getting vaccines and dose increase

[Skunky's Mom]

Hi all. I was just wondering. . . do we have to worry about vaccines having any kind of interference with insulin, bg, etc?

I'm planing to getting my Skunky her rabies and fvrcp (or whatever it is) Saturday at the low-cost vaccine clinic, and increasing her dose Sunday.

cool?

 

[BJM]

Has she ever had a reaction to a vaccine? I had a cat that did; as we were driving home from the vet, she started vomiting and we had to go right back. And vomiting can drastically aler the amount of food digested which then could alter the glucose level.

I might wait until evening, or the next day.

 

[Skunky's Mom]

Nope, never had any problems. The vaccine clinic is Saturday around noon, and I was going to try to up the dose Sunday at noon. So I think you're saying, that's cool.

the only reason i'm even getting them is so that I can board her (if I can even find a decent boarding facility that can do 12 hour dosing!!).

personally, it seems crazy to keep vaccinating cats for the same diseases over and over and over. . . I mean, we don't do it to ourselves!

thanks!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Vaccines cause an inflammatory response since that is how they work. Thus, it is not unexpected that a vaccine would cause a temporary change in insulin dose.

 

[BJM]

Nope, never had any problems. ...

Er ... Just because you haven't had a cat experierience a problem, doesn't mean you can't.

...personally, it seems crazy to keep vaccinating cats for the same diseases over and over and over. . . I mean, we don't do it to ourselves!...

Yes, we do re-vaccinate humans as the immunity from vaccines can wane. Ex diptheria and pertussis (whooping cough). And it isn't just to protect the individual getting the vaccine, it is to protect others with whom you come in contact, so you cannot become a vector who spreads the illness.

By blocking as much transmission as possible, we keep the population from having an epidemic of disease which can lay out an entire community, much less a family. Imagine what would happen if everyone at your home, of work, or church, etc. became so seriously ill that they could not care for themselves, especially if it was a fatal disease.

Now suppose you have several cats who all caught something severe that required intensive nursing. Would you be able to do that, or would you have to euthanize because the expense and time were too much?

 

[Skunky's Mom]

Quote" Yes, we do re-vaccinate humans as the immunity from vaccines can wane. Ex diptheria and pertussis (whooping cough). And it isn't just to protect the individual getting the vaccine, it is to protect others with whom you come in contact, so you cannot become a vector who spreads the illness." (I couldn't figure out how to make it quote like everybody else does. weird!)

---
We do get boosters as humans but NOT every year. Immunity does not wane that quickly. I've done quite a bit of research that indicates yearly boosters for cats are not only unnecessary but can actually be harmful to older cats.

I believe the recommendation for the TDAP for humans is something like 10 or 20 years.

 

[Skunky's Mom]

Thanks y'all but now I'm even more confused. . . . ?

Do y'all think waiting 24 hours for the dosage increase is enough or should I wait longer? Do I need to worry about today's dose? We were going to go to six flags right after, for the whole day, though my boyfriend will be here for a few hours.

Grrr. I don't know what to do. I may skip the low cost vaccine clinic all together. But, I sure need the savings.

 

[Skunky's Mom]

Well, after some more research I've decided to hold off on the vaccines. Thanks y'all. I almost didn't even think about this being an issue!

There's not a lot out there but one thing that is consistent is that vaccines should only be given to healthy animals. I found one vet that said she doesn't recommend them for unregulated diabetics.

Since our potential beach trip is 5 weeks away, I'm going to try and get Skunky's levels better regulated in the next couple weeks and then reassess.(since we're only one week in on the insulin) And heck, I'm not even sure I'll be able to board her anyway. My vets office wouldn't be able to do a 12 hour dosing schedule because, on the weekends, nobody is even there from 5 p.m. til 7 a.m. Yikes!

She'll probably need to go to the vet sometime in the interim anyway, or maybe I'll be able to hit up another low-cost clinic.

I found one boarding site in California (i was just doing research) that requires the feline leukemia vaccine for boarders. Yikes! I've tried to get that a few times and the vet (different ones, too) have always talked me out of it!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Just note that most place require a valid rabies vaccination. I some localities there is no way to get out of it. e.g., the law does not say a vet can say the animal is too sick.
The concern is that in an animal who does not have a valid rabies vaccination and bites someone, the animal can be taken away and placed in quarantine in a place other than you house. Also, the person who got bitten coud requires the animal be euthanized and the head sent in for rabies testing. If you had vet approval not to vaccinate it is likely that you would not be prosecuted for not have a valid rabies vaccination.

I used to work at an animal shelter and we occasionally held unvaccinated animals taken from owners for quarantine when they bite someone

 

[BJM]

We do get boosters as humans but NOT every year. Immunity does not wane that quickly. I've done quite a bit of research that indicates yearly boosters for cats are not only unnecessary but can actually be harmful to older cats.

I believe the recommendation for the TDAP for humans is something like 10 or 20 years.

Curent CDC TDAP info. I believe my doc does every 10 years.

I have no problem with titer testing first to show if vaccination is even needed. For example, they check veterinarians' rabies titers rather than assume another vaccination is needed. And cats with minimal or no exposure to unvaccinated cats are at extremely low risk. Jusy be careful not to bring infectious disease home on your clothing (called "fomites") from being around ill or carrier animals.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

I do not know of any localities that say a rabies titer fulfils the law of a valid rabies vaccination.

 

[BJM]

Since the purpose of requiring rabies vaccination is protecting public health, more than it is for protecting an individual animal, someone would need to write legislation to make titer testing for rabies sufficient proof of prior vaccination.

For the other vaccines of concern, if demand were sufficient, the cost of titer testing could come down enough to makeit more likely folks would choose titer testing over re-vaccinating. There will be those who don't care and just re-vaccinate, or refuse them entirely. Titer testing could provide a useful 3rd option.