To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi, I thought I'd get some help and advice from you about Sky. I had mentioned that he has his annual allergies again. He started out with sneezing attacks and then became very stuffy. Now his right eye is all goopy. I broke down and took him to the vet on Tues. morning. He has conjunctivitis in his right eye and I'm now giving him an antibiotic ointment for it. I'm also giving him some allery pills to see if this will help him. He also broke out with feline acne and I'm also treating him for that.

The more I thought about it the more I think that he's been having a reaction to his annual FVRCP shot. This always happens the same time each year and it usually happens 1-2 weeks after he's gotten his shot. The vet even agreed that this could be the case. He told me to wait a good 6 months after his regular scheduled time for his shot and then if he still becomes sneezy and stuffy then we know it's due to allergies. If he doesn't and then it happens after he gets his shot, then we know it's due to a reaction to the shot.

I have to find out if the vet's office is using a shot with a live virus in it or not because I don't know at this point. My questions are as follows. What would you do in this case and how important are FVRCP shots for indoor only cats? I know that some vets feel that cats only need them every 2-3 years but most still insist on cats getting them yearly. Sky's 4 years old and I hate to see him suffer every year if I can do something to prevent it.

Thanks for reading this.

[Don Juan's mom]

Sorry, I can't help you. I took Don Juan and Zerlina for their shots on Saturday, and the only reaction they had was a few hours of not speaking to me.

Liz

[Terminalvelocity]

There's a lot of controversy over this issue and in my opinion, the answer is still up in the air. Personally, I'd do what your doctor suggested... wait next year and see if Sky gets the alergies without the vaccination.

One thing though.. We become very close to our pets. We see them every day and we might not notice things that a trained professional will spot right away. So, even if you decide against the yearly shots, an annual examination is really necessary. Twice a year is even better, but at the cost now..

I hope Sky gets over his problems quickly and never has them again.

[sirrahbed]

I am sorry to read about Sky, and that he is so miserable right now.

The idea about postponing or skipping his shot is a good one. That sounds really odd that his allergy breaks out so soon after his vaccination.

Hope he is feeling better real soon

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Aw my dahling, this is your beloved Maya speaking!
You don't like those shots my dear? Don't worry, neither do I nor my sisters! I wonder what the darn vet would say if HE got a shot in his neck every year !! Please be better soon, my dear, feeling lousy is no fun for a cat...
Thousands of nose-kissies!!

your Maya

[Laura's Babies]

I would put them off from now on until after "allergy season" and see if it is actual allergies or that shot.. If it is that shot, I would give not getting them every year a whole lot of thought.

[smokey the elder]

A lot of vets in my area have 2 or 3 year distemper shots. Maybe this would be better for Sky. You could also have him titrated for distemper antibodies, to find out if he even needs a shot.

[moosmom]

My cats are strictly indoors (except for MooShoo who goes for rides in the car with me or for walks in the park). I only get them vaccinated every 3 years. I don't believe in over vaccinating.

[jazzcat]

I was just discussing this with my vet last week when I took Scout in because she gets so sore and sick after vaccinations. She told me that even though they still recommend the FVRCP shot every year many new studies show that one shot will last for up to three years. She said she isn't telling me to only vaccinate them every three years (because yearly is what is still recommended) but that it was information for me to consider. Then she said she has 4 indoor only cats and she only gives them that shot every other year and will probably go to every three years now. You can bet that is what I'm going to start doing. I love this vet and she is the "cat" expert around here.

She did add that if her cats went outside or if they were exposed to other cats she would probably stick to the yearly vaccination.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks everyone. I don't believe in over vaccinating animals either. I called my vets this morning and found out that they use the Phizer (sp) brand for both the rabies and FVRCP and it contains the live virus too. I may skip Sky's shot next year and see how he does. I will still have him checked out though because I also believe that annual check ups are still needed. I may also start only having my cats vaccincated every 3 years.

[kitten645]

You might consider that no matter how good the vet may be, they DO make their living selling medications and vacinations. My two boys are indoor only and last time I took them for their shots, they were lethargic and didn't look too good for a while. Calvin had a bad reaction and it was clear his paws were itching him. He literally ran around the house shaking all four paws for hours. I called the vet and he told me to wait a while and see if it passed. When he started panting I took him back. They kept him overnight and medicated him again to stop the reaction. It broke my heart not to mention cost me a bundle! So I'm seriously considering skipping the shots this year. Something to think about.

[K & L]

I believe in vaccines. Since we deal with ferals I've seen the difference in the ones that have received them vs. the ones that haven't. The vaccines seem to help them survive much better. If they're strictly indoors than that's a different issue. My only argument there is, ours are indoors with the access of some outdoor life in the cat run. This gives them the chance that other outside cats could bring something to them, so we vaccinate. If yours are exposed to open doors/windows and other cats come along, than I would vaccinate. This is just my opinion for whatever that's worth. It's like vaccinating children against diseases. I feel, especially in the early years, they're necessary.