The effectiveness of vaccines is also determined by the particular manufacturer’s formulation and the nature of the particular disease against which the vaccine is designed to protect. I wish that I felt comfortable saying “ask your veterinarian for the best advice regarding the vaccination of your cats” but I don’t. 3)  Even though they may be more efficacious for the herpes and calici viruses, they often cause sneezing and watery eyes and the owner needs to be aware of this.  Our rescue group tried using these vaccines and it was a disaster because our kittens had to sit out from adoptions for about 2 weeks due to sneezing and watery eyes. Rabies The present study examines the DOI for core viral vaccines in dogs that had not been revaccinated for as long as 9 years. Now having said that, we can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and not vaccinate at all otherwise, our cats (and possibly their humans in the case of rabies) may suffer for it. Recently, we have shown that cats administered FVRCP vaccines parenterally (i.e. And please do not subject your cat to anesthesia-free dental cleanings which provide very little benefit since the problems are under the gum line and these ‘awake’ cleanings only serve to stress your cat and your pocketbook for very little, if any, benefit. If you read the AAFP guidelines, there is the potential for administering 4-5 vaccines in the kitten series.  Given the fact that the FVRCP vaccine has been proven to cause kidney inflammation (nephritis), I am not comfortable following their suggestions. Keep in mind that even though my barn cat is outside and technically has a higher risk of exposure, given the duration of immunity of the panleukopenia vaccine, he is not vaccinated with FVRCP any more frequently than my indoor-only cats. More studies are needed to determine what role vaccines may play in causing or contributing to feline kidney disease. injectable) have higher levels of circulating antibodies to these antigens than do cats who were administered a FVRCP vaccine via intranasal administration.”. This certainly does not sound like a very scientific factor but it is an important issue to consider.  Given the fact that all foreign substances do have side effects when introduced into any living being, I would be a hypocrite if I did not mention the owner’s feelings since my own comfort level is tested anytime I decide to inject anything into the body of my own cats or that of my patients. An anaphylactic reaction is a very severe allergic reaction that affects the entire body and is life-threatening – even if treated promptly. Why am I bringing this up? Ideally, kittens won’t yet have been exposed to diseases. Reasons why a kitten may not fully respond to a series of vaccines as a kitten and would benefit from a 1 year booster are: 1)  The last kitten shot was given when he was younger than 16 weeks of age. These are highly invasive, aggressive/malignant cancerous tumors that are often fatal within months of appearing.  (See “Chicken” below. Kittens should then have an annual vaccination appointment each year, throughout their lives, in order keep their immunity … As an adult cat, your pet’s vaccination or shot schedule is not quite as frequent, but still very important. Protective response to vaccines can be reduced in any cat with poor health, due to an uncompleted series of boosters, and in animals taking drugs that can suppress the immune system. Do not let your kitten or cat go unprotected from panleukopenia.  This virus can cause a very cruel death. I urge the reader to take the time to do their own research into this area and not necessarily rely only on your veterinarian’s recommendations.  It will be up to the reader to decide how they want to handle vaccine administration in their own kittens and adult cats for FVRCP and FeLV. Subsequent boosters may be given every year or every three years, depending on the vaccine. Many people write to me asking for advice regarding vaccines. Some external links may contain affiliate codes. Panleukopenia is a potentially fatal viral disease that causes vomiting, diarrhea, severe dehydration, fever, and sudden death. Please note:  NO vaccine (adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted) is to be given in the scruff area under any circumstance. Shawn Kearns, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM, April 2011 Most people have heard of Lupus.  Lupus is an autoimmune disease most commonly seen in humans.  In essence, the FVRCP vaccines have the potential to stimulate a Lupus-like reaction in the recipient. Panleukopenia:  This is a highly contagious virus that infects the intestines causing severe bloody diarrhea and vomiting.  This disease has a very high mortality rate. Necropsy was authorized, and revealed ascites, retroperitoneal and abdominal edema, small pale kidneys, and kidney morphologic changes consistent with glomerulonephritis. 2016 Jun;46:66-72. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.03.006. Feral cat populations remain a reservoir host for the rabies virus. Large outbreaks have occurred in unvaccinated cats in shelters, and there has been spread among pet cats … I always take the opportunity to conduct an oral exam on a patient’s mouth whenever possible. The diseases we most commonly vaccinate cats for are caused by viruses – not bacteria.  