The Vaccinations Your Cat Needs
Most kittens receive their first round of vaccinations when they’re 68 weeks old. Your cat’s vaccination schedule will last until they’re 16 weeks old, depending on how many more boosters or additional vaccines they need. A booster is an additional vaccination given after a previous vaccination to help maintain or increase a protective immune response. This schedule is imperative because kittens gradually lose the protection of their mother’s antibodies. Once they’re 1 year old, your vet will implement a different vaccination structure.
Your cat’s vaccinations are based on whether kitty spends their time indoors, outdoors, or both, according to Bonnie Bragdon, DVM, MS, co-founder and president of the Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association.Neutered, vaccinated cats who mostly stay inside are unlikely to get infected with disease. Meanwhile, she says vaccines might not be enough to protect mostly outdoor kittieswho might fight other cats and face higher exposure to infection.
Bragdon recommends these vaccinations for both indoor and outdoor cats:
Rabies, a zoonotic disease, is transmittable between animals and humans, and cats “are the most commonly reported rabid domestic animal in the United States,” according to Merck Veterinary Manual. Bragdon adds that even indoor-only cats should be vaccinated. “If your cat ever bit a human and wasn’t vaccinated for rabies, there could be dire consequences, including euthanasia, to test for rabies infection,” she says.
Myth: Vaccines Do More Harm Than Good
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.
Vaccinations For Your Pet
Vaccines help prevent many illnesses that affect pets. Vaccinating your pet has long been considered one of the easiest ways to help him live a long, healthy life. Not only are there different vaccines for different diseases, there are different types and combinations of vaccines. Vaccination is a procedure that has risks and benefits that must be weighed for every pet relative to his lifestyle and health. Your veterinarian can determine a vaccination regime that will provide the safest and best protection for your individual animal.
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Are There Risks Associated With Cat Vaccinations
Cat vaccinations stimulate your kitten or cat’s immune system in order to create protection from specific infectious diseases. This can cause mild symptoms to occur ranging from soreness at the injection site to fever and allergic reactions. Cat vaccinations can cause other risks like injection site tumors and immune disease, however such incidences are extremely rare and are usually linked to pre-existing genetic and medical conditions. Because of the potential for injection site reactions, we give each vaccine in a specific location that is noted in the cat’s medical record.
The fact is, the rewards of cat vaccinations far outweigh any risks. Cat vaccines have saved countless lives and play a vital role in the battle against feline infectious disease. As with any medical procedure, there is a small chance of negative side effects. In most cases, the risks are much smaller than the risks of disease itself.
Can You Explain The Exact Technique Of Giving An Injection
The injections are given in the subcutaneous tissue , which is considerably looser in the cat than in the human.
- Start by pinching some loose skin along the back of your cat between your thumb and forefinger.
- Hold the syringe firmly in your dominant hand in whichever way feels most comfortable. Be sure not to place your hand or finger over the plunger of the syringe in case your cat suddenly moves and pushes your hand, resulting in the contents being wasted or accidentally injected.
- Insert the needle swiftly into the fold of skin, with the needle angled downwards at a thirty- to forty-five-degree angle. Most syringes are small enough to allow the plunger to be depressed with the palm of the same hand once the needle has been positioned underneath the skin.
- Administer the contents of the syringe quickly and withdraw the needle.
- Gently massage the area.
Having someone assist you will make the procedure easier. With a little practice, however, most pet owners find that they have no problems administering routine injections to their cat without assistance.
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Still Stumped On What Vaccines Cats Need
Take a look at these guidelines.
Thumbnail: Photography ©Maica | Getty Images.
Steve Dale, CABC, certified animal behavior consultant, is host of several pet radio shows, appears on TV and speaks around the world. Hes author/contributor to many books, including The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management, and board member of the Winn Feline Foundation. Blog: stevedale.tv.
Editors note: This article appeared in Catster magazine. Have you seen the new Catster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vets office? !
Read more about cat health care on Catster.com:
Why Vaccinate Your Kitten
When kittens are born, their immune systems are not fully developed and they are unable to fight disease on their own. Fortunately, they are able to get some protection from their mothers. Nursing mothers provide antibody-rich milk called colostrum. These maternal antibodies provide kittens with temporary immunity against illness. The length of this immunity varies from kitten to kitten. Protection from maternal antibodies generally fades after a few weeks.
