Should We Be Giving Core Vaccinations To Cats With Potential Immune System Issues?

[FeralHearts]

Short version: Looking for research (most important), experiences, opinions on this. The reason is below.

A few days ago I began doing research a few days ago after one of my kitties has come back with Plasma Cell Pododermatitis aka pillow foot. Everything I am reading states it's an immune system issue. I immediately started to look up that, of course, along with Vaccines because she has her annual Doctor visit the start of November which means her annual vaccinations.

It's a multicat home, all indoors only, and they all get core vaccinations, plus FIV. I think I can drop the FIV as none of them are positive for it but I will certainly keep the respiratory ones as one does tend to have some issues from time to time. That leaves me with the Rabies shot. (Unless someone says there is a reason to keep up the FIV one aka a reason for it.)

When she goes for her annual appointment I feel very torn about the Rabies shot. Everything I'm reading suggests that it is not a good thing with an immune issue. I don't want to go into the appointment and discuss it with her Doctor without being as fully informed as I can be. (I'm sure I can't be alone on this.)

Rabies shots are the law here, but, if all the research indicates not to do it - I will fight for her not to have it. After all, it's about her health and well being, not about what I believe. Essentially I want what's in her best interests.

I'm hoping others here might have some thought, links to research or who I can get in contact with about it, or experience with something similar.

 

[Willowy]

Are you in Australia? The FIV vaccine is not used much in the US. Anyway, yes, if your cats stay inside you can skip the FIV vaccine. It's only transmitted through deep bites, plus the vaccine only protects against a few strains anyway.

If the cat has to be on long-term immunosuppressants, live vaccines aren't recommended.
Vaccination in patients with immunosuppression
Vaccination in immunosuppressed cats |

You may want to keep them legally current on rabies vaccines. In some places the consequences of not keeping them legal can be pretty severe. The rabies vaccine is killed virus so it should be OK for an immunocompromised animal.

 

[FeralHearts]

No, I'm in Canada. I had the kitties on the FIV as some of them were originally Feral and lived outside so I did it for them - and the resident kitty in case he got out and got into a battle. (He is that once on me.) They are now all safe indoors and oddly don't seem to mind this change at all.

Thank you for the links I will read so I can be more educated with it all.

We only found out on Monday when her biopsy results came back, so the meds she's on or temporary and we're watching, waiting and hoping it helps enough to not have to keep her on medicines long term. Her annual visit is so near though that it red-flagged me enough to need to know.

Here there are fines here if you don't do Rabies, which, I would be willing to pay, and even fight over, if it was in her best interests not to have it. It all comes down to the best things for her.

Thank you too for the state of the vaccine - as that's the one thing I wasn't sure of was if the Rabies Vaccine was a live one and I'm starting to understand there is a difference between a live vaccine for an animal/person with a compromised immune system. Knowing that it's not live is a relief.

Personally, I to have post-rabies shots last year which were unpleasant, to say the least, lol and after learning what it does to the body I'm a bit more conscious of it all.

 

[marmoset]

What does your veterinarian think? Recently my husband was prescribed a medication that lowers his immune system and we were told that live vaccines were a no go but killed vaccines were ok. I can't say this carries over to cats but it's something I'd clarify with the vet. Rabies vaccines are killed vaccines.

We do have a cat that we don't vaccinate due to health reasons. He still gets his rabies shots but the boosters we don't do. We have another cat that has reactions to the combo vaccine so we do titer tests on him. The next time he does need the booster the vet wants to keep him at the practice to make sure he is supported if he reacts. My best advice is to talk to your vet about your concerns. It could be the that your cat could skip this round or get a titer test and be treated for the pillow paw and next time he is due it won't be a problem.

I'd personally never skip the rabies shot because if a cat becomes injured or goes through trauma (ie. hurricane rips the house apart or we have a flood/ fire) and a rescue worker gets bitten if I don't have the paperwork for that cat then there can be a nightmare situation. It's worth it to look into your local laws about cat bites and quarantines if you don't have your cats rabies vaccine current.

For me, living where I do where a lot of people had to abandon homes due to hurricanes or floods and a lot of pets needed rescuing it's just peace of mind having that paperwork (and microchipping).

 

[fionasmom]

My experience has been with dogs, but same question about the immune system. My previous German shepherd had degenerative myelopathy, MS in dogs, and so he was not given any further vaccines. However, I should add that he was without the use of his back legs for two years before he passed, which limited where he went which was determined by his use of a cart. He was between the three year booster shot so it never came up with any authorities.

Present GSD has melanoma and received immunotherapy for part of the treatment. He was not allowed to have any vaccines during that period and we dodged Los Angeles county for a year on the requirement for the rabies shot. He oncologist could have written a letter for me asking for a delay, but I did not want to call any attention to it. Once the immunotherapy was over, he was able to receive the rabies shot and, in fact, the oncologist refused to ask for a waiver. They are very hard to get here. One of my vets was able to get one for a client by basically showing that the dog was dying...and it requires massive paperwork...and when he did not die and AC figured it out they appeared on the owner's doorstep and said that he needed his rabies shot.

The fact that the rabies vaccine is a killed virus is a huge consideration in its favor. Orlando had no reaction to it, meaning it did not debilitate his health in any way despite his cancer and subsequent immunotherapy. He took it over a year ago, the three year booster, and he has been fine since in any way that might have signaled that the vaccine would have done harm.

I do have a close friend in Manitoba who runs titres for her animals, BUT I don't know if that meant rabies as well.

 

[MissClouseau]

The vet's opinion is the best on this. They are more familiar with the local situation on contagious diseases vaccines can protect than we can be and can do a better pros-cons calculation. Even the climate matters as some things stay alive longer/more common in some temperatures but not the other.

Like it's been said though, rabies shot is a dead one. When there is a worry about vaccination, personally I have only heard of it about FVRCP.

What I personally recommend is that if there is a valid immune system concern, get things done one at a time. My cat has coronavirus and that's usually the recommendation for us too. Like only one shot one week. If she's getting vaccinated that week, wait for at least few days/a week for deworming, etc