Sos: Thirteen Got Outside

[lavishsqualor]

Karma will get you every time. Just yesterday I was kvetching about someone coming here for advice as opposed to hightailing it to the vet, and here I am today, cap in hand, doing the same darn thing.

In fairness though I did try calling an emergency vet earlier who was supposed to call me back but never did. When I called them the second time the receptionist said, "Oh, the vets are exceptionally busy tonight but they have your message. Or you can just bring your cat and come in."

Just to walk through the door there is $500 and that doesn't include any diagnostics whatsoever! I'd pay it in a heartbeat if I thought they could help but I really don't think they can.

Here's my problem. Thirteen, my spayed two-year-old domestic short-haired tuxedo, got outside tonight for about five to seven minutes and had a high old time cavorting with my ferals. She even ate out of their dish! Thirteen had her kitten shots but nothing beyond that. Because she and my other cat, Atticus, are both solely indoor cats I just didn't see the need to tax their systems so aside from rabies I've never had boosters.

I'm so worried I can't sleep. The female feral she was playing with has a chronic eye infection and her right eye is always running and matted together.

I don't suppose there's any kind of "Plan B" or "Morning After Pill" for this situation, is there? I'll call my vet first thing in the morning but I wanted to know what you guys think.

 

[Willowy]

She should be fine. If the ferals had anything wildly contagious they'd be actively sick instead of just having weepy eyes or whatever. She may pick up a URI but I wouldn't give antibiotics unless she starts showing symptoms.

FeLV can be spread through casual contact but usually it takes extended exposure. Adult cats have a lot of natural immunity.

Plus she's only 2 so she probably still has immunity from her kitten shots.

 

[lavishsqualor]

Ah, Willowy, thank you so much for responding! You've made me feel better and I sure am grateful.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
lavishsqualor - I'm going to respectfully disagree. If you suspect that there's been sufficient contact with a cat with a chronic eye infection of unknown origin, there's absolutely no harm in following Benjamin Franklin's paraphrase of Hippocrates' "ounce of prevention" advice - where an ounce is 29.5735 ml, and not Panthera uncia.

Collyrium has long been the go-to preventative in the form of eye drops, as it's not simply an anti-septic and antibacterial, but a bacteriostatic as well, thus eliminating the possibility of the (possible) bacteria's replication as well as wiping out its initial contact.

Caveat: this is not to be construed as medical advice in any form or fashion, and when medical advice is sought, it should be solicited from a practising veterinarian, and not from some schmoe on the internet who can barely remember the genus and species of the Snow Leopard, or Common Ounce.
.

 

[neely]

I'm so worried I can't sleep.

I can relate and would feel exactly the same way but try to get some rest and think positive. I'll be anxious to hear the vet's report tomorrow. Sending special thoughts your way.

 

[lavishsqualor]

Well, I spoke to my vet, who seemed to be totally unconcerned.

He said I could bring Thirteen in for vaccinations today but that they would do nothing to protect her against whatever exposure she encountered last night.

I've always liked my vet a lot but he was not very forthcoming about what Thirteen's chances are of contracting anything from from last night's misadventure. He really didn't do much of anything to assuage my fears.

Should I take her to another vet?

 

[Willowy]

Collyrium has long been the go-to preventative in the form of eye drops

Huh, I had never heard of it. After googling, looks like antibacterial contact lens eye drop solution? Sounds like a good idea, I might add some to my first aid kit.

There really isn't anything the vet can do .

 

[maggiedemi]

I think she'll be okay, as long as she didn't get in any fights out there with biting and scratching. But yeah, I would definitely take her in for a checkup and booster shots when you get the chance.

 

[lavishsqualor]

Huh, I had never heard of it. After googling, looks like antibacterial contact lens eye drop solution? Sounds like a good idea, I might add some to my first aid kit.

There really isn't anything the vet can do .

I actually went out and bought some Collyrium drops last night and used it on both of my cats, so thank you, Joe, for that suggestion. It made me feel as if I was doing something proactive, so again, I really appreciate the suggestion.

And yeah, I know, Willowy. It's like my vet said said . . . Unfortunately time travel isn't in his bag of medical supplies. I hope this incident serves as a cautionary tale to all those who get lax with yearly boosters. Given that I live on the sixteenth floor of a high rise condominium I never thought my cats had a chance of getting out. But I had to visit a property in Miami yesterday and spent the night there. There's an established feral colony on that property and when I went to feed them Thirteen slipped right out the door unnoticed. Less than ten minutes later I hear this terribly plaintive meowing so I opened the door and there was Thirteen! My stomach fell because neither of my two cats has ever had so much as a cold. I really hate the idea of her being exposed.

