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When Should Kittens Be Vaccinated

Other Medical Treatments For Your Kitten

An Angry Cat Gets Vaccinated | The Incredible Dr. Pol

In addition to vaccines, you should give your kitten other medical treatments to treat other illnesses that arent necessarily tackled with vaccines. For example, you should provide your kitten medication for worms, fleas, ticks, and ear mites.

Not all kittens will be born with worms, but your vet will likely perform a stool test to confirm whether worms are present. Even if worms are not present, your vet will recommend an annual treatment for the above-mentioned issues. Often, you will need to repeat these medications every year to keep your cat healthy for its entire life.

Vaccination Services For Kittens And Cats

To keep your cat and kittens healthy they need to have all their immunity shots. Vaccines help boost your kittens and cats immune system which later prevents them from contracting diseases. At Valley Veterinary Services we offer all the cat vaccinations that are required by law including: annual rabies vaccinations, leukemia vaccinations and FVRCP vaccinations.

When Can Kittens Go Outside After Vaccinations

You should keep your kitten inside until theyve had their second vaccination at 13-14 weeks due to the possibility of infection, and diseases such as cat flu or enteritis . Ideally, you should wait at least a week until after their second jab. You can them supervise them to let them explore outside. Find out more about keeping your cat in the outside.

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Can You Give Cats Multiple Vaccines At Once

If your cat has always been able to tolerate vaccinations, you can give him or her multiple boosters at the same time. The same is true for cats we need two or three shots at the same time to keep us safe from diseases like chickenpox or MMR.

A vaccination is a treatment that involves injecting a mixture of molecules to induce an immune response to a specific disease. All cats must be vaccinated against rabies, which is mandated by state law. Its fine to do it if theyre in 100% of the time, even if its not 100% of the time. During the course of 16 weeks, a majority of kittens will be immune to disease. Because rabies is such a potent vaccine, there is little interference with maternal antibodies. If we have a cat that is relatively sedentary outside, I usually do not give him or her leukemia vaccines until he or she is 10 to 11 years old. When we inject our body with any type of drug, there are some risks, but these are usually very minor.

Giving your cat this vaccine will protect them from disease and help them live a long and healthy life. Because distemper is a very contagious virus that can cause serious respiratory problems in cats, over vaccination can be harmful. It is critical to have your cat vaccinated against this virus, but it is also critical to remember that not all vaccines should be given, and that it is best to consult with your veterinarian to find the most effective vaccination protocol for your cat.

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Before You Visit The Kitten

Basic Vaccine Schedule for Cats

A good breeder will be happy to answer your questions before you visit. Some of the things you’ll need to know are:

  • When was the kitten born?
  • Was the kitten raised with its mother?
  • Is the kitten friendly?
  • Is the kitten healthy?
  • Where was the kitten born, and where did it spend most of its time when it was between one and nine weeks old?

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When Should My Kitten Be Vaccinated

Vaccinations are important for your young kitten. Some infectious diseases are fatal, and vaccinations can protect your kitten from many of these diseases. In order to be effective, immunizations must be given as a series of injections at prescribed intervals, so it is essential that you are on time for your kittens scheduled vaccinations. Immunizations are started at 6-8 weeks of age and are repeated every 3-4 weeks until the kitten is 4 months old.

The routine or core vaccinations will protect your kitten from the most common diseases: feline distemper , feline viral rhinotracheitis , calicivirus, and rabies. The first three are included in a combination vaccine given every three to four weeks until the kitten reaches 16 weeks of age. Rabies vaccine is usually given once at 12-16 weeks of age.

“Your veterinarian will assess your kittens lifestyle and discuss these vaccinations with you to help you decide what is best for your cat.”

Non-core vaccines are not administered to every kitten, but are recommended in certain areas for cats with certain lifestyles. Cats that live outdoors are at more risk for infectious disease and often need these additional vaccines. One non- core vaccine for chlamydophila may be given if this disease is common in your area. Feline leukemia vaccine is recommended for all kittens that are exposed to outdoor cats, so if your kitten goes outside or lives with another cat that goes in and out, feline leukemia vaccine may be added to the regimen.

Which Vaccinations Should My Cat Receive

Your pet should be protected against those diseases which are most common, highly contagious and which cause serious illness or death. Such diseases include feline panleucopaenia, cat flu which may be caused by feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus and feline leukaemia. Feline chlamydiosis, Bordetella bronchiseptica or rabies vaccination may also be recommended, based on your veterinary surgeons evaluation of the risks posed by such factors as your cats age, particular environment and lifestyle.

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What About Indoor Cats

If your cat is an indoor cat , theyll still need to be vaccinated against Feline herpesvirus, Calicivirus , Feline enteritis and in some cases, Feline leukaemia.

An indoor-only kitten will need a primary vaccine course as normal, followed by a booster one year later. From this point on, theyll only need boosters every 3 years.