There is no easy way to know exactly when a kitten is vulnerable to a specific disease. In an effort to strategically protect kittens from diseases, veterinarians administer vaccinations at strategic intervals. A vaccine is designed to trigger an immune response and prevent future infection from that disease.
All kittens need certain core vaccines, which provide immunity against the most dangerous and widespread diseases. Core vaccines are considered essential for kittens in most geographical locations.
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Providing Your Cat With Post
What Is The Difference Between The Various Types Of Vaccine
There are three major types of vaccine:
1. Modified live vaccines. These vaccines contain live organisms that are weakened or genetically modified so that they will not produce disease but will multiply in the cat’s body. Live vaccines induce a stronger, longer lasting immunity than inactivated vaccines. It is not advisable to use modified live vaccines in pregnant queens or cats whose immune system is not working properly , or other diseases).
2. Killed vaccines. These vaccines are prepared using actual organisms or genetically modified organisms that have been killed by various treatments. On their own, they do not give as high a level of protection as the live, replicating type of vaccine, so killed vaccines may have an adjuvant to make the immune response stronger.
3. Subunit vaccines. These are more commonly called recombinant-DNA vaccines. These are vaccines in which the infectious organism has been broken apart and only certain parts are included in the vaccine.
“Some vaccines are intranasal but the majority are given by injection.”
Many vaccines come as combinations, so that protection against more than one disease is achieved in a single injection or administration. Some vaccines are intranasal , but the majority are given by injection. Your veterinarian will advise you on the most appropriate vaccines for your cat.
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What Can We Do To Prevent Injection
It is important to tailor vaccine protocols to the individual patient in order to protect your pets health and public health, while also preventing unnecessary vaccinations and opportunities for injection-site sarcoma development. Your veterinarian is the best resource for working with you to make these decisions with your cats age, health status, and lifestyle in mind.
Kitten Vaccination Schedule And Costs
Kittens are most susceptible to infectious diseases when they are under 6 months of age. Thats why its so important to give your kitten the protection they need with the right vaccinations.
Mother cats pass maternal antibodies through their milk during nursing. These antibodies do offer some degree of protection against diseases, but they also interfere with, or even inactivate, the bodys response to vaccination.
For this reason, core kitten vaccinations start at 6-8 weeks of age and are boosted every 3-4 weeks until the kitten is 16-20 weeks old. Core vaccines should be boosted one year after the initial series.
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What Diseases Can And Should I Vaccinate My Cat Against
The availability of different vaccines will vary between different countries, because some diseases are not present everywhere, and because vaccines are not necessarily licensed in every country.
The most commonly available vaccines are used to provide protection against the following infections:
Which Are The Most Important Vaccinations To Have
The answer to this difficult question depends on individual circumstances, including the area you live in and the lifestyle of your cat.
“Certain vaccines are more routinely given and are regarded as core vaccines.”
As mentioned, certain vaccines are more routinely given and are regarded as core vaccines. Others may or may not be advised, depending on the particular situation of your cat. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you of the most appropriate vaccination schedule for your cat. The following is a list of disease that affect cats:
Feline panleukopenia infection . This is an uncommon disease today because of widespread vaccination, but the risk remains widespread. When disease occurs, it is a severe and often fatal gastroenteritis , with profound depression, dehydration, and collapse . It is very contagious to other cats. Vaccination provides a high level of long lasting protection.
Feline infectious peritonitis . FIP is caused by a coronavirus. Infection with coronavirus is common, but development of FIP is less common. We do not understand why some infections lead to fatal disease whereas the majority of infections cause only minor illness . Vaccines may be advised in some high-risk situations.
| Contributors: Ernest Ward, DVM Rania Gollakner, BS DVM |
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When Should My Kitten Be Vaccinated
Generally, kittens are vaccinated for the first time at between six and eight weeks of age and booster doses are given at ten to twelve weeks and again at fourteen to sixteen weeks. A kitten will not be fully protected until seven to ten days after the second vaccination. Under specific circumstances, your veterinarian may advise an alternative regime .
What Are Cat Vaccinations
Several serious feline-specific diseases afflict many cats every year. To protect your kitten from contracting a preventable condition, its critical to have them vaccinated. Its equally imperative to follow up your kittens first vaccinations with regular booster shots during their lifetime, even if you expect Fluffy to be an indoor companion.
