I just want the proven facts here. If a cat never goes outside, what vaccines does it need that are not required by law? Is there any reason not to vaccinate the cat at all except for the state-mandated rabies shot?
In Ohio, where I lived until December, the only state-mandated vaccine is rabies. Because it poses a risk to humans and kills quickly, I always wondered why any state does not require the rabies vaccine. But I do oppose the requirement to put a collar on your cat and never used one. Now I can understand concerns about skin cancer on the right leg, but those are rare and I would not forgo the vaccine unless the cat already had one in the past.Local law requires rabies. I also must pay a professional pet sitter to care for my cats while I am away. If not current on shots, they are not allowed to enter into my house. Boarding is definitely not possible without shots (worst case scenario for me would be boarding).
I do feel that pets are over vaccinated. I wish that the laws would adapt to more recent studies. I do understand the fear of rabies, but some of the other vaccinations do not seem necessary for low risk pets, especially indoor only.
That's what we do. Ours no longer receive any vaccinations of any kind. We'd get an exception letter from the vet if needed, but even rabies isn't required in our county. We figure if there's an emergency of some kind, and they need to go to boarding or WHATEVER, we'll get them done then if necessary.I give the kitten series, or one set if it's an adult stray. I don't vaccinate after that. There's pretty good evidence that the core vaccines confer immunity for a very long time, possibly for life.
The 1992 French Study is included in the link.A note from Kris Christine: "This document is very important, because rabies is the one vaccine we are required by law to give our dogs. This study, which I refer to as "The French Study" demonstrated that, by challenge, vaccinated dogs were immune to rabies 5 years after innoculation. Under separate cover I had e-mailed you an attachment containing the American Animal Hospital Association's 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines -- check out the referenced quote here. Also, check out this link http://www.rabavert.com/risk.html for the Populations at Risk for Rabies sheet from Chiron Corporation, manufacturers of the RabAvert rabies vaccines for humans. Their pre-exposure vaccination recommendation for veterinarians, who are at greater risk than the general population for contracting rabies because their profession brings them into physical contact with potentially rabid animals, is for a “Primary course. No serologic testing or booster vaccination.” In other words, after the initial series of rabies vaccinations, it is not recommended that veterinarians receive further boosters or serological testing. Interestingly, the AAHA’s 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines state on Page 18 that “There is no indication that the immune system of canine patients functions in any way different from the human immune system. In humans, the epidemiological vigilance associated with vaccination is extremely well-developed and far exceeds similar efforts in animals whether companion or agricultural. This vigilance in humans indicates that immunity induced by vaccination in humans is extremely long lasting and, in most cases, life-long.” This strongly suggests that, like the human rabies vaccine, the canine rabies vaccine may provide life-long immunity as well -- something which could be determined by long-term challenge studies."
If you rescue or foster, having a "quarantine room" is a necessary precaution. And those rescue/foster animals shouldn't be introduced to your cats until they've seen a vet, been vaccinated, and several weeks have passed to ensure no illness flares up, even if they do not appear sick. :dk: So I see no reason to - what in my opinion - is over-vaccinated your own cats because you rescue or foster. :dk:Dr. Ronald Schultz at the University of Wisconsin is the premier vaccine researcher in the country. He says, that “canine distemper and adenovirus-2 vaccines both provide good lifelong immunity. These need not be given annually.” He says the same about the feline distemper (panleukopenia) vaccine. He believes that a single dose of modified live vaccine given at 10-14 weeks of age is protective for life. Both canine and feline distemper vaccines have been shown to induce immunity for 3-8 years or more. Moreover, all of these are diseases of young animals; most older animals are naturally resistant. Once vaccinated, adult animals are typically fully immune.
That looks like a pay-per-ask-question site.Yes, please visit the website http://www.petwellbeing.com, you will find enough reason to vaccinate your cat even it is not supposed to visit outside.
:lol3: just saw that too Many vet's are ALL for vaccines, of course, it helps line their pockets along side the drug companies who manufacture the vaccinations.That looks like a pay-per-ask-question site.
This is the Vaccinations and Feline Cancer link referred to: http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=688“Even a single dose of rabies vaccination provides years of protection against rabies infection,” says Levy. In one study*, 12-week-old kittens given a single rabies vaccine were completely protected against rabies four years later when they were exposed to the rabies virus, she says. “There is solid evidence that a single rabies vaccine produces multi-year immunity.” (*Note: Alley Cat Allies is against testing on animals, as it is against all cruelty toward animals. There are better alternatives to animal testing—including mathematical and computer modeling or using cultures from cells, organs, or tissues—that are precise and sophisticated.)
Vaccination schedules that require one or three year boosters are based on state and local laws, not evidence about the vaccines’ efficacy, says Lillich. Most local laws require rabies vaccination either yearly or every three years and so vaccine manufacturers tailor their studies and products to these time periods. In fact, one vaccine manufacturer produces multiple versions of the identical vaccine with different labels according to the locally mandated vaccination schedules.
Studies suggest that the vaccines last a minimum of three years, but due to expense and logistics, large-scale studies have never been extended past three years, Lillich says. Some trials suggest that the vaccines last beyond three years, and the Rabies Challenge Fund (RCF) was founded in 2005 to determine the duration of immunity that rabies vaccines provide in hopes of convincing lawmakers to change laws mandating excessive vaccinations. The RCF aims to extend the required interval for rabies boosters to at least seven years. Learn more about Vaccinations and Feline Cancer.
Apparently the studies in dogs will work for cats.“There is solid evidence that a single rabies vaccine produces multi-year immunity,” says Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, at the University of Florida in Gainesville. But finding out exactly how long vaccines can protect against rabies requires expensive, complicated studies and neither vaccine makers nor local governments have much incentive to fund these studies. The RCF aims to fill this gap by funding trials they hope will eventually extend the required interval for rabies boosters to five and then to seven years.