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| "Thank you" kisses for Dr. Demos! |
The most important reason that your cat should visit the
veterinarian 1-2 times yearly is for the expert physical exam your pet's doctor
performs. A proactive approach to your cat's health, focused on wellness and
preventive care can be beneficial because illness and disease can be detected
earlier, when treatments may be more successful and less costly. In addition to
physical examinations and discussing your cat's diet and litterbox habits, when
your veterinarian discusses your cat's health with you, he or she will likely
recommend updating your cat's vaccinations.
What are vaccinations?
Vaccinations are injections of a substance that stimulates a
cat's immune system, preparing the body to fight disease-causing organisms.
Most vaccinations are developed for viral infections - diseases that cannot be
treated with antibiotics. Some vaccines are developed for severe bacterial
diseases, too.
Types of Vaccines -
- Inactivated
vaccines or "killed virus" vaccinations are vaccines that contain
viruses that are unable to reproduce in the body. The majority of this
type of vaccine contains adjuvants.
- Modified-live
vaccines contain viruses that can replicate, but do not cause clinical
disease. While it is unlikely, it is theoretically possible for this type
of vaccine to revert to virulence and cause disease.
- Recombinant
vaccines do not contain the whole virus, but specific parts of the virus
DNA that the body's immune system recognizes as an invader, but that don't
actually cause disease. These strings of proteins are either inserted into
a non-disease-causing virus (vectored vaccine) or are inserted into
bacterial DNA (called plasmids) so that antigens can be harvested and
purified for use in vaccines (subunit vaccine).
Why do cats need vaccinations?
Vaccinations are very important to the health of your cat -
the diseases we vaccinate for are diseases that do not respond well to
treatment, and in most cases are deadly or produce life-long complications.
Diseases like distemper are extremely long-lasting in the environment, lasting
for years and can be brought into your home on your hands, feet or clothing if
you come into contact with the virus particles in the environment.
Additionally, the virus that causes distemper is resistant to disinfectants,
can be passed to kittens through breast milk from the mother and can be
acquired in utero. During the summer, cats that go outdoors are at higher risk
because they are more likely to spend a longer or more frequent amount of time
outdoors. Other diseases that we vaccinate for can be transmitted through the
air. Rabies virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal, and despite
common misconception, an infected animal is not always the raging, frothing
creature that you see in the movies. Most skunks do not show signs or symptoms
of infection, and any skunk that you encounter should be considered to be a
carrier of rabies. In companion
animals, signs of infection may not show up for 10 days after the animal begins
shedding the virus - so if your cat gets into a fight with a stray cat that
seems healthy, that cat could be rabies positive, but may not be recognizably
so until it has disappeared into the woods again.
But my cat doesn't go outside he doesn't need
vaccinations!
Indoor cats are definitely at lower risk for communicable
diseases, however there are many factors that still create risk for these cats.
If you bring a new cat into the house from a rescue or shelter, you may be
bringing disease into your home. A trip to the pet store to buy cat food may
result in virus particles on your clothing that you can bring home to your cat.
A friend with a sick pet may bring virus particles into your home while
visiting. Airborn viruses can travel into your home through open windows and
doors. You may bring virus particles in on your shoes after working in the
yard. A stray cat may visit your screen door. Your cat may need to be boarded
in an emergency situation, and would require vaccinations to do so.
In the case of rabies, the major carrier of this disease in Michigan is the
bat. We very frequently receive phone calls from people telling us that they
found a live or dead bat in their home, and most people do not know that a bat
has access to their home until it is inside. Most bats are able to squeeze
through extremely narrow openings; the little brown bat can enter a space
(5/8" by 7/8") and the big brown bat can squeeze through an opening
(1-1/4" by 1/2"). Bat bites are almost microscopic, so you would be
unable to tell if your cat had been bitten by the bat. If your unvaccinated cat
were to escape from your home and get bitten by an unknown animal, vaccination
after the fact would not be guaranteed protection, and Michigan Public Health
officials must proceed as though the animal that bit your pet was positive,
euthanizing and testing your cat. If your unvaccinated cat bites a person, it
could result in a 10 day quarantine at an animal shelter at your expense.
Rabies is a life threatening disease and in companion animals, there is no
cure. The only definitive test for rabies requires euthanasia of the animal in
question and examination of the brain tissue. By the time your pet starts
showing signs of disease, you could already have been exposed. While rabies
vaccinations are not required by law for cats in the state of Michigan, the
safest thing to do for you and your cat is keep your pet's vaccines up to date.
