Abnormal reactions would be things like vomiting, fever, red nose and red around the eyes.
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post #3 of 24
9/1/11 at 6:12pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, thank you, and thankfully she does not have any of those symptoms.
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post #4 of 24
9/2/11 at 6:17am
The FeLV vaccine is not approved for 8-week-old kittens. I'm concerned that the vet gave it to such a young baby. She should be back to normal in a couple of days, if she's not, definitely give the vet a call.
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post #5 of 24
9/2/11 at 6:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Babydk View Post
A quick question on the Feline Leukemia Vaccine shot given to my 8-week old. She is sort of groggy now and very sleepy. Is this normal? I called the vet and the office gal said she could be expected to be 'quieter' than normal. Normal for her is tearing through the house at full speed. LOL
She will be fine in about 72 hours. As long as she is drinking, eating some, urinating and having bowel movements she should be fine. I would say if she does none of the above for 48 hours then call the veterinarian for sure. Or if you feel it is necessary of course.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
The FeLV vaccine is not approved for 8-week-old kittens. I'm concerned that the vet gave it to such a young baby. She should be back to normal in a couple of days, if she's not, definitely give the vet a call.
All the foster kittens I had over the year got it from 10 to 16 weeks old. But I some vets that do it at 8 weeks.
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post #6 of 24
9/2/11 at 6:41am
The manufacturer's information says 9 or 10 weeks (depending on brand). This means that the USDA has not approved its use for kittens under that age. I don't know what the point of vaccine approval and proper administration instructions is if even vets don't follow the recommendations. I would like to be able to trust my vet to give medications and biologics properly.
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post #7 of 24
9/2/11 at 6:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
The manufacturer's information says 9 or 10 weeks (depending on brand). This means that the USDA has not approved its use for kittens under that age. I don't know what the point of vaccine approval and proper administration instructions is if even vets don't follow the recommendations.
Do you read the instructions for everything ? I am being serious because I have never read instructions like you. But maybe I REALLY SHOULD because you sure know a lot from doing it, so keep up the good work !

No one said all vets where bright or "God" or apparently could read directions even .
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post #8 of 24
9/2/11 at 6:55am
Of course I read instructions, especially when it can be a matter of life and death. And I would sort of like to think that vets maybe learned a little something in 8 years of college, particularly something so basic as vaccine administration and following label instructions.

It took me maybe 5 seconds to find that info online. If someone can't take 2 seconds to look at the label on the vaccine vial in their hand, I don't know if that person needs to be a vet. Medical professionals have a higher responsibility to make sure their actions don't harm anybody.
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post #9 of 24
9/2/11 at 7:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
Of course I read instructions, especially when it can be a matter of life and death. And I would sort of like to think that vets maybe learned a little something in 8 years of college, particularly something so basic as vaccine administration and following label instructions.
You sure would think so ! As a licensed veterinarian technician I was taught basic things yes. But I kind of always just followed the veterinarians orders. Since I sure hope they know more then I do !

But apparently I need to read directions for them ?

I will say I am not sure there is a major difference between 8 and 9 weeks in most cases. Yes, that assumes the cat is reasonably healthy.
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post #10 of 24
9/2/11 at 9:02am
Thread Starter 
Wow..I wish I had posted this before I took her. She was given that vaccination yesterday and was pretty groggy for most of the day. Last night she seemed to get back to her old self, she ate and such, ran around and played. She did the same thing this morning. I think all is well, but it's scary to think you take your kitty to the vet for their well baby shots and they may actually harm them.

On a side note-she said to bring her back for round 2 in a month. Does that make sense?
Thank you so much!
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post #11 of 24
9/2/11 at 10:00am
There are three of the four way shot that includes distemper given at intervels for kittens. The leukemia and rabies are one shot for the kittens. The one year boosters is all the shots. Mine got the rabies shot with their last distemper shot.
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post #12 of 24
9/2/11 at 10:10am
Often directions by manufacturers err on the side of caution to cover their behinds. I'm confident that a vet would know that and would have better information than us lay people and if they feel it is safe they probably have much experience and knowledge that we don't have.

If one reads all labels it will be revealed that many over-exaggerate the possible effects which is IMO just a way to cover themselves from lawsuits.

A good example is best before dates on foods. I know some folks that think the product expires at midnight on that date and throws it out. That's just plain silly and totally unnecessary.
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post #13 of 24
9/2/11 at 10:55am
I completely agree about food. Of course I don't keep things well past the expiration date but I don't throw it out on that date either. I am careful with meat. If I'm not going to use it the day or the day after I buy it it gets frozen. Since I only have the freezer with the refrigerator which doesn't get as cold as a chest freezer I use it within 6 to 8 weeks.
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post #14 of 24
9/2/11 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Denice View Post
There are three of the four way shot that includes distemper given at intervels for kittens. The leukemia and rabies are one shot for the kittens. The one year boosters is all the shots. Mine got the rabies shot with their last distemper shot.
According to all the info I can find (vaccine charts, manufacturer's info, etc.), the FeLV vaccine does need a booster after 3-4 weeks to be effective, no matter how old the cat is. That's how my vet does it, too. The distemper combo does not need boostering for cats over 16 weeks, but if it is given to younger kittens it should be boostered every 3-4 weeks until the kitty is at least 16 weeks old.

