Some owners mistakenly think that it is not necessary to vaccinate domestic cats. After all, a domestic animal does not interact with its relatives, does not walk outside, and has no other opportunities to catch an infectious disease. Indeed, compared to its fellows leading a free lifestyle, a domestic cat is less susceptible to the risk of infection. At the same time, the environment in the house is far from sterile and a cat can easily become infected by contact with shoes or other items of clothing of its owners who have been outside. But if the animal is already accustomed to independent walks, takes part in exhibitions, or is taken to the country in the summer, then disputes about the need for vaccination generally lose their meaning.
Vaccinations For Cats is an effective and inexpensive method of prevention against the most common and dangerous diseases. In time, vaccinations allow not only for the preservation of life and health for your pet but also to save on expensive treatment in case of infection.
What danger do infectious diseases pose?
All vaccinations are divided into mandatory and recommended. Vaccinations against the following diseases are mandatory:
- Panleukopenia (cat distemper). A dangerous, difficult-to-treat, viral disease that affects the digestive organs, respiratory organs, and heart, and causes general dehydration. If veterinary care is not provided promptly, death occurs in 90% of cases. The disease is especially dangerous for kittens and elderly animals.
- Rhinotracheitis. The cause of the disease is the feline herpes virus (FHV-1). The illness is accompanied by fever, runny nose, tracheitis (damage to the upper respiratory tract), and conjunctivitis. This disease is not easy to diagnose; it becomes chronic often, and the herpes virus stays in the body of the cat even after being treated. The probability of a fatal outcome is from 5% to 20%.
- Calicivirus. One of the most common dangerous viral diseases. Infection occurs through direct contact with a sick animal, from mother to kittens, during a walk when sniffing the secretions of other animals, by air, and through shoes or human clothing. The main symptoms of the disease are an increase in temperature to 40°C and above, the appearance of ulcers on the oral mucosa, conjunctivitis, profuse salivation, coughing and sneezing, bad breath, and pneumonia. The disease is not dangerous for humans, but in cats, it leads to the death of the animal in 30% of cases.
- Rabies. A deadly infection that causes damage to the brain (meningoencephalitis) and spinal cord. Not only dangerous for animals but also for humans.
- Owners who are serious about their pet’s health also vaccinate against the following diseases:
- Feline chlamydia is an intracellular parasite disease caused by chlamydia. It can affect the conjunctival mucous membrane, respiratory and digestive organs, and genitourinary system; it poses a low risk for human infection.
What vaccinations are given to cats and when
Newborn kittens gain immunity due to the factors present in colostrum, and this is only for 16 weeks. The first vaccination should be done on a kitten when it is between 8-10 weeks. At this age, the baby is vaccinated for calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and panleukopenia. Vaccination against rabies is performed at an age of at least 12 weeks and, in most cases, is carried out at the same time as revaccination, which is done 3-4 weeks after the first vaccination. In most cases, the same drug brand should be used as that applied during the first inoculation.
Newborn kittens gain immunity due to the factors present in colostrum, and this is only for 16 weeks. The first vaccination should be done on a kitten when it is between 8-10 weeks. At this age, the baby is vaccinated for calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and panleukopenia. Vaccination against rabies is performed at an age of at least 12 weeks and, in most cases, is carried out at the same time as revaccination, which is done 3-4 weeks after the first vaccination. In most cases, the same drug brand should be used as that applied during the first inoculation.
Annual vaccination of a cat
The above-mentioned diseases can affect adult cats, just as kittens. The vaccines provided will provide stable immunity for a year. So revaccination should be performed not later than 12 months from the last revaccination during its entire life.
Basic rules of vaccination
To get the fullest effect from the vaccination and provide the most comprehensive protection for the animal owners should follow several recommendations:
- Deworming and parasite control by removal of fleas and ticks must be conducted 10-12 days before vaccination. Otherwise, the weakened animal’s body might not produce adequate antibodies to provide immunity.
- Follow the vaccination schedule. The veterinarian’s note about the vaccination date is placed in the veterinary passport, and a label of the vaccine used is pasted in for every vaccination.
- In case of detection of any health problems (signs of a cold, lethargy, lack of appetite, upset stomach, fever in a cat, inflammation of the mucous membranes, and others), vaccination is postponed until the animal recovers and can only be performed after examination by a veterinarian. Weakened and exhausted animals are also not subject to vaccination.
- The vaccine is performed no later than three weeks before the operation in case of planned surgical intervention and no earlier than three weeks after.
- You must have passed at least two weeks since your last antibiotic treatment.
- It is not recommended to vaccinate kittens younger than 8 weeks and during teething, that is, from 4 to 7 months of age.
- Vaccination is strictly prohibited during pregnancy and lactation periods for cats.
- Only high-quality vaccines should be used, paying attention to the date of manufacture and storage conditions (live and killed vaccines should be stored at a temperature of 4-8°C).
- Owners have to carefully control changes in animal behavior after having been vaccinated. In case of allergic reactions, or lethargy, for several days of refusal to drink you are to contact the veterinarian. At the same time, it must be taken into account that some decrease in the activity of the cat within a few days is quite natural.
- During the procedures, the cat must be calm. The owner can take the animal in his arms, and calm it down with stroking and voice. It is also permissible to carry out the procedure in a home environment familiar to the cat.
- After vaccination, the owners should provide the cat with sufficient water and high-calorie but easily digestible food and create a comfortable microclimate in the room (protecting the cat from drafts and preventing hypothermia).
You should not save money and vaccinate your cat yourself. Entrusting the choice of vaccine and procedures to a professional is also highly advisable in order for the veterinarian to be totally responsible for the quality of the drug and compliance with the storage conditions. Moreover, most of modern veterinary clinics offer the service of visiting a house by a veterinarian who saves time for owners themselves, not making the animal nervous during transport.
Pay special attention to whether there is an official veterinary authority’s certificate and whether the instructions include a Russian translation when choosing a vaccine. The following drugs have proven themselves well: NobivacTRICAT and NobivacRabies (Netherlands), Quadricat (France), as well as the domestically produced vaccine “Multifel-4”.
Complications
If all recommendations are followed and quality drugs are used, side effects after vaccination are observed in no more than 0.5%-1% of animals. The most common complications include:
- An allergic reaction to the components of a specific drug. Allergy symptoms (salivation, suffocation, involuntary defecation, inadequate behavioral reactions, etc.) occur within a few minutes after inoculation, so it is sensible to observe the pet’s condition for 15-20 minutes and leave the clinic not immediately after vaccination. If an allergy is diagnosed, the veterinarian will prescribe an adequate antihistamine.
- Vaccination of an already infected animal (incubator) during the period when external symptoms of the disease have not yet had time to appear. Such cases are extremely rare but can lead to complications of the disease and even death of the pet. To prevent infection, you should enter a two-week quarantine before being vaccinated and request the veterinarian to carry out a full examination on the pet.
- The appearance of a lump or redness at the injection site. This reaction of the body is completely normal and should not cause concern for the owners. In a few days, the redness, compaction, or lump will disappear without a trace.
Serious complications occur extremely rarely, and the risk of their occurrence cannot be compared with the risk to the animal’s health in case of refusal to vaccinate.
