Rabies vaccine?

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Molly and Sammy, Sep 16, 2018.

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  1. Molly and Sammy

    Molly and Sammy Member

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    Sep 1, 2018
    Hi all, and thanks for all the wisdom here. I'm just two weeks post diagnosis, and am learning a lot from you. My Sammy is 11 and was diagnosed with diabetes 2 weeks ago. His blood glucose at the vet's was 740, then 530 on a recheck a week later. Hes doubtless been diabetic for some time - I missed the clues completely.

    We changed food first - he was on all dry food - and he's adjusted well. He's eating Fancy Feast pate, and I am going to add Friskies pate next. My vet is great, and very supportive of this forum and home testing. The plan was to have me get good at testing 2X day, 12 hours apart, , then start him on insulin (I think Lantus) this coming Friday. His numbers at home range from 317-531, using an Alpha Teak meter the vet gifted to me as it had been donated. (I am a retired senior living on not much, and told her $ was a concern).

    This all started because I took him in for his rabies vaccine, but somehow with the diabetes drama we didn't get the vaccine. My landlord requires it. Shall I ask the vet to give it to him Friday, when we start the insulin? Or is that too much for his system? I will of course ask the vet, but wanted some feedback from you fokks. Thank you!
     
  2. Bama Kitty Mom (GA)

    Bama Kitty Mom (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Jul 16, 2018
    Does Sammy have access to the outside? Landlord probably requires the vaccination because state law requires it and nobody wants to get sued or fined.
     
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  3. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    Aug 17, 2016
    My diabetic gets the rabies vaccine. It doesn't seem to bother him. I live in a condo and have three indoor only kitties. However, years ago in two consecutive summers a bat got into my condo via ventilation ducts that weren't properly covered on the outside. Good enough reason for me to vaccinate indoor kitties for rabies.
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2018
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  4. Molly and Sammy

    Molly and Sammy Member

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    Sep 1, 2018
    Sammy is strictly indoor, and I'm on the 13th floor. But the management company demands it, and I signed a pet agreement agreeing to the policy. They always contact me at the end of September asking for the proof of vaccination. I have not checked to see if a vet letter saying it's not safe would work - will see what she and you folks think about it first.
     
  5. Candy&Company

    Candy&Company Member

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    Sep 12, 2018
    This happened to me too - Fena's last rabies was 2009, but when I brought her in for severe constipation Aug25th, they said they'd put it off a bit. Then the diabetes DX came the very next day plus pancreatitis so the vet said to hold off for a good long while. I know it's legally required, they mentioned giving me a certificate when it was done, but she's a strictly indoor girl too. I own my own home so I guess it's not TOO big of a problem, except for the poor vets office where I take her but I'd be interested in hearing from others too.
     
  6. Emmy

    Emmy Member

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    Dec 3, 2016
    At my request my vet wrote a letter that my diabetic cat is now and in the future exempted from all vaccines, including rabies. If you read my profile you'll see I skipped the rabies too when Mabel was diagnosed and went directly to dealing with the diabetes first. Mabel is totally indoor though. She is not at high risk for rabies. The city I live in accepted the letter from the vet and licensed her and my landlord accepted the letter. However, were she ever considered a rabies risk herself the city would have authority. I think the possibility of that minimal. That's why I chose to ask for exemption. Personally, I'd get the diabetes regulated if your cat has apparently had it some time. I wish you blessings in that.

    I am also low income Sr. and I could not afford Alphatrak test strips. My vet's tech loaned me her Alphatrak meter when Mabel was diagnosed and I bought one pack of test strips and realized I could not afford them, then switched to human meters, which I think most people on here use. You can find a lot of information about meters on this forum and you can find information online giving you the acceptable blood sugar range for cats using human meters.

    I just wrote about my experience with meters on another thread so I will refer you to Fran's thread in this General Health Section where she asks if anyone has experience with Petsure strips. There's a lot of info on meters and strips there. Also click on my Mabel, our profile, our messages, if interested in our experiences.

    Above all, if this is new, pace yourself so you don't get overwhelmed. It is hard but it is so worth it to care for your diabetic cat. If I went on about that it'd be forever.
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2018
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  7. Molly and Sammy

    Molly and Sammy Member

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    Sep 1, 2018
    Thanks so much for the info. I am going to ask my apt. mgr. about whether they can accept a vet letter.

    On the Alpha Trak - someone on another forum said I could use Freestyle Insulinx test strips - $30 for 100 on Amazon. I did six tests - Alpha strips vs. Freestyle - and the results were within 5 points. I may still switch to a human meter since everyone here uses those and the numbers are apparently different. I believe Alpha Trak runs about 20 points higher?
     
  8. Emmy

    Emmy Member

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    Dec 3, 2016
    To you issue with rabies vaccine--it may be a law that your state, city, and landlord must accept a veterinarian's letter exempting your pet from rabies. I would just google "state law" and "pets" or "city ordinances" and "pets". You will find the rules either at the state and city ordinance web sites or sometimes university legal centers have the information for your state. At the very least it seems the veterinarian would not want to give a rabies shot until you get your cat stabilized and healthy. And you may have to know the law as concerns your landlord. Another option would be to call your area legal aid and see if they or will look it up. If your landlord or city won't cooperate you'd have legal aid to back you up. Sorry if it's all overwhelming right now. Put one foot in front of the other. It's all we can do. I found the learning curve for managing feline diabetes very steep indeed and I learned trial and error. It's all we can do.

    I ran across the InsulinX test strip suggestion on the other thread, too. I'd never heard of those. I would read carefully through that thread. In my experience every meter has its test strips, even the different grades of meters made by same company. So for instance you can't interchange the Arkray Vital meter test strips and the Arkray Glucocard Sensor One Plus strips (both those human meters have their own test strips!). They are made by and for Arkray which makes Relion Confirm meter for Walmart). You may be able to get the Arkray Glucocard meter by calling Arkray. It will come with probably 10 test strips. They may want to know you will buy their test strips through some online source. Sorry, too much info. You are getting blasted with info. Take a deep breath. And I don't mean to sound patronizing. I was so overwhelmed in every way when my Mabel was first diagnosed.

    You can read a lot more about pet vs human meters by doing a search on this forum. Search in the upper right corner, pet vs human meter, or alpha trak compared to human meter, or some such. There's lots of discussion on it, and you'll find numbers comparisons there. I only now know what Mabel needs on the human meter range.
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2018
  9. Molly and Sammy

    Molly and Sammy Member

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    Sep 1, 2018
    Thanks so much, Emmy!
     
  10. Molly and Sammy

    Molly and Sammy Member

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    Sep 1, 2018
    Thanks, all for the help. My apartment manager says she will accept a letter from my vet stating that rabies vaccination is dangerous to my cat at this time. So we're OK. Will see the vet Friday, but now am ready for whatever she suggests.
     
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  11. Candy&Company

    Candy&Company Member

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    Sep 12, 2018
    Awesome, glad you could get help and get it sorted out!
     
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