Do cats need to be vaccinated?
Many owners believe that domestic cats do not need to go out and are not exposed to the virus, so they do not need injections.
However, the fact is that whether it is the owner going home, or the cat food, cat toys and other pet supplies we bought,
or taking the cat to the pet store for a bath, it is possible to bring it back The virus causes the cat to be infected, so the first shot of the cat’s immunization cannot be saved.
Common cat vaccines
cats Core vaccines
Cat core vaccines mainly refer to the vaccines that cats have a very wide range of infections and must be vaccinated.
Feline Distemper
Feline Panleukopenia Virus FPV/ Feline Distemper Diarrhea, feline infectious enteritis, is an acute high-contact infectious disease of cats.
Clinical manifestations are mostly characterized by sudden high fever, intractable vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, circulatory disturbance and sharp decrease in white blood cells.
Feline Calicivirus
Feline Calicivirus , FCV) infection is a feline viral respiratory infectious disease, which mainly manifests as upper respiratory tract symptoms, namely depression, serous and mucous rhinorrhea, conjunctivitis, stomatitis, bronchitis, bronchitis, With biphasic fever.
Feline calicivirus infection is a frequently-occurring disease in cats, with high morbidity and low mortality.
Feline nasal branch
Feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) is a feline infection of the nasal branch (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis), other caliciviruses, mycoplasma, mycoplasma, bacterial infections, etc.
At least 80% of cats in the world are due to nasal branch caused by herpes virus, and this virus is highly contagious,
Clinically upper respiratory tract infection, keratitis, conjunctiva Inflammation is characterized, but mainly upper respiratory tract infections are predominant.
The cat triple should be injected in the right forelimb as recommended by the American Association of Feline Physicians (AAFP).
Non-core vaccines
Cat non-core vaccines mainly refer to, not necessarily To be vaccinated.
Before vaccination, factors such as background, physical condition and living environment of cats need to be considered, and the vaccination is aimed at groups with high risk of specific diseases.
Vaccination has both advantages and disadvantages, which need to be considered comprehensively.
feline leukemia
feline leukemia virus infection is caused by infection (Feline leukemia, FeLV). . About 70% of cats develop symptoms of anemia.
As initial symptoms, symptoms such as anemia, white gums, fever, and swollen lymph nodes in the whole body can be seen with the naked eye.
With anemia, symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, stomatitis, dermatitis, rhinitis, and diarrhea are prone to occur.
Because the vaccination can only be done if the felv is negative, it is necessary to test for the virus before vaccination.
It is recommended that non-core vaccines such as leukemia vaccine should be injected in the left forelimb according to the recommendations of the American Association of Feline Physicians (AAFP).
feline AIDS
feline acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (FAID), also known as feline acquired immunity Deficiency syndrome is a chronic contagious infection of cats caused by feline immunodeficiency virus.
It is characterized by immunodeficiency, secondary infection, nervous system disorder and malignant tumor.
There are still doubts about whether the vaccine has protection against all FIV viruses, so most veterinary hospitals do not have this vaccine now, and it is not recommended for indoor cats to be vaccinated with this vaccine under normal conditions.
feline infectious peritonitis
feline Infectious peritonitis (Feline Infectious Peritonitis, FIP) is an immune-mediated disease caused by feline coronavirus (FCoV). FIP is currently one of the most fatal diseases in cats.
Chlamydia feline
Feline Chlamydial Pneumonitis (FCP) is caused by A bacterium caused by Chlamydia psittaci, which also infects birds and humans.
Chlamydia psittaci thrives in cells in the respiratory tract, causing irritation and mild symptoms of chlamydia in cats. It can also breed in the gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts, but usually causes no symptoms.
The first symptom of disease caused by the virus is usually eye problems.
However, the duration of vaccine immunity is very short, the vaccine can only provide incomplete protection and 3% of cats caused adverse reactions after vaccination, so it is not recommended for cats with low exposure risk to be vaccinated.
feline pertussis
feline pertussis is caused by infection with Bordetella bornchiseptica disease caused.
The most common symptoms are sneezing, eye discharge (yellow-green), nasal discharge (yellow-green), cough (less common),
less common The clinical symptoms include increased pulmonary breath sounds, lymphadenopathy, fever, pneumonia, dyspnea, cyanosis, etc.
Cat rabies
Rabies (RABIES) is a disease that affects breastfeeding A fatal disease of the animal nervous system.
During the later stages of the disease, the virus moves from the brain to the salivary glands and saliva, where it is transmitted through bites or contact with the mucous membranes (nose, mouth, and eyes).
Once symptoms develop, it can be fatal. The owner can decide whether to vaccinate according to the cat’s living environment and exposure risk.
The rabies vaccine should be administered to the right hind limb of cats according to the recommendations of the American Association of Feline Physicians (AAFP).