The aptly named booster shots boost your cats protection against a variety of feline diseases after the effects of the initial vaccine wear off. There are booster shots for different vaccines given on specific schedules. Your vet can provide advice on when you should bring your cat back for more booster shots.
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How Often Should We Vaccinate Cats
When asking What vaccines do cats needHow often do cats need shots is a question some cat owners have, who insist were over-vaccinating.
When it comes to duration of immunity, the Guidelines are pretty solid, as we have some pretty solid studies Dr. Nordone says.
However, sometimes there are no owners those are the cats who land at animal shelters. Dr. Julie Levy, professor of shelter medicine at the Maddies Shelter Medicine Program, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, also served on the AAFP Panel. Its rewarding that the unique needs of shelters are reflected in the Vaccine Guidelines, she says. More cats are surviving shelters, and their health and welfare is an investment worth making. We know that cats will be saved when we vaccinate immediately. Cats are particularly prone to stress and illness in a shelter environment. Dr. Scherk adds, Regarding feline leukemia, testing cats prior to vaccination is essential to ensure negative status. Inadvertent use of FeLV vaccine in a cat infected with FeLV is not harmful, but it is also of no benefit.
The AAFP Advisory Panel recommends administering FeLV vaccines to all kittens but considers the vaccine to be noncore for cats after their one-year booster unless they are at risk of exposure because they have access to outdoors, live with known FeLV-infected cats or live in a multiple-cat environment where the status of all cats coming and going may not be known.
What You Need To Know About Rabies Vaccines For Cats
Rabies is a viral disease typically found in wild animalsmost commonly raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes. However, any mammal can become infected if they are exposed. That is why it is essential that we keep our pets protected with consistent rabies vaccines.
Both indoor and outdoor cats are at risk for contracting rabies. Heres what you need to know about the rabies vaccine for cats, including the schedule, side effects and cost.
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Giving Injections To Cats
Certain medical conditions can be controlled by the use of drugs that are only available in an injectable format. Two of these conditions are:
- diabetes mellitus, which is controlled by daily insulin injections
- certain allergies, which are controlled by regular injections of allergenic extracts
In many cases, cat owners are willing and able to administer these medications at home. If you decide to provide this treatment to your cat, your veterinarian will review the specific administration technique and make sure that you are comfortable with it. The following may help you make your decision.
Optional Cat Vaccinations Costs
Vets often suggest the following non-core cat vaccinations if you plan to let kitty outside frequently, board them, or have a clowder of cats. Note that the following vaccines are typically only used as part of a control program in a multicat household where infection is confirmed :
- Bordetella, another zoonotic disease, is a highly contagious respiratory infection known as kennel cough that cats transmit between each other and can even catch from infected dogs. If left untreated, it might cause pneumonia. The vaccine is frequently administered in stages or as one shot with annual boosters. Cost: $10$30 per treatment
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Are There Risks Or Side Effects Associated With Cat Vaccines
Typically, they’re very safe. Most cats get their vaccines, go home, and have no problems. In rare cases, they can have an anaphylactic, which is an allergic reaction to a vaccine that can cause a fever, facial swelling, vomiting, or diarrhea. We ask that, if those things happen, bring those cats right back to the clinic for treatment, and we will consider that they might not be good candidates for vaccines in the future. And that’s why it’s really important that all animals who are able to be vaccinated are vaccinated, so that occasionally if there’s an animal who can not be vaccinated due to an allergic reaction or due to being on chemotherapy, that those animals are protected by the vaccinations of the other animals in the area.
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis Calicivirus And Panleukopenia
This is a combination vaccine for the three viruses, and it is often referred to as a distemper shot for cats.
Kitten Schedule
The vaccine is first given between 6 and 8 weeks of age. It is then boostered every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 to 18 weeks of age.
This vaccine used to be repeated 1 year later. However, due to the current recommendation of WSAVA, it is recommended to repeat this vaccine at 6 months of age. This is due to the fact that one third of kittens have mother-derived antibodies up until 20 weeks of age. Therefore, the immunity from the vaccine is blocked by the presence of the mother’s immunity if not given after that point. The vaccine is then administered every 3 years after that.
Adult Cat Schedule
For cats receiving this “distemper” vaccine combination, as non-kittens, a series of two vaccines is given and then boostered a year later. They will then receive a booster every 3 years.
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