While it is difficult to induce long-term immunity to bacterial infections, vaccines targeted toward viruses are usually more efficient at conferring long-term immunity in the recipient.  Please keep this in mind as you read about vaccine frequency below. Several diagnostic procedures were performed, and ultrasonography revealed loss of renal architecture, increased cortical echogenicity, and bilaterally decreased kidney size. This means they will need a series of injections known as a ‘primary course’ to build up their immunity. April 25, 2017. Other serious reactions can involve blood vessels (vasculitis), red blood cells (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia), platelets (Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia), and any organ of the body. An allergic reaction, in simplistic terms, it is an overreaction by the immune system to a foreign substance that enters the body. Do not assume that your vet is using non-adjuvanted vaccines.  ASK before allowing any vaccine to be administered to your cat. Your new kitten will start life with some natural immunity from diseases from her mum, but as this wears off you'll need to have her vaccinated to keep her healthy. The picture of Chicken was taken 12/2/10 after the bulk of the tumor was removed.  Please note that these are very aggressive tumors with ‘tentacles’ that run deep into the tissues. 3)  Herpes and calici viral infections do not have a high mortality rate.  Death from these viruses is extremely rare and, if it did occur, it would most likely happen in kittenhood. Commentary: Although membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis is reported as 1 of the most common glomerulopathies in dogs, a definitive diagnosis and identification of the offending antigen are rarely identified due to the risk and expense associated with renal biopsies and electron microscopy. Vaccines stimulate the body's immune system to form disease fighting cells and antibodies (also known as circulating proteins) to protect against disease. This site is not intended to replace professional advice from your own veterinarian and nothing on this site is intended as a medical diagnosis or treatment. 2013 AAFP Feline Vaccination Advisory Panel Report at: http://www.Catvets.Com/Guidelines/Practice-Guidelines/Feline-Vaccination-Guidelines (Accessed April 25, 2017), © Copyright 2020 Canadian Veterinary Medical Association  |  Disclaimer/Privacy  |  Accessibility, Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics of the CVMA, One Voice (A History of The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association eBook), Animal Health Technology/Veterinary Technician Program Accreditation Committee (AHT/VTPAC), Canadian Veterinary Reserve Advisory Board, CVMA-SBCV Chapter (British Columbia) Board, Veterinary Pharmaceutical Stewardship Advisory Group, Small Animal Practitioner Award sponsored by Petsecure Pet Health Insurance, Renew or Become a Member - 2021 Membership, Membership Dues Reduction Policy and Application, Subscription to Journal and Communications. According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Vaccine Guidelines Group (WSAVA-VGG), a positive test result would lead to the conclusion that revaccination is not required. I wish that I could tell you that there are a straight-forward, clear-cut answers for all decisions involving the vaccination of our cats but there are simply too many variables involved to make this a reality. Many veterinarians are choosing not to carry the PureVax line (either the 1-year or the 3-year rabies vaccine, or the PureVax FeLV vaccine) because PureVax products are much more expensive than adjuvanted vaccines.  Many veterinarians practicing in low-income areas or in animal shelters on limited budgets are still using the more inflammatory adjuvanted rabies vaccines. Keep in mind that a vaccine protocol is not a ‘one size fits all’ issue and that the medical community is lacking in definitive research in many areas of vaccinology.  This is why the AAFP and myself make suggestions regarding vaccine protocols – versus etched-in-stone statements. Merial’s PureVax rabies (1 ml dose) and feline leukemia (0.25 ml dose) vaccines are recombinant vaccines which means they contain only a portion of the genetic material of a pathogen (virus).  Therefore, reversion to virulence (able to cause disease) is impossible. If your cat has significant health issues and you live in an area where rabies vaccination for cats is mandatory, discuss a health waiver with your vet.  Keep in mind that only healthy cats are to receive vaccines and it states as such on every bottle of every vaccine.  That said, the word “healthy” is up for individual interpretation and health waivers are very rarely issued. Should any of these occur, contact your veterinarian immediately. Generally, all cats receive a series of vaccinations as kittens that are completed by four to five months of age, and their first booster is given a year later. There is no legal requirement for FVRCP or FeLV vaccines anywhere in the world. Therefore, it is almost impossible to remove the entire tumor.  