Feline Vaccinations & Guidelines
In general, guidelines for vaccination of cats have been strongly influenced by the appearance of vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats. Thus, there is clear evidence for minimizing the frequency of vaccination in cats.
The recommendations below have been made in light of the AVMA/AAHA/AAFP/VCS task force recommendations on vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats. Risk factors for sarcomas should be discussed with cat owners at the time of examination. If a cat develops a palpable granuloma at the site of previous vaccination, the benefits vs risks of future vaccinations should be carefully considered. All vaccine-associated sarcomas should be reported to the vaccine manufacturer.
Core vaccines are recommended for all felines with an unknown vaccination history. The diseases involved have significant morbidity and mortality and are widely distributed, and in general, vaccination results in relatively good protection from disease. The core feline vaccines are those for Feline Herpesvirus 1 (FHV1), Feline Calicivirus (FCV), Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV), Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Rabies.
FELINE RABIES VACCINATION - $31.50
Cats are important in the epidemiology of rabies in the US. In general we recommend that kittens receive a single dose of killed rabies vaccine at 12-16 weeks of age.
Adult cats with unknown vaccination history should also receive a single dose of killed rabies vaccine. For the killed rabies vaccines, a booster is required at one year and annually thereafter.
[1] In accordance with Franklin county law, all dogs and cats are required to be vaccinated against the Rabies virus. Giving the vaccine is considered a medical procedure and only healthy pets should be vaccinated. Because of this, we require a physical exam be done on your pet with a doctor when we give the Rabies vaccine. The physical examination ensures the health of your pet and, therefore, safety in receiving the vaccination.
FELINE VIRAL RHINOTRACHEITIS-CALICVIRUS-PANLEUKOPENIA VACCINATION - $34.50
For initial kitten vaccination (< 16 weeks), one dose of the vaccine containing a killed or modified live virus (MLV) FHV1, FCV, and FPV is recommended every 3-4 weeks from 6-8 weeks of age, with the final booster being given no sooner than 16 weeks of age. Revaccination is required at one year and annually thereafter.
For cats older than 16 weeks of age, two doses of the vaccine containing killed or modified live virus (MLV) FHV1, FCV, and FPV given 3-4 weeks apart are recommended. Revaccination is required at one year and annually thereafter.
FELINE LEUKEMIA VACCINATION - $33.00
A number of FeLV vaccines are available on the market. The whole inactivated viral vaccines have recently been shown to be highly efficacious based on the results of molecular detection methods for FeLV, even producing sterilizing immunity, although this was not found to be the case for an inactivated mixed subunit vaccine (Torres et al, 2009).
We recommend vaccination of all FeLV-negative kittens and any FeLV-negative adult cats. Initially, two doses of FeLV vaccine are given at 2-4 week intervals, after which revaccination is required at one year and annually thereafter