Shots

My kitty was a stray its time to get her the leukemia shot we don't know if shes had it before or not , will it hurt her to have it twice? or are there tests that can be done to see if shes has the shot before?

I don't think it does. My next door neighbour rescued a dog from a shelter, and was'nt sure if she'd had her shots. The vet said she looked in good condition and possibly had been given them, but to be on the safe side gave them again just in case.

Susan

I just got off the phone with the vet he said that where shes alone and strictly indoors that she shouldnt have the shots because in a small amount of cats (who have already had the shot) it can cause a different kind of cancer that will result in her loosing her leg.

Most vets are now understanding that vaccinations should be given only when necessary and not just because they are there. It shows that you have a forward-thinking vet, that understands the risks. The cancer will only occur in a small number of cases, and it depends on what type of vaccination they use- live virus versus dead one and that sort of thing. The risk is, should your cat get outside somehow and come into contact with an infected cat, she might come back with the disease. Again, it will depend on the circumstances of the meeting.

Here is one website that I know of where the owner had to follow this difficult journey with his cat. He put this website up, not to scare, but to educate:

http://www.geocities.com/~kremersark/newhope.html

My vet explained that the vaccines are tested for one year efficacy. So they have to prove that the vaccine will be effective for at least one year. But they don't test to find out the maximum time they work for. Now they are thinking that they are effective for three years or more. When I asked about this, my cats were switched to every third year. They are indoor, but I am still concerned about their health for the remote possibilty that they escape by accident.

Im panicking now!!.
I'm waiting for the vet to call me back, because when i took Rosie for her boosters last summer, i asked if she needed them with being a house cat?.
The vet at the time said without doubt flu and enteritis, but leukemia
jab could stop once she hit 5 years old.

Well she's not even 2 yet, but i'm now concerned after reading this.

I'll let you know what vet said once they've rang.(I feel sick through it now!!)

Susan

Just had the vet on to say the vaccines are safe enough?!.

Rosie goes back in june for her boosters and yearly check up, but i'm going to ask this question again about the leukemia jab!.

I can understand giving her the flu/enteritis in case i touch another animal who has it, which means i can transfer it to Rosie, but they said if Rosie comes in contact with another cat, that's when she could get leukemia, well the thing is, she does'nt!, not even at the cattery. So if that's the case, i'll stop her from having it.

Oh God i hope i'm doing the right thing?!

Susan

From what I understand, each Vaccine is given in a different leg
on a cat so they can tell which one may have caused a cancer and
when they used to give the shot in the cat's back between the front
legs, when the cat got cancer, the excision surgery was too extreme
for the cat to survive. They use leg areas now because they lend
themselves to amputation easier. Also, there is evidence that Vaccines cultured on kidney cells may possibly be causing kidney failure in
cats.

I just had an e-mail from a friend who is a vet nurse who said a lot of vets feel that if the shots were given in the leg, should cancer occur, it would be easier to remove, but as yet it has'nt been confirmed.

She's told me not to worry, but i'll still be having a word with the vet in June.