For the health and safety of all of our patients and staff, all cats
that come into our hospital for surgical or dental care or boarding must be up
to date on vaccinations.
How often do cats need vaccinations?
The number and frequency of vaccines recommended for a cat
is often a complex and individualized plan based on each cat's age, lifestyle,
risk assessment and health status. However, there are some general guidelines
that have been established by scientific study and experts in the field that
are upheld by professional groups that specialize in feline medicine, such as
the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International
Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM). In
some states, certain vaccinations and schedules are required by law.
Kittens are more susceptible to disease because their immune
systems are not fully developed. Kittens raised by their mothers receive
antibodies from their mothers, but these antibodies can interfere with
vaccinations. Since we do not know for certain how long maternal antibodies
remain active, or if every mother cat provides antibodies to all the major
diseases, kittens need a series of vaccines to provide immunity. This series
should continue until the kitten is at least 16 weeks of age. Additionally, any
cat receiving a vaccination for the first time, no matter how old they are,
will usually need a series of two vaccinations to ensure adequate protection.
It is recommended that even if a cat is not due for
vaccination in a given year, they should be evaluated by a veterinarian at
least annually, to ensure that health and risk status has not changed.
Cats should be tested for Feline Leukemia before starting
the series of Feline Leukemia vaccinations because there is no medical benefit
in giving a Leukemia vaccine to an infected cat. There are no negative side
effects to vaccinating an infected cat, but this also eliminates the
possibility of failing to recognize vaccine failure. If a previously untested
cat who has been vaccinated for Feline Leukemia is later tested and is positive
for Feline Leukemia, there is no way to tell if the Leukemia virus has been
present long term or if the cat was recently exposed and the vaccine did not
protect him.
What are the possible side effects of vaccination?
The currently available feline vaccines do have an excellent
safety record, however negative events following vaccination can occur. It is
important to report these events to your veterinarian if they do occur, as
veterinarians are requested to report adverse events to the manufacturer, as
well as the USDA. It is also important to note that not all negative events
that may follow vaccination can be directly said to be caused by the
vaccine with 100% certainty.
During the years 2002 - 2005, more than 1.25 million
vaccines were given to cats at Banfield Hospitals across the US. In that time
period, 51.6/10,000 cats had reactions within 30 days of vaccination (0.52%).
Of these reactions, 54% experienced lethargy (weakness/tiredness) with or
without fever, 25% experienced pain at the injection site, 10% experienced
vomiting, 6% experienced facial swelling, 2% experienced generalized itching.
Death occurred in 4 cats (0.04%) - two of these deaths were related to
anaphylaxis (allergic reaction). Vaccines containing a Chlamydophila
component were more likely to cause lethargy and fever than those without.
Several other vaccine reaction studies report a rate of adverse reaction
between 0.23% and 3% depending on the type of vaccination, the number of
vaccinations given at one time, and the type of reaction being monitored.
Anaphylaxis or "allergic reaction" occurs rarely
(about 1-5/10,000 cats).
It can be
identified as vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, facial itching or
swelling, and collapse. Often, this type of reaction can be adequately
controlled with the use of antihistimines or steroid medications or a different
vaccine formulation.
Vaccine-associated sarcomas are a known problem, but the
exact reasons that they form is not yet understood. Many suggest that the
development of these tumors may result from inflammation or trauma at the
injection site. Feline injection-site sarcomas (FISS) are rare, occurring in
fewer than one out of every 10,000-30,000 cats, but the severity of this side
effect is frightening to many people. In recent years, many precautions have
been taken to minimize the trauma and inflammation caused by vaccination, and
the frequency of this problem has significantly decreased. At Exclusively Cats,
we give vaccinations in insulin syringes, to decrease the needle trauma
associated with vaccination. We allow the vaccines to warm to room temperature
before giving them, and we choose to use primarily non-adjuvanted vaccines. In
addition, we vaccinate cats only as frequently as medically necessary to
provide immunity, and we avoid vaccinating cats that have other compromising
health issues (which is why we do not administer vaccinations without a
physical exam). In addition, we use recommended vaccination sites low on the
leg so that, in the eventuality that a sarcoma does develop, the limb can be
amputated if necessary, to prevent the spread of the tumor to the rest of the
body and prolong the life of your cat.
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