Hi there, this is my first time posting a thread and I'd appreciate any thoughts -- I took my 17-year cat Boris to the vet yesterday for his second-ever shot of Solensia (arthritis pain med) and to get blood drawn for some bloodwork, and the vet gave him the Purevax Feline Rabies + FVRCP vaccine without my knowledge or approval (I only found out when I went to pay the bill). Boris has never had a bad reaction to a vaccine in the 6 years that I've had him, but he's also never been this old, or vaccinated while on such a high dose of prednisolone before either (7.5 mg daily) -- does anyone know if the vaxing could be an issue? He seems fine today and his appetite is normal.
As background, prior to April of this year Boris was on daily Prednisolone and Terbutaline for asthma as well as Amlodipine for high blood pressure. Then in Feb/March he began vomiting more and more frequently and after a few trips to the ER and regular vet, they told me that I needed to be prepared to put him to sleep if he did not improve. Luckily my regular vet said that she could treat him for presumptive IBD with an increased dose of pred and a newly prescribed combo of Cerenia and Ondansetron (both are anti-nausea meds) and a laxative. (It didn't seem worth spending thousands of dollars on diagnosing him with IBD versus intestinal lymphoma because his advanced age means that he's not a great candidate for surgery or cancer treatment, etc. and a chest X-ray had previously shown a nodule in his lungs, so I've known for several years that he might have cancer.) I also switched his food to a higher-quality diet for "sensitive stomachs" and within a week or two he had stabilized and he's doing pretty well now (and he gained back a pound of weight that he'd lost earlier this year). So, I'm at peace with the fact that I'm basically providing hospice care for him and the vet told me back in April that she wasn't concerned with vaccinations due to his other health issues so I was shocked and displeased that they vaccinated him yesterday without asking me first or giving me the opportunity to ask questions. It's safe to say that I am unhappy with this vet practice, especially because this is not the first time they have vaccinated him unnecessarily or done something without my approval.
Anyway, back to my original question I am curious whether anyone has thoughts or information on the vaccination of elderly cats and/or of cats taking steroids, thanks!
As background, prior to April of this year Boris was on daily Prednisolone and Terbutaline for asthma as well as Amlodipine for high blood pressure. Then in Feb/March he began vomiting more and more frequently and after a few trips to the ER and regular vet, they told me that I needed to be prepared to put him to sleep if he did not improve. Luckily my regular vet said that she could treat him for presumptive IBD with an increased dose of pred and a newly prescribed combo of Cerenia and Ondansetron (both are anti-nausea meds) and a laxative. (It didn't seem worth spending thousands of dollars on diagnosing him with IBD versus intestinal lymphoma because his advanced age means that he's not a great candidate for surgery or cancer treatment, etc. and a chest X-ray had previously shown a nodule in his lungs, so I've known for several years that he might have cancer.) I also switched his food to a higher-quality diet for "sensitive stomachs" and within a week or two he had stabilized and he's doing pretty well now (and he gained back a pound of weight that he'd lost earlier this year). So, I'm at peace with the fact that I'm basically providing hospice care for him and the vet told me back in April that she wasn't concerned with vaccinations due to his other health issues so I was shocked and displeased that they vaccinated him yesterday without asking me first or giving me the opportunity to ask questions. It's safe to say that I am unhappy with this vet practice, especially because this is not the first time they have vaccinated him unnecessarily or done something without my approval.
Anyway, back to my original question I am curious whether anyone has thoughts or information on the vaccination of elderly cats and/or of cats taking steroids, thanks!
