Fip or Not to FIP?

[catmandu]

Does anyone have an opinion on the nasal FIP drops? My vet says they are neccesary , thr breededrs tell me that not only are they unneccesary , but dangerous! Advice , Please as I always get them in a shot package!

[neko1]

I don't think they are necessary. I'm not sure how dangerous they are. I sent you a pm about it.

[jenluckenbach]

I don't know much about the FIP drops, but I do know that I do not get them for my cats. I do not think they are necessary when the animals are stictly indoors.

[moosmom]

I agree with Jen. Unless the cat is indoor/outdoor and is exposed to other "unknown" cats, I don't think the vaccination is necessary. None of my cats have ever had it. I am a strict believer in not over vaccinating your animals. I do always vaccinate for rabies, as it's the law. But as far as distemper, they all had that when they were babies along with their boosters. But since I am not fostering anymore strays, I don't feel it's necessary. Afterall...how many times in OUR lives have we had to be vaccinated???

As far as the FIP vaccination is concerned, first you have to know that FIP is a combination of 7 corona viruses. Even if your cat were to be exposed to it, it doesn't mean they'll get it. Cats can live long, healthy lives even if they've only been exposed (I know from personal experience as all my cats have been exposed, because of Moo). Since my cats are all indoors, that's another chunk of change my vet's not getting.

I guess you could say it's everyone's personal preference.

Here is the Cornell University link that will explain everything. Hope it helps.

http://web.vet.cornell.edu/Public/FHC/fip.html

BTW, Cornell is THE leading veterinary college in the country. They have a book I think every cat's human should have "Cornell Book of Cats". It's my bible!! Hasn't steered me wrong yet either.

[jenluckenbach]

If I may stray from the subject a little here, I'd like to tell you why I DO continue to vaccinate for distemper. I may not agree with the vet's that it is necessary, but if a cat needs to be hospitallized due to a sudden illness and they are not current on all their shots it can lead to "problems". This happened to me and the vet "needed" to put him in "isolation" and that ended up costing a whole lot more $$$$$ So you should know your vet's policy on current vaccinations for hospitalization (boarding etc.) it costs a whole lot less in the long run to keep them up to date on shots then to pay the extra in a sudden situation.

[Cheshirekatt]

Currently I don't vaccinate my cats for FIP. They are strictly indoors and I don't ever board them. I vaccinate for Rabies according to state regulations and I vaccinate for distemper and felv every 2-3 years or whatever my vet recommends. We now also keep track of exactly where we vaccinate so we can watch for lumps. If my kitties went outside or if I fostered kitties I'd switch it up a little.

[smokey the elder]

When you consider vaccinating a cat for other than rabies or distemper, which are high success-rate vaccines that can be given every 3 years, you should do your homework. For example, the FLV vaccine only provides 70% protection, yet may have more side effects. The new FIV vaccine is even worse;and the cat will always test positive for FIV. This is off the Wyeth (Dodge Animal Health Division) web site.

FIP is particulary difficult since, like human flu, it's a bunch of different viruses. Some are completely harmless, others are very nasty. The tests that exist today can't really tell if a cat has FIP. It's usually circumstantial. The best way to avoid any sickness is careful introductions and monitoring all pets in the household.

Sorry I ran off a bit there, but I foster, and had a ringworm scare once and an untested unvaccinated cat running around that I had been first told was tested, etc. It turned out he was oK and had passed his isolation without any sniffles, etc.