Feline Infectious Peritonitis vaccine?

[squirtle]

I received, errr Dori received, a letter in the mail today from the vet reminding her to have her "people" schedule her an appointment for her shots because she is a "special girl"

In the letter it says that they have a new Feline Infectious Peritonitis that doesn't even need to use a needle. The office is closed so I haven't spoken to them yet but I am a bit confused. Has anyone heard any information of a new vaccine for FIP? Last year she got a Feline 3 in 1 booster, I wonder if part of that booster was FIP

I get nervous about new medications and I have bever heard anything about this. I trust her vet, but just wanted to check with you guys also.

 

[kai bengals]

Originally Posted by squirtle

I received, errr Dori received, a letter in the mail today from the vet reminding her to have her "people" schedule her an appointment for her shots because she is a "special girl"

In the letter it says that they have a new Feline Infectious Peritonitis that doesn't even need to use a needle. The office is closed so I haven't spoken to them yet but I am a bit confused. Has anyone heard any information of a new vaccine for FIP? Last year she got a Feline 3 in 1 booster, I wonder if part of that booster was FIP

I get nervous about new medications and I have bever heard anything about this. I trust her vet, but just wanted to check with you guys also.

I'm virtually positive the 3 in 1 booster she got didn't contain a FIP vaccine. I have heard there is a FIP vaccine in the works and possibly available in some areas, but my understanding is that it is controversial in it's effectiveness and it's capability of causing FIP in immune suppressed cats.
I would proceed with caution and get as much info as you can first.

 

[squirtle]

Thanks for the reply. I did a Google search on it after I posted this. I found exactly what you said. It is a nasal spray type vaccine and is very controversial especially because it can actually cause FIP.

I have decided against it.

 

[bossinova]

Not only does it run the risk of possible infection, it also has not been proven very effective against the virus.

FIP is such a gray area of veterinary medicine, it's scary. I agree with your decision to forgo (sp?) this particular vaccine.

 

[pat]

Originally Posted by squirtle

I received, errr Dori received, a letter in the mail today from the vet reminding her to have her "people" schedule her an appointment for her shots because she is a "special girl"

In the letter it says that they have a new Feline Infectious Peritonitis that doesn't even need to use a needle. The office is closed so I haven't spoken to them yet but I am a bit confused. Has anyone heard any information of a new vaccine for FIP? Last year she got a Feline 3 in 1 booster, I wonder if part of that booster was FIP

I get nervous about new medications and I have bever heard anything about this. I trust her vet, but just wanted to check with you guys also.

Hi, I"ll be interested to see what other members say, but no, I'm not aware of the new vaccine. Wouldn't touch the old one with a 25 foot pole!
No, your 3 in one booster would be for calici virus, panleukopenia and rhinotracheitis.

 

[seppolina]

I agree with everyone regarding skipping the FIP vaccine. I also wanted to point out that you may want to do some research concerning the yearly 3-in-one vaccine; a few years ago, UC Davis released a study stating that the yearly vaccine schedule for felines & canines was actually damaging to the immune system. They currently recommend the following schedule for cats: Feline distemper combination vaccinations (the 3-in-1 falls into this category) at 2, 3 & 4 months old, followed by a booster at 16 months and then boostering every THREE YEARS thereafter. Many vets across the country are now following this recommendation; you may want to consider discussing it with your vet if they are not currently following this protocol.

 

[mybabies]

Many vets across the country are now following this recommendation; you may want to consider discussing it with your vet if they are not currently following this protocol.

Actually "MANY" vets are NOT following this new protocol! SOME are even trying to get clients in for shots every 6 months! It is a proven fact that these shots last at least 7 years!

If you feel you must get your babies vaccinated see if you can find a vet who will do the intranasal vacs. They are safer and more effective.

The incidence of "reported" (a LOT of Vets and owners do not report it) VAS cases are UP from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 3000!

PLEASE go to http://critterfixer.com to read more about this!

 

[pat]

Originally Posted by Seppolina

I agree with everyone regarding skipping the FIP vaccine. I also wanted to point out that you may want to do some research concerning the yearly 3-in-one vaccine; a few years ago, UC Davis released a study stating that the yearly vaccine schedule for felines & canines was actually damaging to the immune system. They currently recommend the following schedule for cats: Feline distemper combination vaccinations (the 3-in-1 falls into this category) at 2, 3 & 4 months old, followed by a booster at 16 months and then boostering every THREE YEARS thereafter. Many vets across the country are now following this recommendation; you may want to consider discussing it with your vet if they are not currently following this protocol.

