Time for Speedy's Distemper Vaccine

raysmyheart

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This week I'll be taking Speedy for her annual distemper vaccine.   She is an indoor cat during the winter and during the good weather I will be taking her out on her harness several times a day for her to explore the great outdoors.

My question is, how would she ever contact distemper?  I have read that the secretions of an infected animal could get her sick.  Basically, I take her on a walk all around the perimeter of the yard which is surrounded by woods and we get a lot of animals walking through at night.  Her nose is working overtime on these walks, smelling the ground, and could she pick up the disease doing this?

Also, when I adopted her from the local rescue, they told me a lot of outdoor cats they were working with were testing positive for some diseases.

Sorry for rambling, but I guess I am wondering how she would pick up this disease.  Thank you for any thoughts
 

denice

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Feline distemper is actually closely related to canine parvo virus,  It is very hardy and can live in the environment mainly soill outside and in the home of a kitty that has had it for a very long time.  That being said kittens are the most vulnerable to the disease.  An adult cat isn't as vulnerable to it especially if they have had the kitten series and their booster at 1 year of age.  I know for indoor cats the current recommendation after those initial shots is a booster every 3 years rather than annually.
 

pushylady

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Hmm, I don't think our boys have every had a distemper shot. Unless it was in their kitten shots? Perhaps we don't need it as much in Canada - I'll have to look that up. My boys go outside on a leash too, so that's why we use Advantage on them and they've had more yearly vacs than most indoor cats.
 

denice

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You might have seen it as panleukopenia.  I don't know where the name feline distemper came from but I use it because the actual name is a mouthful.  There really is nothing neurological about it so it really is a misnomer.  It actually is an infectious gastro disease like parvo, it is actually very closely related to canine parvo. 

It's often given in a combo shot called FVRCP.  The P stands for panleukopenia.  The C is the calicivirus and the FVR stands for Feline viral rhinotracheitis.
 

pushylady

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denice denice you're right, I have seen that. Our vet has started to cut back on the vaccines they want to give over the last few years, which I see as a good thing. They know our cats go outside, so they're taking that risk factor into it. I would prefer as few vaccines as necessary for my kitties, but I'll give them what the vet thinks I should.
 
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