Cat Vaccinations
Protecting Your Cat from disease
It is essential to ensure your cat is sufficiently vaccinated to safeguard not only your cat but the domesticated pet population in general. Vaccinations assist in not only controlling but also preventing diseases. For continued resistance it is recommended that a cat should get a vaccination every year.
Kitten Vaccinations
Kittens receive essential antibodies via their mothers’ milk which gives them a temporary resistance against quite a few diseases. During their first few months the effectiveness of these antibodies will reduce and at this point vaccinations become important. The vaccines can be neutralized while the antibodies received via their mother’s milk are still present which is why there is a regime of vaccinations for kittens to ensure effectiveness.
A Cat Vaccination Guide
It is recommended that the 1st vaccination is given at 6-8 weeks of age. The 2nd and 3rd vaccines should be given at 1-month intervals after the initial vaccination. Vaccinations protect against the following diseases:
- Rhinotracheitis
- Calicivirus
- Feline Panleukopenia
- Leukemia Virus
- Chlamydia
If you are unsure as to what vaccination regime is needed for your cat or kitten, please call us on 4639 1733 and we can help schedule your pet’s vaccinations.
Post Vaccination Care
You may notice a difference in your cat’s behavior and it may have some tenderness or swelling at the injection site for a day or two. To help your cat recover quicker ensure they have easy access to food and water, and make sure they have a comfortable resting area. If the behavioural or physical changes seem to be severe please don’t hesitate to contact us on 4639 1733.
The diseases that cats are vaccinated against include:
Feline Panleukopenia (Feline Enteritis): This disease is very infectious and the mortality rate is higher in cats younger than 12months. If a cat is pregnant and gets infected, the risk of miscarriage is very high and their babies may be born with abnormalities. The symptoms include uncontrollable vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, diarrhoea, extreme abdominal pain and blood present in the stool. The disease is highly infectious and areas that are contaminated will need to be cleaned with a specialized disinfectant. Cats that do recover can still carry the virus and infect other cats they may come into contact with for quite some time afterwards.
Cat Flu (Feline Respiratory Disease): In a high number of cases, cat flu is caused by the presence of Feline Herpes Virus (feline rhinotracheitis) together with the feline calicivirus. Cat flu can affect cats of any age. The disease is very contagious. Symptoms include coughing, runny nose, sneezing, tongue ulcers and a loss of appetite. Even though the mortality is low the disease causes a lot of distress and can be present for several weeks. Cats that recover can still have the virus present and continue to be infectious for a long time afterwards. This disease can reoccur if they are placed in a stressful environment or situation.
Chlamydophila (Chlamydia): Chlamydia is a harsh bacterial infection that can cause conjunctivitis as well as respiratory signs. Chlamydia can be shed for some time after recovery.
FeLV – Feline Leukemia: This virus is spread by attacking the cat’s immune system and can be identified with a loss of appetite, pale or yellow mucous membranes, diarrhoea, weight loss, reproductive problems, vomiting and tumours. Cats that have this virus will have an increased chance to contract other infections. A lot of cats can be infected but show none of the typical signs. About 33% of cats that are infected stay infected and can shed the virus in their tears, saliva, urine and nasal secretions. The disease is often passed on to cats through fighting, sneezing, mutual grooming and flea bites.
FIV – Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) becomes Feline AIDS via an infection within the immune system. FIV is mostly passed on by the saliva present in bites from cats that are infected. Some cats have no outward signs of disease, while others can show symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite and enlarged lymph nodes. When the disease gets worse the symptoms include sores in the mouth area, poor coat, weight loss, eye lesions and chronic infections. The immune system weakens to a point where it cannot fight off other infections and as a result, the cat can die from the complications of these infections.