When did she get her other shots? Usually the distemper combo is considered most important for kittens, that's the one I would expect to be given to an 8-week-old. But it sounds like she only got FeLV this time? Also, don't let the vet give the rabies shot before 12-16 weeks, or it may not be legally recognized! Check your state law for the minimum age in your state.

I sort of think medications, pesticides, and biologics are different from food! I would rather err on the side of caution, being that we all know that vaccines can have bad side effects no matter when they're given. Misusing these things could be fatal. Whereas, if I eat spoiled food, I might get a tummyache . A bit of a difference there!
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post #15 of 24
9/2/11 at 12:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Babydk View Post
Wow..I wish I had posted this before I took her. She was given that vaccination yesterday and was pretty groggy for most of the day. Last night she seemed to get back to her old self, she ate and such, ran around and played. She did the same thing this morning. I think all is well, but it's scary to think you take your kitty to the vet for their well baby shots and they may actually harm them.

On a side note-she said to bring her back for round 2 in a month. Does that make sense?
Thank you so much!
Yes it makes sense for when she is due for the vaccines booster. Due to the age of when the initial vaccine was administered. Also one weeks time is NOT likely to harm the cat in anyway.

I am glad she is feeling better.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Often directions by manufacturers err on the side of caution to cover their behinds. I'm confident that a vet would know that and would have better information than us lay people and if they feel it is safe they probably have much experience and knowledge that we don't have.

If one reads all labels it will be revealed that many over-exaggerate the possible effects which is IMO just a way to cover themselves from lawsuits.

A good example is best before dates on foods. I know some folks that think the product expires at midnight on that date and throws it out. That's just plain silly and totally unnecessary.
As always good work !!
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post #16 of 24
9/2/11 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
I sort of think medications, pesticides, and biologics are different from food! I would rather err on the side of caution, being that we all know that vaccines can have bad side effects no matter when they're given. Misusing these things could be fatal. Whereas, if I eat spoiled food, I might get a tummyache . A bit of a difference there!
I would disagree. Foods can also have bad side effects. You have obviously never had food poisoning or experienced the pain and do not know that people can and have died of food poisoning. Not really any different than a cat having a bad reaction to a vaccine just as a person can have a bad reaction to bad food (and vaccines too). Then there is the peanut allergy thing - many people have died from this and even other allergies. I'd say there is a correlation so it's not really a laughing matter, at least to most of us.
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post #17 of 24
9/2/11 at 3:40pm
A little-known fact is that spoilage bacteria are harmless to humans. They make the food taste and smell bad, but do not make you sick (other than a little tummyache or nausea from the ickiness). Pathogenic bacteria are what give you food poisoning, and are usually found in perfectly fresh food, usually caused by improper handling. So it has nothing to do with expiration dates.

And, yes, I once got very sick from eating sliced deli turkey. Not fun . But not because it was expired.

But of course this is very OT. Sorry!

It's tempting to say that one week won't make much difference. But kittens develop so quickly at that age that one week represents a lot of development. So it might make a huge difference, we just don't know about it because it hasn't been studied. Anyway, I'm sure she'll be fine, but I would be suspicious of the vaccine conferring proper immunity. If her immune system is too undeveloped to respond to the vaccine, it won't give any immunity. So if she's at high risk of exposure, this may be something to look into. I hope she feels better soon!
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post #18 of 24
9/3/11 at 9:20am
Thread Starter 
Wow...so much good information. Well, she seems to be fine from her shot, she was ripping up her toys, eating like a pig and racing through the house yesterday like crazy.
I guess my fear came from a friend that had to put her kitty down because he got cancer at his injection site. I have never heard of that, but researching I find others who have encountered it as well. Scary. All 3 of my cats are indoor, but we also have ferels running around we feed and sometimes they are nose to nose at the door.
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post #19 of 24
9/3/11 at 11:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Babydk View Post
Wow...so much good information. Well, she seems to be fine from her shot, she was ripping up her toys, eating like a pig and racing through the house yesterday like crazy.
I guess my fear came from a friend that had to put her kitty down because he got cancer at his injection site. I have never heard of that, but researching I find others who have encountered it as well. Scary. All 3 of my cats are indoor, but we also have ferels running around we feed and sometimes they are nose to nose at the door.
Call me paranoid, but I'm will Willowy on this one. Vaccines are already scary enough; not following their basic instructions or keeping up with the latest protocols on them is negligent, as far as I'm concerned. Thank heaven your kitty is doing so very well, Babydk!

