Question about feLV Vaccine

[oreosmom]

Greetings,

Oreo, our diabetic cat, has GI lymphoma as well. He is an indoor kitty. He is also due for his feLV vaccine. We are worried about giving this to him since he is on chemo meds. We will consult his vet about this. My question for you is this: We have a neighbor's cat who frequents our yard. She is adorable and we play with her outside. Can we accidentally infect Oreo if she had feline luekemia? If she is vaccinated, would that prevent it? I know absolutely nothing about this and appreciate your advise.

Best wishes,

Carol,

Oreo's Mom

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Cats can possibly pass the virus between themselves through saliva and close contact, by biting another cat, through a litter box or food dish used by an infected cat.
FeLV causes immunosuppression in pet cats, and there is also evidence for existence of the virus in larger wild cat populations also (e.g. lynx, cheetahs, and lions). Overwhelming epidemiologic evidence suggests FeLV is not transmissible to either humans or dogs. This statement is based on the fact that approximately one pet dog in five lives with a cat, and all pet cats live with humans (some 60 million pet cats in the USA). It is species-specific, and does not infect other animals, such as dogs (in fact, there is apparently no canine version of this disease at all).
Approximately 0.5% of pet cats are persistently infected with FeLV, but many more pet cats (>35%) have specific IgG antibodies which indicate prior exposure and subsequent development of immunity instead of infection. Transmission of FeLV is mainly via saliva and friendly behaviors, such as sharing feeding bowls and mutual grooming (as distinct from fighting and biting).

Above from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_leukemia_virus

I would not vaccinate and was up well after you contact the cat.

 

[BJM]

Does the treating vet consider him to be immune compromised? If yes, the vaccine may not trigger the desired antibody response and would be pointless to give.

Is it a live or killed virus vaccine? If the immune system isn't functioning well, a live virus should not be used.

 

[oreosmom]

Hi BJM and Larry,

Thanks for your posts. I am not sure if Oreo would be considered imuno-compromised. I am waiting for a reply from our vet. What I don't understand is if a neighbor cat is vaccinated, can they pass it along? If we pet the other cat and then pet Oreo, or if he touches our clothing, can the virus get transmitted?
Or if we walked on the cement in the patio where a cat urinated, can we bring the virus into our home?
Again thanks and I will let you know what the vet says.

Best,

Oreo's Mom

 

[BJM]

Since vaccines aren't perfect, it is possible the other cat could get and carry the virus.

Your concern about fomites (contaminated body parts, clothing, food bowls, litterboxes, etc) is legitimate. Unless you know the other cat is safe, you can reduce possible contact with fomites by washing your hands at a minimum and changing into unexposed clothing. Put the exposed clothing right into the wash so it isn't laying around to be investigated!

When you know you've been in contact with a sick animal, the clothing goes right in the wash, you wipe down your shoes with a 3% bleach solution, and you bathe before coming in contact with your cat.