Keeping your cat up to date on vaccines is a critical step to preventing disease. There are many different vaccines available to you for your four-legged family member. It is important to consider your cat’s risk of exposure when choosing the right vaccines.
Does my indoor cat need to be vaccinated?
While indoor cats definitely do tend to have a lower risk of contagious disease, there are many preventable diseases that can be passed to your pet when they become airborne and even on our shoes and clothing. If you have another animal in the house that goes outside, that also puts your indoor pets at risk for a disease.
What is FVRCP and core vaccine for cats?
FVRCP: This is the general core vaccine for cats. This includes:
FELINE VIRAL RHINOTRACHEITIS: Viral infection of the upper respiratory tract that causes sneezing and nasal discharge.
CALICIVIRUS: Another contagious respiratory infection causing fever, mouth ulcers and pneumonia.
PANLEUKOPENIA: Contagious disease causing a white blood cell deficiency. Common symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.
RABIES: A fatal disease that attacks the brain and nervous system, is transmitted through saliva and can affect humans as well. Required by law in Riverview for outdoor cats.
FELINE LEUKEMIA: A viral disease that breaks down the immune system and eventually, results in death.
How often does my adult cat need vaccination?
Cats should be vaccinated annually.
Are there any risk associated with vaccines?
As with most things, there is always the risk of the pet having an adverse reaction to a vaccine, however, it is not very common. Rarely, cats can sometimes develop a vaccine-associated tumour. This is most commonly seen with the feline leukemia vaccine but is only seen in approx. 1 out of every 5,000-10,000 cats vaccinated. If you would like to further discuss the risks of vaccines, please contact us to book an appointment to discuss with a veterinarian.