Its important to make sure that your indoor cat doesnt slip outside by accident. Likewise, if you plan to allow any other cats into your house, youll need to make sure theyre fully protected – just in case. Chat to your vet for more info on keeping your indoor cat protected.

More About Vaccinating Your Cat

How to Vaccinate Your Cat (DrsFosterSmith)

Kittens are old enough to be vaccinated once they are 8-9 weeks old. They will have an initial injection, and then a second about 3 weeks later, as well as a thorough health check, and discussion about all aspects of kitten-care, including neutering, flea and worm protection, diet and behaviour. This is known as the primary course. Kittens should then have an annual vaccination appointment each year, throughout their lives, in order keep their immunity topped up and maintain protection.

For adult cats, if you are not sure if your cat has had vaccinations previously, or if you know that they have not had a vaccination appointment within the last 12 months, your cat may need to restart their vaccinations with a primary course, just as if they were a kitten. Adult cats can start the primary course at any time, but if you know your cat is currently not protected by vaccination, the course should be started as soon as possible.

Although your cat will need a vaccination appointment every year, not all the vaccines will be given at every appointment. This is because different vaccines last for different amounts of time, and the need for some vaccinations may be lifestyle dependent. Your vet will be able to advise on the best schedule for your cat.

The medical exam also allows the vet to check if there are any visible reasons to delay vaccination, for example if your cat is already fighting an active infection.

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Vaccines Your Kitten Should Have

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Adopting a new kitten means going through many milestones together, including bringing your cat home for the first time, litter training her and introducing her to other animals to name a few. Other important first steps will take place in your veterinarian’s office. From vaccinations to spaying and neutering, being a new pet parent comes with new responsibilities.

To help you prepare, here’s a list of the most common kitten vaccinations vets recommend and why they’re important for your new family member. Educate yourself first, and then work with your vet to create a vaccine schedule right for your family.

The Struggle To Find A Cure For Feline Leukemia

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for FeLV. Among the things veterinarians commonly do when caring for and managing FeLV-positive cats displaying signs of disease are prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections and perform blood transfusions for severe anemia. If the disease is caught early, some cats can fight it off by taking care of their vet. This is the key to catching the disease before it reaches the bone marrow. The cat will die from the disease once it reaches the bone marrow.

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When Vaccination Requirements Change

Although you can find generic vaccination schedules available online, these may not always be applicable to your pet. Circumstances can change that mean that a non-core vaccine that your kitten previously never needed would now be extremely beneficial. Vaccination recommendations for your kitten may change if you need to put her in a boarding facility, if she suddenly goes from being an indoor kitty to roaming outside or if you relocate to a different area. It is always worth checking with your vet if any of these circumstances arise.

To speak to our highly experienced veterinarians in Port Charlotte about kitten vaccination packages, pleasecontact our offices in today at 941-214-4250.

January 14, 2019/ SVP

Myth: Vaccines Do More Harm Than Good

Cat Vaccination

Every responsible cat parent is right to make an informed decision about whats best for their pet as an individual. However, when weighing up the pros and cons of vaccination, its relevant to know the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Diseases such as cat flu, distemper, and feline leukemia are still out there and have life-changing consequences. Balance this against the risks of vaccination which can be divided into common-but-mild reactions and rare-but-serious, as outlined below.

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Cats And Vaccinations: Everything You Need To Know

How can cats get sick after being vaccinated for certain diseases? The most common side effects after vaccinations are lethargy, a mild fever, and a little discomfort, but cats can also become ill after vaccination. It could be due to your pet not acting the way they normally do. The symptoms are usually mild and last only a few days after vaccination. Do indoor cats get leukemia? Even indoor cats that are solely devoted to their owners can benefit from feline leukemia vaccines, as long as they are close to other cats. There is no cure for FeLV, but the vaccine is both safe and effective. What is the expected response time of the feline leukemia vaccine? Most vaccines provide a one-year protection period, or the amount of time the vaccine is effective in protecting your cat. It is possible, however, for the vaccine to protect you for up to ten years in some cases. Even if your cat doesnt get the vaccine right away, it can still be beneficial in the long run. The first vaccine is the FeLV Shot, followed by the additional shots every 1-2 years for anyone who has been virus tested2-4 weeks after the initial vaccination.

Vaccinations For Kittens And Cats

Kittens need a series of a few different vaccinations to give them full protection. The schedule typically starts when theyre about 6 to 8 weeks old, and runs until theyre about 16 weeks. After that, cats need boosters every year to a few years to help keep their immunity going strong. We always recommend keeping vaccination records handy to help you make sure theyre up to date.

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When Should Kittens Be Spayed

New recommendations support kitten spay/neuter by 5 months of age. Heres why. Conventional wisdom states that kittens should be spayed or neutered no earlier than 6 months of age, but feline medicine specialists now say that an earlier age for the surgery benefits cats, owners, and veterinarians alike.

