Vaccination Timelines

Mooch and Noodles are visiting the vet on Tuesday for their vaccinations for the year. I was just wondering if anyone either knows of a 'time line' of sorts for what vaccines a cat should receive and when? Or if anyone knows just what they are due for this year. They just turned 1 last month. I just want to make sure they get what they need. Last year I took them to the base vet for their shots, then when I took them to get spayed they needed another shot the base vet didn't give them. (The base is much cheaper for vaccines and I like him, but they don't do spaying and things like that there unfortunately so I had to find another vet for that.) Thanks for any advice!

Semiferal and a few others have a much bvetter handle on this but here is my understanding after talking with my vet

1 set of shots the bunch of letters and rabies one s have to be repeated at one year of age... after that many are using a three yr protocal for the letter ones and some for rabie( my vet is last vet wanted every yr for rabies) ... my vet said she doesnt give shots unless the owner says so after age ten..

FVRCP is otherwise known as the "distemper combo" vaccine that is commonly given at one year with the rabies vaccine.

If the cats are indoors-only you probably don't need to give the feline leukemia vaccine (FELV) unless you bring in ferals or fosters, or plan to board your furbabies.

Vaccine reactions are very rare, but it's important to know the signs so that if anything does happen you'll know to get the kitty back to the vet ASAP. Some vets will tell you what to watch for, or will print it out on your receipt, but a lot of vets don't do that, so here's what to watch for just in case:

Adverse reactions to vaccination

If it's at all possible, try to schedule the appointment for a time when you can be at home to watch your cats for a few hours afterward, and when your vet (or an emergency vet) will be available if there's a problem.

I don't want to scare anyone out of getting vaccinations - they're very important and can help prevent serious diseases, but it's important to know the signs of a reaction to get appropriate care if a reaction occurs.

What I do:

FVRCP - modified live doses given at 5 weeks, 7.5 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16weeks. I'm totally anal about distemper vaccines because I've seen just how awful the illness is for kittens. A booster at 1 year won't hurt. I don't consider it necessary at all after that point. For an adult, one modified live or two killed doses will give good lifetime immunity.

Rabies - one dose sometime after 12 weeks. Merial's Purevax vaccine is used if it is at all possible. Titre checks annually thereafter if rabies vaccination is required by law. One vaccine is normally good for at least 7 years and the standard (not Purevax) vaccine is strongly associated with vaccine sarcoma. If additional doses of the non-Purevax vaccine are given, I always ask that they be given in the tail. That way, if cancer does develop at least a tail can be amputated and the cat might have a better chance of recovering.

Feline Leukemia - only if a cat lives with an FeLV positive cat. This is another vaccine strongly associated with vaccine sarcomas. I would definitely have this one given in the tail.

FIV - no, no, no!!! The risk of a spayed/neutered cat getting FIV is somewhere between miniscule and zero. Additionally, a vaccinated cat will test positive for FIV and there is currently no way to tell the difference between a vaccinated cat and an FIV positive cat. It's just not a good idea.

FIP - probably not harmful IMO but also not likely to be all that helpful.

Rabies - one dose sometime after 12 weeks. Merial's Purevax vaccine is used if it is at all possible. Titre checks annually thereafter if rabies vaccination is required by law. One vaccine is normally good for at least 7 years and the standard (not Purevax) vaccine is strongly associated with vaccine sarcoma. If additional doses of the non-Purevax vaccine are given, I always ask that they be given in the tail. That way, if cancer does develop at least a tail can be amputated and the cat might have a better chance of recovering.

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In states where rabies is required by law, does the titre count qualify as a "booster"? Also, do you think that vet's will be open to the idea of testing titre levels, rather than giving the vaccine every time? I ask because I have been doing some reading lately about over vaccinating and I'm trying to find a happy medium. I certainly don't want to break the law, but I also really don't want to harm my cats. I recently had a cat that was doing ok with CRF (his numbers were holding steady), but within 2-3 weeks of recieving his rabies booster in January, he rapidly declined and passed away. I have no idea if there was a connection, but the thought is always in the back of my mind.

