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 At Cats Exclusive we are constantly reviewing the literature to keep abreast of any medical changes that we believe will enhance your cats health, including providing the safest vaccination protocols.
As always, we strive to balance the needs for vaccinations to protect against deadly diseases, with our understanding of the potential risks to cats from vaccines. At Cats Exclusive, our goal is to keep your cat's vaccinations to the absolute lowest number necesary - utilizing only those vaccinations that provide true protection.
Our recommendations include injectable kitten vaccines that provide kittens with the best protection when they are most vulnerable. Then, as your cat becomes an adult, s/he will need an intra-nasal vaccine which reduces the potential risks of side effects related to injectable vaccines. All cats should be vaccinated against rabies, but only cats with outdoor exposure require leukemia protection.
Vaccination Guidelines
We strive to provide your cat with the best protection from contagious diseases without causing any undo harm. Therefore, we have compiled a brief description of each vaccine we offer, including the possible risks and hospital-wide recommendations. Our doctors will discuss individual vaccination schedules with you, taking into account the age of your cat(s), outdoor exposure and presence of other disease processes.
FVRCP
Often referred to as the feline upper respiratory or distemper vaccine, this is one of two core vaccines recommended in all cats. It is designed to at least minimize upper respiratory tract infections when they occur. While no vaccine is 100% protective against contraction of a virus, the FVRCP vaccine provides excellent protection against the more severe symptoms of infection, thus enabling vaccinated cats to recover much faster.
This vaccine provides effective protection against the most common strains of feline calicivirus and herpes virus (both common causes of kitty colds), as well as against feline distemper (akin to parvovirus in dogs).
We recommend an injectable vaccine for all kittens and adult cats with unknown vaccine history. This provides the best protection against feline distemper. All kittens and cats with unknown history receive a series until they are 4 months old plus a 1 year booster. Once the series is completed and boostered, we change to an intranasal (drops in the nose) vaccine given every 3 years. While some cats do not like the intranasal administration and up to 15% may develop mild "kitty cold" symptoms for 2-3 days, the intra-nasal vaccine route provides adequate protection without subjecting cats to the possibility of more severe reactions such as sarcomas, joint pain, pain on injection site and vomiting, occaisionally associated with injectible vaccines. Research is currently underway on possible excessive antibody production with the injectable vaccine and their association with kidney disease in older cats. The intranasal vaccine limits such a heavy systemic antibody production.
Possible side effects include:
Mild sneezing lasting 2-3 days
Clear eye or nasal discharge 2-3 days
Mild lethargy and/or fever lasting 24 hrs. or less
Mild pain at the injection site lasting less than 24 hrs.
Vomiting or facial swelling
Fevers and joint pain lasting more than 24 hrs.
Rarely injection site sarcomas (a type of cancer)
Rabies
The second core vaccine protects against rabies, and is administered in 4 month old kittens, then every year thereafter. Because rabies is a communicable disease to humans, it is recommended in all cats, regardless of outside exposure. In Washington State, bats are the primary carrier for rabies virus. Roughly 8% of bats examined in the state of Washington between 1960-2000 were positive for the rabies virus. Rabies is not commonly found in cats, but it is deadly if contracted. The two most recent cases of human rabies infection in Washington State were in 1995 & 1997.
The vaccine we use is the safest on the market, though some reactions can occur such as:
Mild pain at the injection site
Fever and/or lethargy lasting 24 hrs. or less
Vomiting or facial swelling
Fever lasting more than 24 hrs.
Very rarely injection site sarcomas (a type of cancer)
FelV
This vaccine is to protect against the feline leukemia virus. We recommend this vaccine in those cats who are allowed outside or whose housemates are allowed outside. FeLV vaccines are not part of the core vaccines in cats. It is a transdermal (through the skin) vaccine which greatly limits injection site reactions.
Despite this safer route of administration, some side effects can occur:
Mild pain at the administration site
Vomiting or facial swelling
Rarely injection site sarcomas (a type of cancer)
For cats at risk, kittens and cats less than 7until 7 years of age, we recommend a series of 2 vaccines, 3 weeks apart ,followed by a 1 year booster. It is then administered every 3 years.
We do not recommend vaccines for the following diseases as our research does not indicate the level of protection provided by these vaccines is sufficient in cats. Therefore, the potential risks of vaccination outweigh any real benefit.
Chlamydia
Bordetella
FIP
Giardia
Microsporum
FIV (rarely recommended for reasons our doctors can discuss as needed)
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