Anyway, thank you Joe, Willowy Neely and MaggieDemi for your support. It's much appreciated. You've made me feel better.

 

[maggiedemi]

They have vaccinations that last 3 years now.

 

[Willowy]

The amount of time the vaccines "last" is not dependent on the labeling. That's not how vaccines work. There is no reason that a vaccine will not confer immunity for a good long time in a healthy cat. How often do humans get vaccines? Usually about every 10 years, right? There is never any reason to get vaccines yearly; that's something the vaccine manufacturers pulled out of the air to make more money.

Current AVMA/AAHA recommendation for the FVCRP vaccine is "no more often than once every 3 years". They say that in an abundance of caution, so they don't get sued. Every 5-7 years ought to be adequate but it hasn't been fully studied.

So, yeah, a 2-year-old cat who had her kitten vaccines should be well protected against the vaccinatable illnesses. Of course not all illnesses are preventable with vaccines.

Are the ferals TNRed? Didn't they get vaccinated too?

 

[orange&white]

I hope this incident serves as a cautionary tale to all those who get lax with yearly boosters.

I feel the same way about injecting anything into cats when the risks for indoor cats is so low. My senior hasn't has vaccinations in years, and I'm waiting for my kittens first birthday for shots and then she's "done" with vaccines as far as I'm concerned.

However....

I did just make an appointment for the new outdoor feral cat to get full vaccinations. She's the only feral hanging around the patio and letting me pet her now. The shelter only vaccinates for rabies at TNR here, and having her around increases the risk factor for my indoor cats. Besides, by winter, if we get really cold weather, she may want to come inside for a night or two. I don't want her (lack of) vaccination status to prevent that.

Sounds like everything is going to be fine with Thirteen. Just keep an eye on him for any signs of illness. I do expect that the kitten shots are still active in his system.

 

[Willowy]

I do expect that the kitten shots are still active in his system

Haha, sorry, don't mean to pick---but I think everyone needs to understand how vaccines work. A vaccine is not active in your system at any time. It's not medication.

Vaccines work by introducing a killed or weakened version of a virus into your body. Because it's killed or weakened, it doesn't make you sick. But it does train your immune system on how to fight that virus, so that if you're ever exposed to the actual active virus, your body will know how to fight it. It's not something your immune system forgets all of a sudden. Immune systems have pretty good memories.

Of course there are legal issues surrounding rabies vaccination, legalities are different from actual immunity. If your area requires yearly rabies vaccination, you should do it. . .but also try to get that changed. And a legally expired vaccine does not mean your pet is no longer immune.

 

[lavishsqualor]

[QUOTE

Are the ferals TNRed? Didn't they get vaccinated too?[/QUOTE]

Yep. All of my ferals that were de-sexed were given some form of vaccine. I'm not sure why kind though.

 

[orange&white]

Most TNR's only vaccinate for rabies, because of the human health risk. I thought my feral was given more vaccines until I read a bit more into the details.

 

[Willowy]

I suppose it depends. The low-cost place I took cats to would give any vaccine you wanted. The local vet who offers special prices for ferals and farmcats only gives rabies though. FVCRP vaccine is only like $2 a dose or less when bought in quantity so I don't know why they wouldn't give that at least :/. I think if I ended up taking cats to a place that only gave rabies, I'd buy some FVCRP vaccine and give it to them myself while they were still out. I think it's bad PR to have TNRed ferals getting panleuk. Just gives people something else to object to.

 

[orange&white]

This group explains why they (and most TNR programs) don't vaccinate for everything: Feral Cat Coalition Policy On Testing

Their number one goal is to keep the cat population from growing, not to ensure the cats don't acquire a disease later. Most of us caregivers want "our cats" to live long and be healthy, but that isn't the main purpose of the free services provided by the "administration".

 

[Willowy]

Oh, I totally agree when it comes to FeLV testing and vaccinating. That's Alley Cat Allies' stand on the matter too. But FVCRP seems so basic, and the vaccine is so cheap. . .

I know it's not the priority of a municipal TNR organization though.

Anyway. I hope Thirteen is still doing well and isn't any worse for her little trip outside!

 

[mightyboosh]

lavishsqualor "Just to walk through the door there is $500". WHAT? is there an extra nought on there by mistake?

 

[Willowy]

Nah, some emergency vet hospitals really do charge that much! I feel very lucky that the one here is only $90 for the office fee, about double a regular office fee.