Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
cats who have been vaccinated from cats who are actually sick.Also, the
vaccine does not protect against all of the common strains of FIV, so its
efficacy is questionable.
If you have a cat who is at high risk for exposure to FIV, discuss the
vaccine with your veterinarian. High-risk pet cats are those who come
in contact with outdoor, free-roaming cats.
Giardia
The vaccine against giardia, a protozoan parasite, was developed for use
with dogs but has also been used with cats.The efficacy of the vaccine
in cats is unknown. Giardia is most often passed via contaminated
water, but cats can also become infected by ingesting infective cysts in
the environment during grooming. This vaccine is not recommended
routinely. However, infected cats who were vaccinated had less severe
signs of the disease and were contagious for shorter periods of time, so
vaccination could be considered as adjunct therapy for resistant infec-
tions that are not responding to drug therapy.
KITTY NEEDS SHOTS
What does all this mean? Well, your cat does need shots, and what shots
she needs should be based on a thorough risk assessment that you and
your veterinarian do together. One year after the initial vaccine series
has been completed, the cat should receive booster vaccines.Vaccination
in subsequent years should be based on the cat's risk of exposure and
individual lifestyle.
My vaccine recommendations for kittens are:
•
Feline rhinotracheitis, calici, panleukopenia (FRCP) at 8 and
12 weeks
•
Feline leukemia (FeLV) at 10 and 14 weeks
•
Rabies if required by law, or if the cat goes outside at 12 to 16
weeks
My vaccine recommendations for adult cats are:
•
FRCP annually to every three years
•
FeLV annually if the cat has a risk of exposure to outside cats
•
Rabies every three years if required by law, or if the cat goes
outside
