Vaccinations for your kitten

  After your vaccinations, ask your veterinarian to point out where the injections were placed and the

During its first few hours of life, your kitten receives natural immunity against most diseases from its motherﾒs first milk, the colostrum. But eventually your kittenﾒs immune system will have to fend for itself. Vaccinations provide your kitten good protection against some life-threatening diseases. Hereﾒs an explanation of the vaccines you need or may want to consider, according to veterinarians at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary
Medicine in Urbana.

FVR-C-PﾗThe upper respiratory infection seen in cats is a complex clinical disease. FVR-C protects your cat against the two viruses most likely to cause an upper respiratory infection in your at--feline rhinotracheitis (feline herpes virus) and feline alicivirus. Infections with these viruses can cause discharge from the nose or eye, respiratory problems, mouth sores, anorexia, and abortion. FVR-C-P also protects against panleukopenia--feline distemper-- an acute gastrointestinal viral infection associated with a sudden onset, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and a high mortality. These vaccines are 80 percent effective and require two doses 3 to 4 weeks apart; the last dose is given at 12 to 16 weeks. Annual boosters are recommended.

FeLVﾗFeline leukemia virus vaccines are available for interested cat owners. This virus is not highly contagious and is recommended only for those cats with high exposure potential, such as outdoor cats and show cats. Before trying out the FeLV vaccine, have your cat tested to see if he already has the disease. Half of all cats who get FeLV will die from complications associated with the disease. Efficacy of the vaccine is debatable, so consult with your veterinarian.

Be aware that side effectsﾗranging from local pain to diarrheaﾗoccur in 14 percent of patients (most likely in kittens). Clients at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital are asked to remain in the clinic 30 minutes after this vaccine is given to make sure that the side effects, if any, are not serious.

FIPﾗFeline Infectious Peritonitis, which is associated with norexia, weight loss, growth stunting, gradually developing potbelly, and fever, has a very high mortality rate. A vaccine
was developed 6 years ago and can be given to cats >16 weeks of age. It requires two doses 3 to 4 weeks apart. The effectiveness of this vaccine in preventing this fatal feline disease is still being tested. Follow your veterinarianﾒs recommendations.

Rabiesﾗ Most of us associate rabies with the mad dog frothing at the mouth, eager to bite anything near it. Although this is a common presentation in countries where there is a very high population of unvaccinated stray dogs, in the United States, rabies usually appears in wild animals. Depending on which state you live in, it may or may not be the law to vaccinate your cat, but many townships and counties do require it. Cat rabies is on the increase and vaccination is recommended, especially if your cat roams outside. Rabies vaccines can be administered at >12 weeks of age in felines. All warm-blooded animalsﾗincluding youﾗcan get rabies. The prognosis is fatal.

Few medical procedures are without risk; while trying to prevent disease in your cat, there is a small chance that harm may be done. Veterinarians have observed a chance of developing a vaccine-associated sarcoma at a rate of 20/100,000 cats. A veterinary task force has been assigned to this problem. These officials make the following statement on their Web site (www.avma.org/vafstf/ownbroch.html): "Disturbing as this issue may be, there is great concern that cat owners, attempting to keep their cats from harm, may forego vaccination entirely. The result? Though well-intentioned, these owners may be placing cats at far greater risk of acquiring a fatal infection than any risk the vaccine poses. And in the case of rabies, human health is at risk as well."

After your vaccinations, ask your veterinarian to point out where the injections were placed and then keep an eye on those sites. If you notice a firm, painless swelling located near a previous vaccination site, contact your veterinarian.

Your local veterinarian can provide more information about accinations for your pet. What is given often depends on the risk of specific diseases in your geographic area, your petﾒs life-style, and whether your pet received its momﾒs first milk its first hours of life.

Protect your companion animals and yourself by paying a visit to your local veterinarian and following the suggested vaccination protocol.

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