Safe to skip the 12 week FRCP shot?

ander35

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My cat got an FVRCP vaccine at 8 weeks and they want to give him one every 3 weeks till he hits 16. 

I read that FVRCP causes kidney inflammation so i want to skip the 12 and just get it at 16 weeks.

How risky is that if he is an indoor cat? It is airborne I hear and I do have strays around the outside of the house. He is strictly indoors.
 

momto3cats

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With strays around, that might be too risky. You can't know whether the 8 week vaccine actually gave him protection - that's the reason kitten shots are given several times, it's hard to predict when the kitten will be able to respond to the vaccine. You could get the second one at 12-14 weeks, wait a couple of weeks and then check his titer to see if he's protected. If he is, he doesn't need any more FVRCP vaccines; if not, you can give one more at 16+ weeks and that should work.
 

cheddarwaffles

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My cat got an FVRCP vaccine at 8 weeks and they want to give him one every 3 weeks till he hits 16. 

I read that FVRCP causes kidney inflammation so i want to skip the 12 and just get it at 16 weeks.

How risky is that if he is an indoor cat? It is airborne I hear and I do have strays around the outside of the house. He is strictly indoors.
Infectious viruses can cause kidney inflammation, but the vaccine is made to stimulate the immune system. That effect wears away by 3 to 4 weeks after injection, so it's "boosted" again, into 16 weeks age when the immune system is developed more. My vets have always explained that each boost also increases the antibody count total, making the "protection concentration" better to prevent my cats from getting the virus. Higher counts the better!

Rabies vac is given at 16 weeks for the same reason, that this is when the immune system will work, and make antibodies to rabies, as well as the viruses in the upper respiratory or RCP vaccine. They don't mess around with rabies, so giving it at 16 weeks, no earlier, must be the best time.

My vet just tried to give the 2nd vaccine RCP with chlamydia. I don't like vaccinating for chlamydia. It isn't effective enough and doesn't warrant the risk of this vaccine in the combo. I asked they stick to the RCP vaccine only. With such orders or preferences, your vet will likely be more open when asked, respectfully and logically, not to vaccinate with additional strains. Such as, in the past in the states, I declined vac for FIV, chlamydia, corona, and giardia, plus some silly, risky vac for the dog.
 
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ander35

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Well, it is proven that vaccines with adjuvants were causing cancer in cats.

Now, they are saying that FVRCP causes kidney inflammation but more study is needed, so...
 

cheddarwaffles

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Only killed vaccines have adjuvants. Review if your vet's vaccines they carry are live or modified live. Additionally, I have used cat specialists, certified in cat medicine and behavior, and they have said that about adjuvants since about 2003, but 2 years ago one of my vets came back from a learning seminar to stay up to date on current research and products. He said they've now done studies proving injections, period, can be related to fibrosarcomas starting. Be it injected steroid, injected vitamin B12 (something he and I used a lot with 2 of my cats!), injected antibiotic, pain med, let alone vaccine.

The immune system sends a bunch of anti-inflammatory and "memory" cells to the site as a strange foreign material is identified by the body. He said it can start attacking foreign cells, and if tissue cells, including skin, near the injection already absorbed some medication or were inflamed, the body starts attacking these areas.

We were very cautious, using Purevax line of rabies and leukemia, before they proved other leukemia lines of vaccines are just as good. We followed protocol with our vet of ensuring the same limbs are used for certain vaccine, so we could track which vaccine caused which problem.

for ex, rabies vac in the right back leg. Leukemia vac in the left back leg (only given if often going out or encountering cats that go out). RCP respiratory/distemper vac in right front.

An adult white shorthair cat I no longer have, after old age related death, had a nasty fibrosarcoma we caught early enough to remove with wide pathway around its perimeter. It hadn't gone into muscles or organs yet, just skin thankfully, on the right shoulder, nowhere near any prior vac site. He wasn't due for RCP, as we gave it every 3 to 5 years depending on titer, and he hand't even had it in 2 years. Totally unrelated to vaccines. Confirmed fibrosarcoma.

He needed slow healing as the area of skin removed was so large, the surgeon couldn't close it completely with suture. Slowly, with a few different methods, they got the skin to stretch gradually and cover the site, as well as wet to dry bandages that kept the open area protected and clean while healing.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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. Additionally, I have used cat specialists, certified in cat medicine and behavior, and they have said that about adjuvants since about 2003, but 2 years ago one of my vets came back from a learning seminar to stay up to date on current research and products. He said they've now done studies proving injections, period, can be related to fibrosarcomas starting. Be it injected steroid, injected vitamin B12 (something he and I used a lot with 2 of my cats!), injected antibiotic, pain med, let alone vaccine.
If this is true, what about all the cats getting sub-q fluids?  I would think we would start hearing about fibrosarcomas starting on some of them
  Many of these cats get fluids every single day, and often in the same spot.  Or does this not count as an injection, I wonder? 
 

cheddarwaffles

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Good ask - perhaps it has to be a smaller concentrated material, and fluids are dilute enough the immune system isn't triggered to show up and respond?  If I was still in the states I'd ask him, but alas...
 

jdollprincess

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My vet said the same thing that all injections in cats can possibly cause fibrosarcomas. Apparently the most dangerous ones are long acting injections like Convenia and Depo.
 
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