"New" Feline Rabies Vaccine?

[maerlyn]

I've posted in another thread about fibrosarcoma. My Morganna went to the Bridge because of it; that was several years ago. She came to me at my mountain cabin - still wearing stitches from having been spayed! No owner coult be found. I took her to the local vet and asked him to check for a scar to see if she'd been spayed. (All her fur was full.) That's when he found the stitches. I had no choice but to have her fully vaccinated - including the 3-year rabies shot.

At some point after that, she developed fibrosarcoma. My regular vet, who's been in practice a long time and keeps current on info, told me at the time that there were two suspect vaccines: the FeLV and the 3-year rabies. Some months later, he told me that it was almost certainly the 3-year rabies shot that was responsible because of the adjuvant in it. He told me the only vaccine that should be used on cats is the Purevax, made by Merial. When I was making an appointment for Morganna with the vet near the cabin (wanted to stay on their client list), I told the woman on the phone that I would accept ONLY Purevax. She went & got a vet tech, who told me that "It's all the same; it all comes from the same bottle. The length of time is just whatever State law requires." I explained that that was not true; that Purevax is FDA approved for one-year use ONLY. She got a bit snotty at that point, informing me, "Well, I've been a vet tech for 10 years, and I've never heard of what you're saying." I got snotty back: "Well, the friend who told me this has been a *practicing veterinary* for almost 40 years!" She said she'd go talk to the vet, came back, and said the doctor knew what I was saying. Whew! The point is: ONLY the Purevax should be given to cats, a gospel I've tried in the ensuing years to preach. Cost be damned; a few dollars is far less important that your furchild's health. And if you have to treat fibrosarcoma, I guarantee that you will spend much, much more - and maybe lose in the end anyway.

Use the Purevax!

(Just to illustrate - of the 5 cats in my signature, Smokey got the 3-year shot in 2007 only because he was feral and I never expected to be able to trap him again. This time - although a vet visit is traumatic for both of us - he got the Purevax. My dear vet, who had to struggle with him, still used the Purevax because he feels it to be safer.)

[Freedom]

My state has FINALLY changed the law, and recognizes the rabies vaccine for 3 years, so I have gone back to that, and left the Purevax.

There was a spate of fibrosarcoma cases back in the '90's and none since. My vet thinks there must have been a bad batch of the vaccine. This was never an issue in other countries, only here in the USA.

So all mine are now on the regular vaccine, and it is good for 3 years.

[Cataholic]

I don't do many vacines for my strictly indoor cats because of the fibrosarcoma issue. I haven't had a rabies vac for years, unless its connected to an altering.

[kuhio98]

I don't do many vacines for my strictly indoor cats because of the fibrosarcoma issue. I haven't had a rabies vac for years, unless its connected to an altering.

Halo got sick after every innoculation. Pepper got very sick the last time she got her vaccines. The only one required by our state law is the rabies. Since our kitties are indoors, the vet agreed not to innoculate Pepper any more. Cammie, Willy and Willow all get their vaccines and have never gotten ill.