Vaccinations??

Status
Not open for further replies.
DebG

DebG

Member Since 2016
I know there is a lot of controversy about them in general. My question is can anyone address the having your kitty vaccinated having FD? I am not a big fan of vaccinating my kitty at all although I have in the past. My understanding is whena kitty has a compromised immune system it's not a good idea.
My kitty Fritz also has asthma along with FD, just wondering what thoughts are on this forum?
I would appreciate any comments...
Thanks!
 
I've always kept Bandit up to date with his vaccinations until he was diagnosed with an immune condition last year. I agree, diabetes is not a condition where you need to worry about not doing vaccinations. If there are other illnesses happening, talk to your vet about it, and they can tell you if it is recommended or not.
 
Good thought. He is current on all vac but I was wanting to make sure it's the right thing to continue. That is something to consider for sure. :)
 
I'm pro-vaccine all the way, especially if he is going outside at all. With as frequently as mine goes to the vet for check ups, he is getting more exposure. I keep him up to date. Yes, when a person or animal has diabetes, their immune response is weaker than it should be and their immune system is compromised. This is why they're prone to infections. It is especially critical for diabetics to receive their vaccines. I don't believe there are any restrictions in regards to vaccines an asthmatic can receive. Talk with your vet about the best course of action.
 
My vet takes into consideration the lifestyle vs risk-- if the immune system is compromised he does not advocate vaccinations..... he also prefers to titer test before any vaccine although the law does not accept a titer test for rabies (depending on state) unless you have a medical exemption and that will depend on what your vet allows for exemption. Holistic vets generally have a different standard for what a medical exemption is as opposed to a conventional vet.
 
With the exception of a supervised jaunt outside every now and then, Hannah is an indoor kitty. I've also had concerns about vaccinations, but when I posted a year or so ago, I was still left wondering what to do about them. Then I thought back to a time when I didn't even treat her with a flea or tick preventative because I didn't think she needed that, either. We went to the vet for a checkup and... sure enough, she came home with a tick. Yikes! I freaked out. That got me to thinking. If she could pick up a visible "bug" at the vet, then she certainly could pick up an invisible one, as well. After all, sick animals venture in and out of the place every day. That's sort of what keeps vets in business, right? Then my sister-in-law (who lives on a farm) tells me about how all their farm cats are dying mysteriously, one right after the other. And while she's relaying that info, she's standing in my kitchen with her boots on... boots that likely contained unseen evidence of what was killing the farm cats. Double yikes!! So in a nutshell, those two experiences convinced me that my indoor, diabetic Hannah really did need her vaccinations. Yep, she's totally up-to-date, and we're going to keep it that way.
 
All vaccines last three years. All vets have switched to three years for eight years now. My get is a diplomatic in internal medicine and started before the others. Rabies not needed for cats in CA.
 
tiffmaxee said:
All vaccines last three years. All vets have switched to three years for eight years now. My get is a diplomatic in internal medicine and started before the others. Rabies not needed for cats in CA.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm, interesting. Do you have any links to this info so that I can read up on it and show it to our vet? I guess he hasn't heard about this. Rabies vaccine is a requirement in NY. Can't take your kitty to Cornell without it.
 
There was a kitty on here a few months ago that was not well controlled. The vet gave a rabies shot, and the vaccine was enough to send the cat into DKA, which didn't end well. Anytime a FD cat gets a vaccine, be aware there is a large inflammatory response and this can increase insulin need temporarily. Ketones should be checked for a week or two after as well. The body's response to a vaccine is not much different than a response to a real infection.
 
Meya14 said:
There was a kitty on here a few months ago that was not well controlled. The vet gave a rabies shot, and the vaccine was enough to send the cat into DKA, which didn't end well. Anytime a FD cat gets a vaccine, be aware there is a large inflammatory response and this can increase insulin need temporarily. Ketones should be checked for a week or two after as well. The body's response to a vaccine is not much different than a response to a real infection.
Click to expand...
That's my concern with vac his numbers are still too high. He's still current so I'm not rushing in to get them. Thank you for sharing that info. :)
 
Blamethecats and Hannah said:
Hmmmm, interesting. Do you have any links to this info so that I can read up on it and show it to our vet? I guess he hasn't heard about this. Rabies vaccine is a requirement in NY. Can't take your kitty to Cornell without it.
Click to expand...
You can take you cat to Cornell without the certificate as long as you've kept them up to date until something happens that compromises their immune system. I kept Bandit up to date but his certificate had expired at just over a year when he got really sick, but they still saw and treated him for what eventually was diagnosed as an auto immune disease. He hasn't had his vaccines for a little over two years now, but it's under the direction of his vet at Cornell.
 
