What Does My Cat Need????

Aren't kittens special?  Tough yet fragile.  Unfortunately, many of the kittens that come into our homes arrive from unknown backgrounds; strays, rescues, etc.  This makes it hard for us to know what type of immunity they might have gained from their mother or what exposure to disease might have occured in their prior existence.  We think it's important before we invest too much emotion and money, that cats be tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency disease.  The results of this test will determine how we are going to have to manage this cat for the rest of its' life.  As with dogs, how we proceed with vaccinations will be determined by the age of the kitten, the health of the kitten, and any vaccination history that might be available. 

We often see young kittens presented with upper respiratory infections. These infections need to be tackled before we begin vaccines as many vaccines actually will supress the immunity of the patient and can make active disease processes worse.  We also want to examine a sample of the kittens bowel movement for evidence of intestinal parasites.  These parasites may be present from the mother or contracted post birth from exposure to parasite eggs in the environment.

Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Tests are usually run when the kittens are ten weeks of age.  These tests are run in house and will give us a result in eight minutes.  The doctors prefer to have the results of these tests before intializing vaccinations.  If the intial test as a kitten is negative then we proceed with preventive care.  We recommend that a cat be retested six months from the intial test.  This will eliminate the possibility of a cat having been exposed too close to the initial test to have shown a positive status.

Feline Upper Respiratory Vaccinations are started if the kitten is healthy.  This is a combination vaccine vaccinating the kitten for Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis, Calici Virus and Chlamydia Psittaci Virus**.  These vaccinations are given twice at a four week interval, boostered in 12 months and then boostered in 3 years.  The three year duration of the upper respiratory vaccinations is a new idea and will be subject to review after the effectiveness has been proven in actual use.



Rabies is required by law in Wood County and in most other states.  We give the rabies vaccine after 16 weeks of age and are using a genetically engineered vaccine designed for cats only.  This vaccine does not have its three year approval from the FDA so is given every twelve months.  We use this vaccine because it has been shown to reduce injection site reactions in cats.  Owners often question why their cat needs this vaccine because they never go outside.  Interestingly, the last two cats I have seen, in Wood County exposed to Rabies, were 100% indoor cats who had caught a bat in the house!

Feline Leukemia Virus vaccine is given to cats to prevent the spread of this fatal virus from cat to cat.  Leukemia virus in the cat disturbs the patient's immune system and makes them more susceptible to other infections.  It is spread by aersol from cat to cat, like hissing through screens.  Again, we have a two vaccine series at a four week interval and boostered yearly.

Heartworm Testing and Prevention is a good idea in the cat.  Cats do get heartworm from mosquitos just like dogs but the disease runs a different course in the cat.  There is no good treatment for heartworm in the cat but we can prevent heartworm using Revolution, a topical medication that is used primarily as a flea treatment.

The body of a cat ages much more rapidly than our body therfore we would like to be able to examine your cat twice per year.  In our pets, disease prevention and early intervention are essential tools.  The availability of laboratory blood work allows us to detect disease and recommend changes in the cats lifestyle that will cure or at least slow the disease process.

An optional vaccination for cats is for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.  We recommend this vaccine for cat owners who allow them to go outside the home.  It is spread by direct contact such as bites during cat fights and once contracted, it is untreatable and ultimately fatal.  Once vaccinated, cats will run positive to the test for this disease so it is essential they be tested negative before vaccination.  A three vaccination series at three week intervals of this vaccine is necessary for the indoor/outdoor cat.

**Please note...due to recent studies vaccine reaction is more likely to occur when multiple vaccines are given in one visit. Dr. North may limit the number of innoculations at 2 (two) and schedule the pet in 3 weeks after with a techinician to finish all vaccines that are due.

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