Originally Posted by semiferal

FIV - no, no, no!!! The risk of a spayed/neutered cat getting FIV is somewhere between miniscule and zero. Additionally, a vaccinated cat will test positive for FIV and there is currently no way to tell the difference between a vaccinated cat and an FIV positive cat. It's just not a good idea

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is this right? neither of my boys have been vaccinated for this but I just got a letter from the vet yesterday for their annual checkup and it had a sticker with "talk to us about FIV vaccinations" on it - so I was curious about whether I needed to get this done or not.

is this right? neither of my boys have been vaccinated for this but I just got a letter from the vet yesterday for their annual checkup and it had a sticker with "talk to us about FIV vaccinations" on it - so I was curious about whether I needed to get this done or not.

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Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that FIV is the disease that is transfered generally thru cat fights. So, if your cat is spayed/neutered and doesn't go outside, it's probably not necessary.

Originally Posted by Noelle&Oliver

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that FIV is the disease that is transfered generally thru cat fights. So, if your cat is spayed/neutered and doesn't go outside, it's probably not necessary.

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Yes, you are totally correct about that.

The FIV vaccine may be a way to put a few more bucks in the pocket of a vet with a questionable moral compass, but it can do much more harm to your cat than good. If something tragic happens to you or if your cat ends up in a shelter for whatever reason and he is tested as a matter of routine, he'll come up FIV positive and in all likelihood he'll be killed because few shelters put FIV positive cats up for adoption. If he's separated from his vet records, there will be no way whatsoever to know that he is vaccinated and doesn't actually have FIV.

So to summarize: they should only need a FVRCP Booster and a rabies one?

I was just going through their records. I remember when I picked them up from the vet who spayed them, that they gave them another vaccine they said they require that the base vet did not give, so I just found that they had a Bordetella Annual Vaccination too. Is this something that needs updating or that they even need?

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

So to summarize: they should only need a FVRCP Booster and a rabies one?

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Yup, those are the only ones you need...and at this point, you won't have to do them until the girls are 4. I do these 2 boosters every 3 years in my indoor adults.

I also had Leo vaccinated for FeLV using the high-pressure jet Merial vaccine in his rear haunch. He was living with an FeLV positive kitten at the time. This is a safe vaccine if your girls come in contact with fosters or ferals or other unknown cats.

what about the bordetella one? I'm not exactly sure what that is even...

Originally Posted by Noelle&Oliver

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that FIV is the disease that is transfered generally thru cat fights. So, if your cat is spayed/neutered and doesn't go outside, it's probably not necessary.

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I understand what everyone is saying and it makes sense - however my boys are neutered but DO go outside. So therefore if its a disease transferred gennerally through cat fights then shouldnt my 2 be vaccinated against it?

Originally Posted by Noelle&Oliver

In states where rabies is required by law, does the titre count qualify as a "booster"? Also, do you think that vet's will be open to the idea of testing titre levels, rather than giving the vaccine every time? I ask because I have been doing some reading lately about over vaccinating and I'm trying to find a happy medium. I certainly don't want to break the law, but I also really don't want to harm my cats. I recently had a cat that was doing ok with CRF (his numbers were holding steady), but within 2-3 weeks of recieving his rabies booster in January, he rapidly declined and passed away. I have no idea if there was a connection, but the thought is always in the back of my mind.

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Typically, yes, titres are acceptable especially with a note from a vet saying that vaccination is not advisable for the animal (the animal can be perfectly healthy and this can still be the case!). Titres must be performed annually, though.

With regard to the law, for me when it comes to a decision between my cat's health and the law, I'll disobey the law. One of my cats has not been vaccinated for rabies because it is medically unadvisable for him, and another was vaccinated once (like all the others) but the vet has told me specifically that he should not receive any more vaccines, ever. Frankly, I'm going to listen to the advice of my vet over the advice of legislators who, while well intentioned, do not have the knowledge that a doctor has. Given how vaccine-happy doctors tend to be as a whole, if a non-holistic vet tells me that my cat should not be vaccinated then I am going to listen!

There's also the point that the odds of your getting caught are somewhere between slim and none. And if the DOH does come after you, then all you have to do is get the vaccine done at that point - no big deal.

Also, read the wording of your local code carefully. I read mine and it says only that cats and dogs over 4 months of age must be vaccinated for rabies. There's no mention whatsoever about re-vaccination! So based on the wording of the law, a single vaccine followed by annual titre checks would have to be acceptable. It's a very convenient loophole.

