Yearly Preventative Vaccines

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Blamethecats and Hannah, Mar 29, 2015.

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  1. Blamethecats and Hannah

    Blamethecats and Hannah Member

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    Jul 12, 2014
    There's an issue that is bothering me. I've been scolded by our vet's office manager for not bringing Hannah in for her yearly vaccines and told that I'd better get her there by next week, no excuses. (Really, lady, you honestly think that'll make me cower and give in? Really?) Anyway, I've been dragging my feet on this direct order. It was right after last year's vaccines that Hannah got sick and was diagnosed with diabetes. Somehow, I've always wondered if there was a connection. She's an indoor kitty that goes outside for an occasional, supervised short walk. Could she pick up distemper or other nasty cat diseases outside, on the grass or sidewalk, for instance? Or could diseases be brought into our house via someone's feet or on someone's hands if they'd been petting or caring for a cat with a disease such as distemper? We have family that have barn cats and it's very obvious that some of them have undiagnosed and suspicious diseases. So, until I figure out whether my girl really needs these preventatives and whether or not they will complicate her diabetes, we're on hold with the vet. Am I putting Hannah in danger by dragging my feet and her furry little paws?
     
  2. Alix

    Alix Member

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    Mar 6, 2012
    I don't really know the answers to your questions but my Scamp is also an indoor cat and my vet has no problem with me not giving Scamp her vaccines. The one place that is (in my opinion) dangerous is the vets office &/or hospital where there may be a sick cat that could infect Scamp. But so far I have never had a problem and my vet has not even asked about vaccines in years. My vet does know that he is going to see her at least once a year (actually more often) and I think sometimes the vets suggest vaccines to indoor cats to make sure that the vet gets to see the animal at least once a year.

    ps Why is it the office manager scolding you and not the vet?? When did the office manager get his/her degree?
     
  3. Critter Mom

    Critter Mom Well-Known Member

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    Jun 16, 2014
    I don't know whether this might be a help to you, Carole, but when Saoirse was at the hospital they sent off a sample to have her tested for toxoplasma (it's unlikely she has toxoplasmosis but they want to rule it out to be on the safe side).

    Also, you could ask for a vaccination titer to see whether or not she actually needs boosters. That's what I asked our vet to do. As you know, I'm petrified of doing anything that will destabilize my girl.

    BTW, you should discuss your concerns with your insurers to make sure that it doesn't affect your cover should Hannah not have yet received a booster come renewal time. (That's what I did.)
     
  4. Chris & Queenie

    Chris & Queenie Member

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    Mar 8, 2015
    OK, here we go....

    I currently have 17 cats. I always test anyone new for FeLuk.. I do PureVax Rabies annually (most of the time and for those who go out or are in my fight club).... and yes, I have had to "quarantine" twice in the last 15 years due to bites from unknown sources and expired shots. My cats almost all go out. I live in a very rural area with no other cats in immediate proximity, but they do wander and I have a few who wandered in and have never left.
    I don't vaccinate every year, have not for ~ I don't recall how long. and I do occasionally do titers and always the full series when someone new comes along. Am I playing with fire? maybe.....

    I have lost at least 15 cats over the years and not one of them has died of Lukemia, distemper, FIV, Lyme disease or anything else they "routinely" vaccinate for...

    I have had my cats to the neurologist, the cardiologist, the internist, the opthimolioist, the feline specialist, the homeopath and the emergency clinic. I care about them and take very good care of them. But I do no tbelieve in over vaccinating them. I think vaccines, like commercial foods, are a result of marketing departments working hard to justify their products.

    I am not saying you should not do periodic vaccinations. Ideally I would love to get titers on everyone every year, I simply can not afford to do so. I periodically test the at risk individuals and sometimes I have done vaccines on the adopted adults. The homeopath feels that healthy cats that go out regulary are exposed to all manner of tings that thir immue system can fend off if theyare otherwise uncommpromised. If you are caring for one or two I would suggest you ask your vet about getting blood titers instead.

    Good luck with your decisions!
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2015
  5. Blamethecats and Hannah

    Blamethecats and Hannah Member

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    Jul 12, 2014
    Alix, thanks for your reply. I also thought about all the diseases floating around the vet's office and wondered if that could be a concern. I guess what I really need to determine is how such diseases are transmitted. And... to answer your question, the office manager is a registered nurse... and the vet's wife. Apparently that makes her the boss!
     