Yup...I was lucky that a few years ago while I worked at a small animal hospital, a vet there gave me a copy of a new article on vaccine frequency, and I began going to q 3 years at that time.

 

[wellingtoncats]

Oh MyBabies - you are the best!

 

[semiferal]

The FIP vaccine is of dubious benefit at best and all vaccines carry some risk. Sometimes IMO the benefit clearly outweighs the risk, such as giving FVRCP (distemper) vaccines to kittens. But with FIP, I just can't see it.

There is still absolutely no consensus on what even causes FIP, let alone how to prevent it. While most cats would "test positive" for FIP if they were tested, only about 5% of cats ever get FIP (if this sounds like a scary stat, think of it this way: 100% of cats will get sick and die eventually, 5% will die of FIP and 95% will die of something else - morbid but it puts things in perspective a little). There still is no explanation for why, within a single household and even a single litter, one cat will get FIP and the others will be unaffected.

It's a mystery, and it's an awful disease, but I don't think this vaccine is the answer.

 

[plebayo]

Don't vaccinate for FIP. FIP is caused by a mutation of the corona virus. There is no 100% test that can be used to test a patient for FIP. FIP effects like 70% outdoor cats and 30% indoor, don't quote me[[I haven't researched the disease for a while.]] The FIP vaccine has been known to CAUSE FIP and really isn't that effective to begin with.

There are two types of FIP. "wet" and "dry" the wet version usually causes the lungs to fill up with fluid, and is easier to diagnose in that aspect. However in the dry form it can be hard to diagnose without doing like a necropsy, which you obviously can't do until the cat is dead.

And I could go on and on and on... but I wouldn't caccinate for it.

The 3 in 1 I believe is the FVRCP[distemper] Rhinotracheitis Calici and Panaleukapenia... or something to that effect. The FIP vaccine started out IM, but is intranasal now, which is how a cat contracts the virus to begin with.

 

[queenofegypt]

I appreciate all the info regarding vaccinations. My Amber is due for her yearly checkup in December and that's when she gets her shots. (Mostly boosters, I guess, since she's 9 years old and has been seeing a vet regularly since we got her at the age of 5 and one-half months.) I want her to have all the necessary shots to protect her health, but I also want to know what is NOT necessary. I'm glad to hear your opinion that FIP is NOT a good vaccine--I absolutely do not want Amber to be given anything that not only is ineffective but might even *shudder* cause the disease!! I do heartily wish the researchers could find a vaccine and/or cure for FIP, it's awful--several years ago I started feeding a little black stray cat outdoors. He was adorable, so sweet and loving, only about a year old, with glossy black fur and big gorgeous green eyes. We had him tested for the usual illnesses and he tested negative, so we had him neutered at our vet's. He recovered well from that but before long I noticed that he had started having trouble keeping his balance. His walk became unsteady. It went downhill from there. I was worried sick about him and kept questioning the vet. She referred him (his name was Moses, by the way) to a more experienced vet who quickly suspected FIP. This vet ran some tests and finally had to tell me that my little Moses did in fact test positive for FIP. And that the disease was rapidly progressing, and that there was no cure, and no effective treatment, and that in addition to all that, it could easily spread to cats who came into close contact with Moses. That immediately made me afraid for Amber. (At the time, Moses was still an "outside" cat, while I keep Amber indoors.) I agonised over that for days til the vet finally agreed with me that there was really nothing we could do for Moses. I watched him closely and he was getting weaker and more disoriented. I knew he couldn't fend for himself outdoors anymore, and I couldn't just keep him locked up somewhere. And if he were around other cats they might catch this horrible disease from him. Finally I broke down and agreed that we had no real alternative to putting him to sleep. Little Moses was put to sleep on December 21--I can promise you that my Christmas was totally ruined. I cried and cried and cried. This was about 3 years ago and I still get choked up thinking about little Moses. I HATE the disease that cut short such a sweet, loving life!!! And even tho I don't really know what else I could have done, I still could not to this day look Moses in those big beautiful emerald eyes--I feel so guilty, like I could have saved him and didn't. He was so happy to have found us--he never asked for anything except some food and people to love him, and he gave us SO MUCH love in return. I barely got a chance to know him, but I loved my little Moses anyway--you couldn't help loving him. Now I'm gonna start crying again and I didn't mean to turn this into such a long story--I just wanted everybody to know what a horrible, cruel disease this is and to hope that SOON somebody will find a way to obliterate a disease that could end such a beautiful young life. I just have to add now--I love you, sweet baby Moses

forgive me for not saving you like I promised-I hope that now you're strong and well and happy and know how much I loved you in the brief time we had together. You're free now, little boy, and I will never forget your beauty and your sweetness. I miss you, Moses, and I love you. Be happy.