Injection site indication
In order to ensure that the sarcoma can be removed in time, so It is recommended to inject the vaccine subcutaneously, the cat triple injection is in the right front elbow, and the felv vaccine is injected in the left front leg.
The rabies vaccine was injected in the right hind leg. All vaccines are best injected in the legs, the location is not fixed, try to spread the injection, avoid injection in the back of the neck, chest and buttocks.
What is the process for vaccination?
First immunization
The first immunization is a total of 2 injections, with an interval of about 1 month.
Usually 2 weeks after weaning. According to the time when the kitten leaves the cat mother, if the kitten leaves the cat mother earlier, for example, at the age of 2 months, you can choose the first injection at about 2 and a half months.
If the kitten leaves the cat mother late or has been living together, you can choose to be vaccinated after about 3 months, pay attention to the vaccination, the kitten and the cat mother are separated.
, to avoid the kitten’s milk to cause immune failure.
3 weeks to 1 month after the first dose, a second dose is given to ensure the activation of the immune system.
The next year booster immunization
The time of the first vaccination shall prevail, at the interval A booster immunization is given again in about 1 year.
Subsequent immunization (optional)
Vaccine expiration date
Vaccine long-term Effective, experimental data show that after the cat completes the first triple vaccine, the antibodies produced in the body are sufficient to resist feline distemper within 8 years, calicivirus within 4 years, and herpes virus within 3 years.
Inoculation interval
Irresponsible practice
Irrespective of the actual situation of cats, it can not only shirk responsibility, but also increase vaccine sales.
Recommended practice
As recommended by the American Feline Medical Association AAFP: one injection every three years.
Radical approach:
Strengthen one-needle cat triples every 7 years,
The most radical approach (experts):
Only the first immunization and the next year’s immunization, and no subsequent vaccinations.
Dr. Ron Hines, an veterinary medical expert and a doctor of microbiology, analyzed from a professional point of view that cats do not need to be vaccinated with the same type of vaccine after the first immunization and the following year’s immunization.
Is it really necessary to refill if the detection antibody value is not up to standard?
Antibody test is not necessary, and the antibody test value cannot be used as a basis for judgment.
If the presence of antibodies is not detected in the cat’s body in a certain year or the antibody value is “substandard”, there is no need to re-vaccinate.
Because the tolerance of each organism is different. For example, some people do not get drunk in a thousand cups, and some people pour half a cup.
The same is true for cats. The level of antibodies that are harmless to some cats may cause discomfort or even illness in other cats.
So what about cats who have been vaccinated and have no antibodies detected after a period of time?
Dr. Ron Hines of Cornell University pointed out that even if the number of antibodies decreases or is low and does not reach the horizontal titer,
immunity still has memory, and the immune protection mechanism remains the same. In operation, a titer-free test cannot be used to determine whether a booster immunization is actually needed.
What issues need to be paid attention to in vaccination
Not weaned Cats cannot be vaccinated
Cats are generally weaned from 2-3 months, and some kittens living with their mother cats can breastfeed for more than 3 months.
a. Avoid too young, the kitten is at least 2 months old, and it is safer to be in 3 months;
b. Avoid feeding the kitten during the vaccination period , to avoid maternal milk immune neutralization vaccine, resulting in immune failure.
No bathing, deworming, or changing home within one week of vaccination
bathing, deworming, changing The new home may cause the cat to feel uncomfortable. Vaccination during this period will easily aggravate the reaction and cause more serious consequences.
Sick or unwell cats cannot be vaccinated
Confirm that the cat is healthy and has no discomfort, Including whether you have a cold, runny nose, fever, vomiting, diarrhea or appetite, lack of energy, etc.
If you have parasites, you should not rush to vaccinate.
Over-immunization is harmful to cats
Inflammation, redness at injection site
Vaccinated cats may experience pain, swelling, itching or inflammation at the injection site.
Causes loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy, fever, etc.
Vaccination the first three days after that. Symptoms such as loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy, and fever may occur.
It usually takes 2-3 days to return to normal. The risk of adverse reactions increased with the number of concurrent vaccines.
Causes allergic reactions
Allergic reactions are distinct from adverse reactions and usually manifest as vomiting and diarrhea after vaccination , respiratory distress, generalized itching, collapse, etc.
causing fibrosarcoma VAS at the injection site
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Beginning in the late 1980s, veterinarians discovered a strange tumor in very young cats.
Pathologists examined these tumors and found that most tumors were composed of fibroblasts. Malignant mutations, and vaccines containing aluminum adjuvants may be part of the problem.
When cats develop vaccination-related fibrosarcoma, owners may notice small bumps of about 1-2 cm when petting or grooming the cat.
Usually a veterinarian can easily remove a tumor of this size surgically.
The problem with this particular type of tumor in cats is that it often spreads out invisible, like cancer cells, into healthy-looking skin tissue and muscle.
In order to reduce the incidence of sarcoma at the injection site, it is necessary to reduce unnecessary vaccination frequency and avoid unnecessary vaccination.