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  6. Blamethecats and Hannah

    Blamethecats and Hannah Member

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    Jul 12, 2014
    Hmmmmm, a vaccination titer might be the way to go. Thanks, ladies! FYI, Hannah does have her current rabies vaccination. We've had problems with rabies in this area and even in our own yard. As a matter of fact, DH and myself were exposed several years ago and underwent the entire series of rabies shots. :arghh: Plus, should we ever need to take Hannah to Cornell for treatment, they won't even let her in the door without a current rabies vaccine.

    You've all been most helpful!
     
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  7. Blamethecats and Hannah

    Blamethecats and Hannah Member

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    Jul 12, 2014
    BINGO! AGREED!
     
  8. Critter Mom

    Critter Mom Well-Known Member

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    Jun 16, 2014
    (((Carole and Hannah)))
     
  9. Blamethecats and Hannah

    Blamethecats and Hannah Member

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    Jul 12, 2014
    No insurance on Hannah, unfortunately, so that won't be a concern. You don't know how many times I wish we could cover her under our own health insurance. This past year, we've spent more on her health care needs than we have on our own. :rolleyes:
     
  10. Blamethecats and Hannah

    Blamethecats and Hannah Member

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    Jul 12, 2014
    Back at ya, ((((((((Áine and Saoirse))))))) !
     
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  11. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

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    Jan 14, 2015
    This is just my opinion and my experience with the cats I've owned. My previous cats received their initial vaccinations, but I did not do annual boosters - maybe every 3 years. Rosa and Regan have NEVER been fully vaccinated. They both caught Calici virus in the rescue center they were at before I adopted them. They started showing symptoms after the first of their initial course of vaccinations. Of course them catching the virus invalidated that initial vaccination as Calici is part of the standard vaccinations in the UK and meant the course couldn't be completed until they were better. I have my suspicions that they might have got a batch of vaccine where the Calici portion wasn't fully dead, but of course I can't prove that - no other cats in the center had the virus either before or after and the timing was a little suspect to say the least.

    My sister-in-law had at the time just lost a cat to heart failure. He had also had Calici a number of years earlier but she had had his vaccinations boosted annually. Every time he was vaccinated, he got a flare up of the virus and was sick for a couple of weeks. In the end, that was what caused his heart failure - the repeated strain on his system became too much. Given that, by the time Rosa and Regan were well enough to be vaccinated, I'd already almost lost Regan at just 4 months old to pneumonia as a secondary infection, I was of course not willing to risk their health any more than I had to. They've always been indoor/closely supervised outdoor cats and neither has ever caught anything from either other cats in the neighborhood, the other cats in the house since I moved here or from any vet office. They were rabies vaccinated before I moved here as my UK vet insisted it was legally required (I later found out that it wasn't, but by then they'd already had the vaccination as I had to wait 3 weeks for blood tests to be done to make sure it had been successful). But other than that, they've had no other vaccinations at all. My UK vet was never entirely happy with that decision, but accepted it was my choice. When I explained it to our new vet here, they just noted their files so that I don't get annual reminders but I haven't been put under any pressure at all to vaccinate them.

    When I spoke to the boarding vet where Rosa will need to go any time we're away on a trip, they said they wouldn't recommend vaccinating her because of the diabetes and I will just need to sign a vaccine waiver each time I check her in for boarding (we already do this for our CKD kitty, Shadow, who no vet will recommend for vaccination).

    I would never suggest that vaccinating a cat is necessarily a bad idea, but I do know it's possible to keep them healthy without if it's something you're not happy about doing.

    And btw I totally agree on the insurance - I had a UK policy for my 2 but couldn't transfer it here as it was a UK only company. Of course by the time I got here they were 10 years old and couldn't be insured at all with most companies, and the premiums were outrageous with the one or two that would have taken them. Now I wish I'd paid the ridiculous premiums with the amount Rosa's treatment has cost, but now there's no way I could get insurance for her diabetes anyway so the time for reviewing that is over. But yes, she's cost more in just a couple of months than I've spent on my own medical in a year and a half!
     
  12. Larry and Kitties

    Larry and Kitties Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    PureVax feline rabies vaccine is now available as a three-year vaccine.
    http://www.merial.com/EN/PressRoom/...uces-PUREVAX®-Feline-Rabies-3-YR-Vaccine.aspx
    Also, the other core (Feline Herpesvirus 1, Feline Calicivirus and Feline Panleukopenia Virus Vaccines) are also three years so there is not need for annual vacincations for the core vaccines. However, there may be a few states/localities that still requie yearly rabies vaccinations.
     
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