Feline Preventive Medicine
Vaccinations
Cats generally receive a series of 3 Panleukopenia-Respiratory virus combination vaccines as kittens and then boosters at regular intervals afterwards. Whether or not the cat goes outside changes what vaccines are recommended.
We offer the intra-nasal FVRCP vaccine, given at the same intervals.
Rabies vaccines are required by law but no tag is required in Montgomery County. The first rabies vaccine is good for one year. Follow-up boosters are good for three years.
Leukemia vaccines are strongly recommended for any cat going outside. Other vaccines are available for specific disease situations but are not routinely administered.
Vaccine Intervals
According to vaccine manufacturers, all vaccines except rabies are to be boosted on a yearly basis. Recent independent research has demonstrated that the actual duration of immunity is significantly longer than 1 year. Because of this, we are recognizing that the FVRCP vaccine is good for 3 years after the first yearly booster. Feline leukemia is still recognized as a yearly vaccine.
Vaccine Associated Sarcomas
There is a very low but measurable occurrence of fibrosarcoma cancerous tumors in the locations associated with vaccine administration in cats. Clear links to specific vaccine agents, combinations or manufacturers have not been established. The current recommendations at our clinic is to limit the frequency of injected vaccines as an attempt to limit the chance of these tumors as much as possible.
The chance of significant disease without vaccination far outweighs the chance of getting a vaccine associated tumor. All cats should be checked regularly by their owners around the shoulders, the right arm between shoulder and elbow and on the backs of the rear legs for swellings. Vaccines can cause local swelling for up to 4-6 weeks following a vaccination; if they last longer they should be evaluated for removal. These local swellings are usually small, lima bean sized smooth lumps under the skin. If they are larger, lumpy-bumpy or persistent, they need to be checked.
Heartworms
Cats can act as an aberrant host for heartworms. This means they can harbor the adult worms but not allow the worm's lifecycle to be completed. Most of the time that cats are exposed to mosquitoes containing heartworm larvae, they are able to eliminate the larva and avoid infection. We have not diagnosed a case of feline heartworms in this area and so currently do not recommend cats be placed on prevention. Cats traveling to much higher risk areas may benefit from being on prevention.
Flea and Tick Control
Tick problems for cats begin in the Spring. Fleas can start as early as March, and last into November-December (or year-round, inside the home!), peaking in September and October. There are multiple topical treatments available through our clinic that are highly effective and safe for cats and kittens. We have seen multiple cases of overdosage and toxicity associated with topical treatments purchased in retail stores and do not recommend their use in cats.
Especially in the summer months, fleas and ticks can become a big problem. Applying a topical or oral prevention every month throughout the entire season is important to keep these parasites from causing an infestation. The adult flea represents only 5% of the flea population. Female fleas can lay from 20 to 50 eggs a day and up to 2000 eggs during their lifetime, which can immediately fall off the animal and lie dormant, ready to hatch - around your house.
Suggested Schedule for Feline Care and Vaccination
9 Weeks Old
Physical exam
-
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis-Calicivirus-Panleukopenia-Chlamydia
Feline Leukemia/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus screening
First Leukemia vaccine if at risk
First deworming
12 Weeks Old
Physical exam
-
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis-Calicivirus-Panleukopenia-Chlamydia
Second Leukemia vaccine
Second deworming
16 Weeks Old
Physical exam
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis-Calicivirus-Panleukopenia-Chlamydia
Rabies vaccine (1 year duration)
6 Months Old
Physical exam
Spay or neuter
Microchipping (Home Again System)
First Annual Visit
Physical exam
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis-Calicivirus-Panleukopenia-Chlamydia (3 year duration)
Leukemia vaccine if applicable (1 year duration)
Rabies vaccine (3 year duration)
Please ask one of our vets to discuss the pros and cons of declawing your cat. And, check with the vet about Soft Paws as an alternative to declawing.
Buying Medication Online
Attention to owners who buy medication online: many online pharmacies are safe and can be convenient, but we at Companion Animal Clinic do not work directly with 1-800-PetMeds. We are willing to work with you by giving written prescriptions to those who would like to buy through Petmeds, but we do not reccommend this pharmacy.
The reasons are:
PetMeds has a number of lawsuits pending
Medications are often used where concentrations of active ingredients are not the same as in the USA, and are not FDA approved for use in the US
PetMeds will attempt to fill prescriptions that have no doctor authorization or have never before been prescribed (by us) to the patient.