Click here to follow Chicken’s blog.  Update:  Sadly, Chicken passed away on 12/17/11 from a saddle thrombus which is a blood clot in the aorta. For some diseases, this protection declines until 20 weeks of age, making it important to boost the vaccine every three to four weeks until five months of age. The Center for Companion Animal Studies at Colorado State University has shown that cats vaccinated with FVRCP vaccines grown on Crandell-Rees Feline Kidney (CRFK) cell lines can develop antibodies to renal (kidney) proteins, and that cats hypersensitized to CRFK cell lysates can develop interstitial nephritis. that he was most likely not neutered before the age of 16 weeks.  (Male cats that are neutered very young have a very flat scrotal sac. 2) If your cat is not vaccinated for rabies (i.e., legally current) and they come in direct contact with a wild animal that is not available for rabies testing, quarantine for up to 6 months may be required.  How strictly this is enforced varies from state-to-state, county-to-county and I will note that there has been a recent move in some counties to reduce that time. 2)  veterinarians are concerned that if they move their feline patients to the 3-year product the cat will not be brought to their clinic for yearly exams.  This is a legitimate concern since our cats cannot speak and warn us of health problems early on.  Dental disease is a major problem among cats that ‘flies under the radar,’ going unnoticed until significant disease is present. By knowing what socialisation is, and what to look out for, you’ll be in a better position to discuss with the establishment that you receive your kitten from. See the comments about my personal cats at the top of this webpage. All of these negative clinical signs can be seen secondary to the administration of vaccines. (As noted above, I cannot offer individual vaccine advice outside of a phone consultation to discuss the details of your situation. Regardless of your cat’s infectious disease risk, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) recommends an annual physical examination and consultation as the cornerstone of preventive care for your cat, with twice yearly examinations for senior cats. 4) On a positive note, intranasal vaccines cannot cause a vaccine associated sarcoma and they have been shown to cause no kidney inflammation.  However, even in light of these ‘pluses’ I am not comfortable using them to protect kittens against panleukopenia. Are There Alternatives to Vaccination? Therefore, the last vaccine in the ‘kitten series’ should be given when the kitten is at least 16 weeks of age. It is very important to understand that no vaccine is 100% safe. Cat scratches, even from a kitten, can carry "cat scratch disease," a bacterial infection. There can be no disputing that vaccines save lives but they also have the potential to cause serious side effects which will be discussed on this webpage.Before we get started on this discussion, it is important to understand that there is no single vaccine protocol t… Pr… As noted above, many of my colleagues are simply not taking the time to carefully peruse the scientific literature that provides DOI data showing that we are over-vaccinating many of our pets – or, they are choosing to ignore the data.  (Rabies will be discussed separately.). That said, I would rather not give this many vaccines to a kitten.  Unless there is a high index of risk, I prefer to limit it to 2 vaccines total for the kitten series. New technologies have provided even safer and more effective forms of vaccine protection. Rabid pets may display a "dumb" form that is characterized by listlessness, weakness and paralysis, or the "furious" form of rabies characterized by abnormal aggression. Note that some cats are genetically ‘non-responders’ and never will respond to a vaccine no matter how many you give them.  In these rare cases, giving a booster vaccine 1 year after the last kitten vaccine would be of no benefit. In addition, vaccine companies will continue to develop new vaccines for existing or emerging infectious diseases in cats. Hypothesis: Cats inoculated with CRFK lysates and FVRCP vaccines will develop autoantibodies measurable by Western blot immunoassay. Local factors and individual animal requirements may dictate more frequent vaccination scheduling and this should be discussed with your veterinarian. Updated November 2016 Vaccines will continue to play a very important role in the protection of pets against these significant diseases. It spreads easily in unhygienic conditions and is sadly often fatal, with unvaccinated kittens being most at risk. 1) to decide if you want to give the 1-year booster after the last kitten vaccine, 2) to decide if you want to vaccinate an altered adult cat that came to you with an unknown vaccine history. Adult cats that go outside or that live with any FeLV-infected cat should be vaccinated. Keep in mind that the older a kitten is when they are vaccinated (with any vaccine), the more efficiently their immune system will be able to respond.  Therefore, I would prefer to wait until the kitten is at least 16 weeks of age before receiving a PureVax rabies vaccine. 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