Feline Vaccines

Panleukopenia

(Feline Distemper and Infectious Feline Enteritis) Panleukopenia is a deadly, contagious disease similar to parvovirus in dogs. It is characterized by loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Panleukopenia can remain in the environment for up to one year and has a 90% mortality rate among kittens.

Kitten Vaccine Schedule (Indoor / Outdoor)

8 weeks old: FVRCP (Doctor appointment, Bring fecal sample and copy of any records) 12 weeks old: FVRCP and FeLV (Tech appointment) 16 weeks old: FVRCP, FeLV, and Rabies (Doctor appointment) 1 year after receiving the 16 week FVRCP, rabies, and FeLV vaccines, they will be due again. The owner can choose between a one year and a three year rabies vaccine. The FVRCP vaccine will be a three year booster. The FeLV vaccine will need to be updated annually.

Kitten Vaccine Schedule (Indoor Only)

8 weeks old: FVRCP - (Doctor appointment, Bring fecal sample and copy of any records) 12 weeks old: FVRCP (Tech appointment) 16 weeks old: FVRCP & Rabies (Case by case basis) (Doctor appointment) 1 year after receiving the 16 week FVRCP vaccine, the FVRCP vaccine will be due again. At that point it will be a 3 year booster instead of a yearly vaccine. If the rabies vaccine was given at 16 weeks, it will also be due one year later. At that point the owner can choose between a one year and a three year rabies vaccine.

FELV

Feline Leukemia virus (FeLV) is a disease that depresses a cat's immune system and interferes with a cat's ability to fight off other infectious diseases. FeLV is excreted in saliva and tears (and possibly in urine and feces). The virus can spread through shared litter boxes and water bowls, or from a cat fight or other outside environmental interactions. Fortunately, a number of cats exposed to the virus develop an immunity and can live a normal life. It's thought that in some cats the FeLV virus surfaces when they are stressed or when their immune system is suppressed. Clinical signs to watch for: weight loss, decreased appetite, diarrhea or constipation, bloody stool, jaundice (yellowing in color), anemia, lethargy, increased thirst, and respiratory distress. Once a cat becomes infected, they can live for several weeks to months depending on how advanced the disease has progressed. FeLV is not carried by dogs nor can it be transmitted to humans. If you have acquired a new cat with no known vaccine history, it is recommended to test for FeLV. Speak to your veterinarian about testing your cat. A simple blood test is performed that detects the presence of the protein component of the virus in the blood. A negative FeLV test does not indicate immunity to FeLV. At this time there is no cure for FeLV . Some chemo therapy drugs have been seen to produce a temporary remission of the disease. Especially for outdoor cats, FeLV vaccine is a safe, effective preventative that we highly recommend. The vaccine can be given as early as 8 weeks of age and should be boostered 3-4 weeks later. The vaccine lasts for one year and should be updated annually. Some cats experience vaccine side effects (mild flu - like symptoms) a few days after the administration of the vaccine.

FVRCP

Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis Calicivirus Panleukopenia (FVRCP) is a three-in-one effective, safe vaccine against common contagious diseases in cats. The FVRCP vaccine should be given to all kittens at 8 weeks of age then repeated every four weeks until they are 16 weeks of age. FVRCP needs to be repeated at one year of age and then boostered every three years. Kittens should have minimal contact with other cats until two weeks after they have received the last of the series of this vaccine.

What is FIV?

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus that affects 2.5% of cats in the USA. The disease attacks the immune system (similar to HIV). It leads to the debilitation of the immune system and decline in CD4+cells. FIV is transmitted via mucosal surfaces (mouth, rectum, and vagina) and is easily spread by saliva through cat bites, shared water bowls, or grooming. Infected cats can lead a relatively normal life but are often euthanized. The chance of a FIV+ cat spreading the disease to another cat in the household is less than 2%. Isolation and restriction to the indoors is the only sure way of preventing the spread of the disease. The disease occurs in three stages. It starts in an acute stage (one to two months after transmission), which leads to fever, depression, and lymphadenopathy. After four weeks the cat has entered the second stage. During this time symptoms can disappear or decrease. The length of time at this stage can vary. All cats, despite being in stage two, are not cured and still carry the virus for life. The third stage occurs when a cat succumbs to chronic infections due to a suppressed immune system. It is not curable but is not transmittable to humans. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent FIV.

Rabies

Rabies is a virus that is widespread in the US. It is spread through saliva, most commonly through bite wounds. Skunks, coyotes, bats, raccoons and foxes are most likely to transmit the virus. The virus can take two to six weeks from the time of exposure to manifest in the brain. At first, affected cats show signs of anxiety and apprehension. Next they enter the furious stage where they show signs of restlessness, irritability, and become hypersensitive to audio and visual stimuli (cats are especially prone to developing this phase). During this stage cats may roam or become vicious. Next the paralytic stage develops in which labored breathing and paralyzed facial muscles are noted. The animal gets weaker and will eventually die. There is no cure or effective treatment for rabies. Humans can contract rabies from a bite wound. Rabies is also fatal in humans. Only some communities require the feline rabies vaccine. The feline rabies vaccine is given at 16 weeks of age to kittens, then repeated after one year. At that point the owner can choose between the one year and three year feline rabies vaccines. If your cat ventures outdoor, the rabies vaccine is the most effective way of preventing rabies and maintaining the low rate of exposure within the US.

Rhinotracheitis

Rhinotrachetis is caused from a herpes virus that can cause severe reactions in kittens and elderly cats. The virus is airborne and is highly contagious. Symptoms include lethargy, coughing, sneezing, nasal and eye discharge, fever, inappetence, and weight loss. This disease can be debilitating. Most cats require hospitalization, antibiotics, and supportive care. Infected cats can suffer permanent respiratory problems and eye damage.

Feline vaccines: location given

Unless otherwise noted by a doctor, FVRCP is given subcutaneous and low on the right front limb, FelV is given subcutaneous low in left rear limb and rabies subcutaneous low in right rear limb.

Calicivirus

Various strains of this virus can result in minimal reactions to a life threatening condition. Most cases present with nasal or eye discharge, loss of appetite, fever, and lethargy. Some cats can recover within ten days from mild strains, while others (such as older cats and kittens) can succumb to the disease. The disease is transmitted through direct contact, or through shared bowls or personal items. An infected cat can spread the virus for up to one year into the environment.

Vaccines we DO NOT recomment

We DO NOT recommend FIP, FIV, Giardia, or Ringworm vaccines