What About Adverse Events

How To Administer Vaccines to Feline Patients

No injection or medication is without some degree of risk, but we continue to vaccinate because, in most cases, it is much smaller than the risk of the disease itself.

The overall incidence of adverse reactions in cats is reported to be about half of 1 percent and usually mild and self-limiting. Common side effects include lethargy, transient fever and local inflammation.

Anaphylaxis and death are, fortunately, extremely rare: about one in every 10,000 vaccines.

A vaccine-associated sarcoma is a slow-growing but locally aggressive cancerous mass that develops at vaccine injection sites. Sarcomas occur with about the same rare frequency as anaphylactic reactions.

For cats without a history of vaccine reactions, the risk of sarcomas is usually outweighed by the benefit of the core vaccines.

Pet owners can minimize the impact of sarcomas by monitoring injection sites for swelling after vaccinations. Swellings should be biopsied if they are larger than 2 centimeters, persist longer than three months, or grow one month past the date of vaccination. When sarcomas are addressed early, surgery is often curative.

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Is My Kitten Protected After Their First Round Of Shots

Until they have received all of their vaccinations , your kitten will not be fully vaccinated. Once all of their initial vaccinations have been completed, your kitten will be protected against the diseases or conditions covered by the vaccines.

If youd like to allow your kitten outdoors before they have been vaccinated against all the diseases listed above, we recommend keeping them restricted to low-risk areas, like your own backyard.

Myth: We Over Vaccinate Cats

Many people worry about over vaccination in pets a concern veterinarians take very seriously. This is why vets avoid unnecessary vaccinations by adapting vaccine protocols to meet each individual cats risk factor and how long immunity lasts to a particular virus.

To do this, vets divide the vaccine components into core and non-core. This simply means essential and non-essential. For example, vaccination against rabies is core, whereas protection against feline leukemia virus is non-core for an indoor cat.

In terms of how often to repeat a dose with a booster shot, this is decided by how long protection lasts. For example, protection against feline leukemia lasts one year, and requires a yearly booster, while protection against cat flu lasts for three years.

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How Effective Is Vaccination

Like any drug treatment or surgical procedure, vaccinations cannot be 100% guaranteed to protect against disease. However, used in conjunction with proper nutrition and hygienic conditions, vaccination is clearly your pets best defence against serious and common infectious disease. Plus, when you consider what treating a serious illness can cost you and your beloved cat in terms of both money and distress, prevention through vaccination is extremely cost-effective.

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What Are The Recommended Kitten And Cat Vaccination Schedules

Ponderosa Veterinarian Clinic

Kitten vaccinations and cat vaccinations are dependent upon several factors, including preexisting medical conditions and indoor or outdoor living situations. You should always discuss these factors with a veterinarian to determine what your cat vaccine schedule should be. However, we have listed an approximate cat vaccine schedule here for an ‘average’ indoor housecat to give you an idea of a cat vaccination timeline:

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What Vaccines Do Cats Need

The Feline Vaccination Advisory Panel regularly evaluates and researches cat vaccination developments to make science-based recommendations.

The panel is comprised of dedicated feline veterinarians and scientists and is regarded as a reputable source of cat vaccination standards.

Their guidelines, published by the American Association of Feline Practitioners, are among the most trusted and utilized recommendations in the field.

They divide cat vaccines into two categories:

* FeLV: highly recommended for kittens and optional for adult cats.

** Rabies: 3-year vs 1-year vaccine depending on state laws.

Feline Leukemia Test Cost

The feline leukemia test cost can range from $35-$100 depending on where you have the test done. The test is used to determine if your cat has the feline leukemia virus, which is a fatal disease. There is no cure for the virus, so it is important to have your cat tested if you think they may be at risk.

Depending on the method you select, your cat leukemia test may cost you more. A saliva/tear sample or a blood sample obtained from your veterinarian are both options for testing. An FIV/FeLV snap test should cost between $15 and $45. In most cases, the FeLV infection is transmitted through casual contact with another cat who has it. Because the disease is highly contagious, cat owners are strongly advised to keep their cats away from strange cats. Kittens are the most vulnerable to this disease, despite the fact that adults are susceptible. According to estimates, about 4% of the 83 million cats have either FIV or FeLV. Within three years of a cat being diagnosed with FeLV, 85 percent of them will die. There has been no cure for FeLV, but efforts have been made, including AZT, ImmunoRegulin, Interferon, and Acemannan.

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What Vaccines Do Kittens Need As Required By State Law Rabies

Rabies is the other core vaccine your state will require your kitten to receive. Rabies is a fatal disease that causes fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis, and mental confusion. It is spread from many types of wild animals to domestic pets and can be spread to humans. Depending on your state laws and the veterinarian, your kitten can receive this vaccination at about 12 weeks old.

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