CAT VACCINES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Did you know that not all cat vaccines are created equally, and that many cats are over-vaccinated?
Why is this important?
VACCINE FREQUENCY: Vaccines play an important role in the health of cats, but many cats receive too many! Kittens certainly need their full series to ensure adequate immunity. For adult cats, vaccine requirements vary depending on your cat’s lifestyle.
VACCINE QUALITY: Regardless of the type of vaccine your cat gets, it’s important to use vaccines that minimize inflammation at the injection site. Why?
YOU HAVE A CHOICE: Your cat is counting on you to be “vaccine smart”.
Thank you for caring about your cat. Please share this, so that more lives can be saved!
Laura Cochrane DVM
DrKindKlaws.com
Why is this important?
VACCINE FREQUENCY: Vaccines play an important role in the health of cats, but many cats receive too many! Kittens certainly need their full series to ensure adequate immunity. For adult cats, vaccine requirements vary depending on your cat’s lifestyle.
- FVRCP (“3 in 1”)-Regardless of lifestyle, adult cats do not need this every year. The vaccine guidelines set by the American Association of Feline Practitioners recommend the FVRCP vaccine every 3 years. Your vet may argue that the vaccine label says one year, but every vaccine company will back their product (in writing!) for 3 years.
- FeLV (feline leukemia)-Recommended for kittens, as well as every 1-2 years for adult cats with a reasonable risk of exposure. Your vet should inquire about your cat’s lifestyle and suggest the best plan for him/her.
- Rabies-Recommended for all cats who go outdoors, travel domestically or internationally, or where required by law. Although the PureVax feline rabies is an annual vaccine, this adjuvant-free product is a safer option for your cat compared to the traditional rabies vaccine (see below).
VACCINE QUALITY: Regardless of the type of vaccine your cat gets, it’s important to use vaccines that minimize inflammation at the injection site. Why?
- In some cats, chronic inflammation at the injection site can lead to a tumor called a feline injection-site sarcoma (also called vaccine-associated sarcoma). This spreads quickly if not caught early. Most tumors form within 4 years of the vaccine, but they can occur even later.
- Since we don’t know which cats are more likely to get these tumors, the only thing we can control is the type of vaccine we give. Some vaccines contain adjuvants (ad-juh-vents), which are substances added to enhance the immune response. Adjuvants = chronic inflammation. Both the World Small Animal Veterinary Association and the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases recommend avoiding vaccines that contain adjuvants.
- By using adjuvant-free vaccines, there will be less inflammation at the vaccine site. This means a safer vaccine with less risk of sarcoma formation.
YOU HAVE A CHOICE: Your cat is counting on you to be “vaccine smart”.
- Talk to your vet about your cat’s lifestyle and which vaccines are needed.
- Ask for adjuvant-free vaccines. Examples of these safer vaccines include:
- FVRCP- any “modified live” vaccine (avoid killed vaccines!)
- FeLV- only the PureVax Leukemia by Merial
- Rabies- only the PureVax Rabies by Merial
Thank you for caring about your cat. Please share this, so that more lives can be saved!
Laura Cochrane DVM
DrKindKlaws.com