My cats are strictly indoor, and they received their basic kittens shots. However, since then, the only vaccine I'll let them get is for rabies (and that only because it's mandatory), and you can bet I watch to ensure that shot is given in the right hind leg.

In case you'd like to explore the vaccine topic a bit more, Babydk, here a few links for you:

Vaccines for Cats: We Need to Stop Overvaccinating

Don’t Vaccinate Your Adult Cat for Distemper

Vaccination

Best regards!

AC
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post #20 of 24
9/6/11 at 6:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy View Post
Call me paranoid, but I'm will Willowy on this one. Vaccines are already scary enough; not following their basic instructions or keeping up with the latest protocols on them is negligent, as far as I'm concerned. Thank heaven your kitty is doing so very well, Babydk!

My cats are strictly indoor, and they received their basic kittens shots. However, since then, the only vaccine I'll let them get is for rabies (and that only because it's mandatory), and you can bet I watch to ensure that shot is given in the right hind leg.

In case you'd like to explore the vaccine topic a bit more, Babydk, here a few links for you:

Vaccines for Cats: We Need to Stop Overvaccinating

Don’t Vaccinate Your Adult Cat for Distemper

Vaccination

Best regards!

AC
Each to their own of course but after the false information on vaccinating human babies recently I'm very wary of "statistics" and these false warnings. There are many children out there that are not protected because their parents believed this false info and that, to me at least, is very scary. When you look at the diseases coming back into our society through persons from third world countries that were not vaccinated for polio, TB, etc when we had pretty much wiped those diseases out here in North America, it makes one take a closer look at how good those vaccines were. We have progressed and vaccines are one of the wonderful things that came from progression.
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post #21 of 24
9/6/11 at 11:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Each to their own of course but after the false information on vaccinating human babies recently I'm very wary of "statistics" and these false warnings. There are many children out there that are not protected because their parents believed this false info and that, to me at least, is very scary. When you look at the diseases coming back into our society through persons from third world countries that were not vaccinated for polio, TB, etc when we had pretty much wiped those diseases out here in North America, it makes one take a closer look at how good those vaccines were. We have progressed and vaccines are one of the wonderful things that came from progression.
This particular info is actually coming from the veterinarians themselves. The AVMA formed a task force some time ago that confirmed that vaccines have been causing cancer at the injection site; since then the protocols have continued to change. No vaccine should ever be given in the neck (where once that was the preferred injection site), the recommended vaccine type has become non-adjudicated and the frequency has dropped, among other things.

It's hard sometimes to separate hype from reality, but in this case, it's coming directly from the veterinarian associations, not laymen.

AC
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post #22 of 24
9/6/11 at 1:31pm
And, there's a big difference between not vaccinating at all (as most of the anti-human-vaccination people do) and not vaccinating annually, which even the AVMA warns against (for the core vaccines anyway). Animal vaccines are more effective than previously thought; there's no reason to use them too often. Humans aren't vaccinated yearly for most things. There are also a ton of nasty additives in most animal vaccines (some of which are not allowed in human vaccines), so if they can come up with an effective vaccine without the nasty additives, that's not a bad thing at all.
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post #23 of 24
9/6/11 at 3:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy View Post
This particular info is actually coming from the veterinarians themselves. The AVMA formed a task force some time ago that confirmed that vaccines have been causing cancer at the injection site; since then the protocols have continued to change. No vaccine should ever be given in the neck (where once that was the preferred injection site), the recommended vaccine type has become non-adjudicated and the frequency has dropped, among other things.

It's hard sometimes to separate hype from reality, but in this case, it's coming directly from the veterinarian associations, not laymen.

AC
I would wonder how long ago that task force determined this info. I do know the old vaccines could cause sarcoma at the injection site but I know there are new vaccines now that most vets use that do not cause sarcoma.

And, to be on the safe side, they also do not inject in the neck area. Most modern vets also do not give annual vaccinations any more for some things. The rabies is a must in most places. There is also the issue of whether giving 3 or 5 year shots is a good idea or whether it might be too much vaccine at one time.

As always, there are always 2 sides to every coin and it's up to us as individuals to call the toss.
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post #24 of 24
9/6/11 at 7:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
There is also the issue of whether giving 3 or 5 year shots is a good idea or whether it might be too much vaccine at one time.
This is a common misconception, but 3-year vaccines do not contain anything more or stronger than a 1-year vaccine. They are exactly the same thing (except non-adjuvanted vaccines have not yet been approved for multi-year use) The only difference is that the makers of the 3-year vaccine got approval to label it "3-year".

The vaccine-site sarcoma task force was formed in 1994. Vaccines have not changed since then, except for the current availablity of non-adjuvanted vaccines. If you use an adjuvanted vaccine, it is made with exactly the same formula as it was back in 1994. So their recommendations are still valid. http://www.avma.org/vafstf/

Yes, it is the owner's choice as to which vaccines are given and how often. But owners need to educate themselves thoroughly so that their choices are based on facts instead of on misconceptions.
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