 

[princessamyron]

I had a cat who was 4 yrs old, tested negative for everything when I adopted her and her brother when they were under a year old.

They both got the FIP intranasal thingie and at the ripe age of 4, she ended up getting it, and I had to put her to sleep a week after she had the meds!

I haven't had any of my other cats (including her brother who died years later from something unrelated) innoculated against FIP and so far (knocking wood), they're all good!

Just my opinion!
lauren in TX

 

[emb_78]

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

I'm virtually positive the 3 in 1 booster she got didn't contain a FIP vaccine. I have heard there is a FIP vaccine in the works and possibly available in some areas, but my understanding is that it is controversial in it's effectiveness and it's capability of causing FIP in immune suppressed cats.
I would proceed with caution and get as much info as you can first.

I agree!!!

 

[plebayo]

They both got the FIP intranasal thingie and at the ripe age of 4, she ended up getting it, and I had to put her to sleep a week after she had the meds!

Yeah... it may not have been caused by the vaccine though. Most cats have the corona virus in them... it's just a matter of time before it mutates and they actually catch something. That is why testing for FIP is impossible, because the tests say that the cat has the virus, but not necessarily the actual mutated FIP virus.

I'm so sorry for your loss, it's a horrible disease. I wish they would find a cure, or vaccine... it's a losing battle and completely unfair. But you gave her a good 4 years

 

[kai bengals]

The only way to rule out FIP if it is suspected is to do a CFS test.
Remove spinal fluid and have it tested for presence the mutated corona virus.
This is usually done when dry FIP is a suspect, because the cat has symptoms and no other disease fits the picture.

 

[squirtle]

Dori will be 3 in October. She got her kitten series of shots then at ages 1 and 2 got her rabies shots (required) and the 3 in 1 vaccine. The vet she sees now uses the Purevax rabies shot which he says is better for her. I chose not to get her the Felv shot after she had bad side effects from it as a kitten. Should I begin doing the 3 in 1 booster every 3 years now as well?

I know to discuss this with my vet, but sometimes it seems they (well mine) get caught up in the new things being introduced and I don't feel comfortable with that. Like the letter we received to remind us of Dori's appointment said something along the lines of "talk to your family about our new FIP vaccine, it is very nice". I like to have some knowledge of my options regarding her vaccines when I walk into his office...

 

[semiferal]

For an indoor only cat, I think the FVRCP vaccine is optional past the first kitten series. The evidence is that a single MLV vaccine in adulthood provides strong, lifelong immunity. However, I consider this particular vaccine to be minimally risky so you could do a killed FVRCP every 3 years if you decided that you wanted to.

It's good that your vet is keeping up with new things, since developments in feline medicine are coming so fast these days. But it's still good to be judicious about things and not automatically go with something just because it's brand new. Fortunately, the Internet puts a lot of information right at your fingertips so that an average person can still learn what they need to become a strong advocate for their animals.

 

[pat]

Originally Posted by squirtle

Dori will be 3 in October. She got her kitten series of shots then at ages 1 and 2 got her rabies shots (required) and the 3 in 1 vaccine. The vet she sees now uses the Purevax rabies shot which he says is better for her. I chose not to get her the Felv shot after she had bad side effects from it as a kitten. Should I begin doing the 3 in 1 booster every 3 years now as well?

I know to discuss this with my vet, but sometimes it seems they (well mine) get caught up in the new things being introduced and I don't feel comfortable with that. Like the letter we received to remind us of Dori's appointment said something along the lines of "talk to your family about our new FIP vaccine, it is very nice". I like to have some knowledge of my options regarding her vaccines when I walk into his office...

Hi, as you know I prefer to give article links versus just my opinion, so you know how I come to my conclusions - click here I would go with every 3 years as indicated by this avma article.