@Julia & Bandit, good to know. When we took our Daisy to Cornell in 2010 for radioiodine therapy, proof of rabies vaccination was required. Just sharing our own experience, here. Hope Bandit continues to do well :cat: . By the way, downtown Ithaca traffic is awful, especially at rush hour. Is that place ever NOT under construction?!
 
Blamethecats and Hannah said:
@Julia & Bandit, good to know. When we took our Daisy to Cornell in 2010 for radioiodine therapy, proof of rabies vaccination was required. Just sharing our own experience, here. Hope Bandit continues to do well :cat: . By the way, downtown Ithaca traffic is awful, especially at rush hour. Is that place ever NOT under construction?!
Click to expand...

Not in the 15 years I've lived here! I'm on my way to take Bandit to the vet now, and I'm sure it will take us a half hour for what should be a 10 minute drive. o_O
 
I've been vaccinating all 3 of my cats mainly because where we live in rampant with FIV strays and TONS of wild life with a higher likelihood of rabies as I live right next to a refuge. Tons of raccoons, possums, etc in our back yard. The last time they got vaccinated was the same visit we took Carter in for a blood panel for his suspected diabetes.

They are all indoor only (sometimes they come out on the deck while we're out there) but in the event that they were to escape and or get lost (knock on wood that would ever happen, I'm way too paranoid and do head checks in the house quite often) I'd rather have them vaccinated. But in Vancouver, the risk is much less likely and I'd be more inclined to not over-vaccinate when we move back. Same with me being so strict with my dog getting monthly heartworm preventive because it is such a bad epidemic here in Alabama, but not something very common in Canada.
 
Last edited:
Blamethecats and Hannah said:
@Julia & Bandit, I just put up a post in reply to yours, then took it down. I misunderstood what you said and realized it after I posted. Sorry. :facepalm: I opened my mouth, inserted foot... and it didn't taste very good.
Click to expand...

Oh no!:confused: I suppose it's a good thing I didn't see it then? (And just to be clear, I was talking about the endless construction in Ithaca with the "15 years" comment, not anything to do with your experience at Cornell! I actually asked the vet about it today and he told me that the requirement depends on each cat's condition/illness and how they arrive in the hospital.)

There's weirdness in the air today! All of Cornell lost power during our vet visit, and the back up generators at the hospital weren't working right in some areas so there were a lot of upset dogs. It was definitely the most interesting appointment we've had in a while! Bandit was on his best behavior today--normally he hates the vet and will hiss, swat, bite, and sometimes pee on the poor vet students. Today he was exploring the exam room, and he was letting his vet pick him up, draw blood, and do his physical exam with none of the usual bad behavior! Also, traffic was surprisingly good--I'm thinking half of Ithaca must be in Binghamton for the Bernie Sanders rally. :)
 
Oh, Julia... your post just made my day and has given me a chuckle or two. And thanks for the clarification. Yep, you guessed it... that's the part that ruffled my fur. After thinking about it, I realized I'd misinterpreted. And I do appreciate your asking your vet about the rabies vaccination requirement. I was starting to think I was losing my mind :confused:... or what's left of it at this point in life.

Funny you should mention the power failure at Cornell, today. Two years ago, when DH and I were there with the 4-H kids, the milking parlor demonstration was cancelled due to a power failure in that area. Fortunately, the rest of the facility was up and running as it should. But a backup generator failure in the hospital section certainly would be a tad more concerning! One doesn't expect the backup generators to be uncooperative.

Go, Bandit!! Keep up that good behavior!! Scritches to you for making your bean so proud of you. Our Daisy could also be somewhat of a problem child on vet visits, so I know where you're coming from with that one. I believe Dr. Dykes has retired from there, now, but he used to refer to her as "fractious". I used to thank him for his polite description of her bad attitude, as others often put forth a harsher and more accurate description. Daisy has GA, now. We lost her two years ago this July.

And I got a really good chuckle from your comment on Ithaca traffic and the Bernie Sanders rally in Binghamton, today. I'm still smiling over that one and will continue to do so. I wouldn't go near Binghamton today for any reason... WHATSOEVER!!

Best wishes,
Carole
 
Blamethecats and Hannah said:
Funny you should mention the power failure at Cornell, today. Two years ago, when DH and I were there with the 4-H kids, the milking parlor demonstration was cancelled due to a power failure in that area. Fortunately, the rest of the facility was up and running as it should. But a backup generator failure in the hospital section certainly would be a tad more concerning! One doesn't expect the backup generators to be uncooperative.
Click to expand...

Fortunately, the generators did seem to be working in the important parts of the hospital, but not the pharmacy or check out/billing area. They wrote Bandit's name on a post-it note and told me they'd give me a call about paying for his visit and bloodwork today. I'm kind of hoping that post it gets lost under a desk somewhere....;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top