As for whether or not vets would be okay with titre checks, that depends on the individual vet. Many would be okay, some wouldn't, and certainly there's nothing wrong with shopping around until you find a vet willing to comply with informed decisions you've made about your pet's health. To be frank, finances may be a motive for a vet practice. Vaccines are a substantial money maker for them - a vaccine costs about $3 but you are usually charged around $25. The markup for lab tests is usually quite a bit less. Some vets may also not be comfortable going against "the rules" they've learned in the past even when more recent information indicates that "the old way" has its problems. But at the end of the day, you're the consumer and you can make choices. Any vet who insists on turning my cat into a pincushion as a condition of even looking at his inflamed eye (or whatever the complaint du jour) is not a vet that I want caring for my pet.

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

Mooch and Noodles are visiting the vet on Tuesday for their vaccinations for the year. Thanks for any advice!

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oh and sorry - I didnt mean to take over your thread at all

I understand what everyone is saying and it makes sense - however my boys are neutered but DO go outside. So therefore if its a disease transferred gennerally through cat fights then shouldnt my 2 be vaccinated against it?

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Ultimatly, it's your call. All I can say is that my previous male cat, who is now passed away, was an indoor/outdoor cat his whole life (almost 18 years) and never contracted FIV. He was also neutered, but never really was much for fighting even before being nipped. If I remember correctly, FIV is transfered from saliva into the blood stream, so it would have to be a bite wound, rather than just swatting, hissing, scratches, etc.

I've also heard of cases where people had more than one cat, one of which was FIV positive, and all cats were able to live together with no problem.

I would suggest doing some research about FIV and making the call from there based on what you find. I'm sure you can find tons of info online.

Typically, yes, titres are acceptable especially with a note from a vet saying that vaccination is not advisable for the animal (the animal can be perfectly healthy and this can still be the case!). Titres must be performed annually, though.

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My cats are currently getting the 3 year rabies vaccine, so does that mean that titres can be checked every 3 years, or does it still have to be every year?

I read mine and it says only that cats and dogs over 4 months of age must be vaccinated for rabies. There's no mention whatsoever about re-vaccination! So based on the wording of the law, a single vaccine followed by annual titre checks would have to be acceptable. It's a very convenient loophole.

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Sometimes, I really love loopholes! I'll have to check out the wording of the codes here.

Thanks for the info!

Originally Posted by huggles

I understand what everyone is saying and it makes sense - however my boys are neutered but DO go outside. So therefore if its a disease transferred gennerally through cat fights then shouldnt my 2 be vaccinated against it?

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No, definitely not. Neutered males don't fight like unneutered males - meaning they rarely if ever leave the awful puncture wounds.

The risk to your cats from the fact that the vaccine will make them test positive for FIV is definitely greater than the risk of contracting the virus. Even in the unlikely event that they do get FIV, it is a virus that rarely has a significant effect on the length or quality of the cat's life.

Originally Posted by Noelle&Oliver

My cats are currently getting the 3 year rabies vaccine, so does that mean that titres can be checked every 3 years, or does it still have to be every year?

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Almost certainly every year, since the titre only checks to make sure they are still protected. It's different from the vaccine that actually confers immunity.

Vets Lose a LOT OF MONEY by not vaccinating annually. A LOT of vets are going to do everything in their power to force annual shots.

These shots can and in a LOT of cases ( NOW 1 in 3000 REPORTED and up from 1 in 10,000 REPORTED some years back) cause VAS - vaccine associated (caused) sarcoma (cancerous tumors)

Type in vaccine associated sarcoma or injection site sarcoma in your browser and go where it takes you.

BEST place to find out the vaccine protocols is http://critterfixer.com/ and http://www.critteradvocacy.org/

THIS is a very sore and touchy subject with me as tomorrow is the 1 year aniversary of the death of my little VAS tripod, Corkie!

Here are some other places to read about vaccines and VAS"

http://www.revivalanimal.com/search....cd2=1130464202
http://www.revivalanimal.com/search....=840&x=11&y=15
http://www.mainelincolncountynews.co...x.cfm?ID=14204
http://www.childresslaw.net/CM/Custom/Custom52.asp
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/vaccines.html
http://www.ejsamoyeds.com/vaccineupdate.htm
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q...xas&FORM=SSRE2
http://www.northernlight-uk.com/cyd_11.htm
http://www.ejsamoyeds.com/vaccineupdate.htm
http://katberard.com/hol_articles.htm
WWW.CATSHOTS.COM
http://www.heska.com/categories/ultranasal.asp
www.shorti-online.org

OH and NEVER allow a Vet to vaccinate your cat in the scruff or between teh shoulder blades as it it gets VAS there it will most likely be dead within 3 years!