Cat Vaccinations.
Why do we need to vaccinate?
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Annual vaccinations are needed to protect your pet from several highly infectious and potentially fatal diseases. This visit also allows us to perform a thorough clinical examination in order to pick up any concurrent issues early.
There are many viruses and bacteria that can cause illness in our pets. However, there are some that can spread rapidly through a population, can cause lifelong problems, severe illness and can even be fatal. Thankfully, their prevalence is much lower due to the availability and uptake of vaccinations. Vaccinations prepare the immune system for potential contact with these infectious agents effectively ‘teaching’ the immune system how to fight an infection. By doing this, vaccinations significantly reduce the severity of illness and the likelihood of spread if a pet does contract the disease. The prevalence of these diseases and new emerging strains are constantly being reviewed and vaccine guidance adapted to the most recent research. Therefore, we do not have a blanket approach to vaccination advice – this is instead tailored to each pet based on their lifestyle and risk factors and we are happy to discuss this at any time. The presence of maternally derived antibodies (protective antibodies passed from the mum via the placenta and colostrum in the first few hours of birth) interfere with the ability of the animal to mount its own active response to a vaccine. It is for this reason we have to time vaccinations to coincide with a reduction in these initial antibodies.
What do we vaccinate against?
Feline Herpesvirus (FHV)
Feline calicivirus (FCV)
Feline Panleukopenia (FPV)
The virus mainly causes acute upper respiratory infections in cats (cat flu). It is transmitted easily via direct contact (including inhalation of sneeze droplets) with saliva, ocular or nasal discharge. Typical signs include sneezing, nasal discharge, lethargy, anorexia, fever, salivation and ocular discharge. Symptoms generally last for 2-4 weeks however after infection most cats remain latently infected (the virus hides within nerves) and become lifelong carriers of the virus. They can also have chronic eye problems due to the initial infection. For many cats this is not a problem but in some they have flares of clinical signs and will shed the virus again, usually this is triggered by stress or illness.
This is a highly contagious virus that is also one of the major causes of ‘cat flu’. It is transmitted via direct contact (including inhalation of sneeze droplets) with saliva, ocular or nasal discharge. Typical signs include sneezing, fever, lethargy, depression, ulcers of the tongue, salivation, conjunctivitis and lameness. It has also been linked to chronic inflammation of the oral tissues (gingivitis and stomatitis). Symptoms typically last for 1-2 weeks although the severity varies and in young kittens can cause pneumonia and subsequent death. Many cats clear the infection completely but some become lifelong carriers where they shed the virus continuously.
Also known as Feline Parvovirus, this is an aggressive virus which attacks the guts, immune system and sometimes the heart. Symptoms vary depending on when infection occurs. These can range from vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, lethargy, anorexia to destruction of their immune system and sometimes death. Kittens infected before birth can be born with significant brain damage (wobbly kitten syndrome). The disease is spread via contact with infected faeces (either directly or indirectly) and there is no specific treatment other than supportive care whilst the body tries to fight the infection.
Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)
This is an incurable viral infection which is mostly transmitted via saliva (biting, grooming, sharing food bowls etc). It can also be passed to kittens from the mum. Once infected, the virus attacks the immune system resulting in immunosuppression, anaemia and significantly increases the risk of certain cancers. The damage to the immune system makes cats more prone to persistent or recurrent infections. Clinical signs can include weight loss, fever, lethargy, chronic diarrhoea, weakness and pale gums.
Rabies
Although not present in the UK (yet), rabies is a deadly virus that can infect animals and humans via saliva. It attacks the brain and nerves, causing severe distressing symptoms and eventually death. There is no treatment and euthanasia is essential to ease suffering and prevent further transmission. As other countries are not free of Rabies it is essential, they are vaccinated against rabies before travelling to other countries in order to prevent it becoming endemic in the UK. This is usually a single injection every 3 years but some countries have different requirements so it is essential to check before travel. We have further information available regarding pet travel on the website.
How often do we need to vaccinate?
For the majority of cats, the licensed regime of two vaccine doses is given 3-4 weeks apart, usually at 9 & 12 weeks of age. However, some cats seem to have a slower reduction in natural antibodies and the revised WSAVA guidelines (based on global risk) recommend a 3rd vaccination at 16 weeks of age as a ‘belts and braces’ approach. The first booster vaccination is generally given at 1 year of age but can be given from 6 months of age if there are concerns over their immunity or risk. The first booster vaccination is given at 1 year then every 1-3 years thereafter with the frequency based on their individual risk and lifestyle.
How do I know that vaccines are safe?
In the UK, all veterinary medicines (including vaccines) have to meet rigorous safety, efficacy and quality standards which are regulated by a government agency known as the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). Serious adverse reactions to vaccines still remain extremely rare and the benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh this small risk.
Are there alternatives to vaccination?
A vaccine titre test is a blood test that assesses whether there are enough antibodies in an animal to protect against certain diseases. However, there are limitations with this. For cats, titre testing is only available for Herpesvirus, Calicivirus & Panleukopenia. There is no titre test for Feline Leukaemia. These tests are advised annually and can be significantly more expensive than vaccinating. We follow the WSAVA guidelines on vaccination frequency to avoid unnecessary ‘over-vaccinating’. Given the safety profile and very rare adverse reactions with UK vaccinations we do still recommend vaccinating our patients however there are occasions where titre testing is appropriate and we are more than happy to discuss this with you if you have any further queries.