Vaccines and older pets

[sneakymom]

I looked back to see if there were any threads on this- didn't see any.

My 16 year old cat Mistoflees is due for shots next month. I know he'll be due for Feline Distemper and Rabies. Don't know about Feline Leukemia. The other kitty just had her shots (she's 8) and she wasn't due for the Leukemia one until 2010. I have no problem giving her shots. She's healthy (besides being a couple of pounds overweight).

Being that he's 16 years old, and that he's given us a couple of scares (diareah for 24 hours- this happens every couple of months), I'm really hesitant to get him vaccinated. He has to get the Rabies one. It's required by city law, and since he's got a licence, if he doesn't get it- the city can send us a summons to court for not doing it. So, I'm ok with him getting the Rabies. Beyond that- I really don't want to give him any more shots.

I think the vet will be ok with me not getting the other shots. But- can anyone reccomend websites that I can read? I've read 2 sides of the story, don't vaccinate older cats with anything else but rabies- then other websites said that older cats are more suseptible to diseases- so they should get all of their shots. But what if he has an adverse reaction to the shots because of his age?

But then again, I'm giving him flea and tick medicine every month. I have to. Otherwise the cat and the house will be full of fleas, and I'm just not dealing with that.

 

[happilyretired]

My cat (who died when she was close to 20) got ONLY her rabies shot from age 15--but that was in consultation with my vet. And she was an ONLY cat who was totally indoors, which is why he agreed that she did not need the other shots (which tended to upset her which is why I inquired about stopping them). I think if your cat is around other cats or goes outdoors, you would be wise to provide the protection of those other shots. But talk it over with your vet.

 

[sharky]

My vet advises AGAINST vaccinating over a ten yr old ...

I would suggest doing some research and then DISCUSSING your finding with your vet ...

IMHO I would NOT vaccinate

You also should find out your local laws ....

 

[natalie_ca]

Both of my cats (ages 10 years and 16 years) are in door only kitties and have no contact with other pets, so I only got each of them their initial shots, but never bothered with the yearly ones. My vet said that's fine because neither of them are at risk to catch anything from another animal.

 

[mews2much]

Coco dosent get Shots anymore because she is 16 and it isnt safe for her. She did have shots when she was younger. Maybe my Lucy would not be dead if she had not had the Rabies Shot at age 10. She had a lump then got Anemia and kept needing blood tranfusions until the day she died on the way to er. My Cats are indoor. I sure would hate for your cat to get sick like Lucy did.

 

[blast-off-girl]

Buster is over 10 years old now and he developed a severe itch last year when he received his shots. Not only did he seem apathetic and vomited but he also scratched so hard, that his skin turned black. I thought the skin was dying but it was just pigmentation released because of Buster's severe scratching. Fortunately, his fur grew back and the color faded. Nonetheless, I'm going to talk to the vet about not vaccinating him anymore. I'm worried they won't allow him to board without the shots though. Buster is 100% indoor cat (I live on the top floor of an apartment building), so I don't see why he needs the vaccinations.

 

[stephanietx]

Callie, my 12 yo only gets the rabies shot because it's required by state law. She can get the 3-yr variety, but I have to remember to ask for it. She's indoor-only and doesn't come in contact with other kitties, so I don't get the other ones for her. My vet doesn't like it, but that's okay. I figure she's had enough of the other vaccines to last her the rest of her life.

 

[breal76]

He has to get the Rabies one. It's required by city law, and since he's got a licence, if he doesn't get it- the city can send us a summons to court for not doing it. So, I'm ok with him getting the Rabies. Beyond that- I really don't want to give him any more shots.

First off, thank you for being a responsible pet owner and licensing your pet!

I work for county and I license animals all day long. Fun. However, you can go to your vet and ask for a letter of rabies exemption. This will void out the state requirement to give your pet a rabies vaccine.

My pets are all young, and all vaccinated. I am a big believer in the Purevax rabies injection for all animals. This is a new device on the market that can be used for rabies and FELV vaccinations. I highly reccomend it because it's a needless injection (don't ask me how) and it does reduce the risk of tumors.

Interesting enough we had the state "rabies" guy come to our shelter and discuss rabies with us. Bats in our area are the number 1 carrier. Not so much to worry about kitty getting out as to worry about Mr. Batty coming in. He said if a bat bit you, you wouldn't know. SCARY!

As far as the FVCRP vaccine, I think you will be okay to skip it. I can not due to my high animal contact everyday. But if you have indoor cats and don't hang around a lot of sick animals you should be fine.

 

[sneakymom]

<<First off, thank you for being a responsible pet owner and licensing your pet! >>

You're welcome. It's $4 a pet- and since we REALLY need a new animal shelter, I have no problem giving the city the money.

Though I didn't at first

They wanted some sort of certificate saying my animals had been spayed/neutered. Well- I couldn't remember where the heck I had Mistoflees done, since in the 16 years we've lived here, a vet opened up right down the street from me. At that time, they weren't enforcing rabies shots, so the vet never gave me anything saying they'd had it or been spayed. It's twice as much for a pet that hasn't been "fixed", and I'm sorry, but after paying $100 a pet to have that done, I'm not paying the non-"fixed" price

Last year the city changed policies. Every animal that gets a rabies vaccination (we've had several cases of raccoons/foxes coming down with it) the owner's addy is sent into city hall. If your animal gets a shot- but no licence, you can get called to court.

I was worried I was going to get the same run-around as I did the last time. The vet printed out a rabies vacc certificate, and on it it said that the animal was spayed/neutered. And that's ALL they needed

I would rather give him the rabies shot. We back up to woods, and have all kinds of "critters" in my backyard. I'd hate for him to get bit by something

 

[stephanietx]

We just found out that one of my girls is Herpes positive, so I won't be getting the FVCRP vaccine on her next year because it triggers an infection in her. No wonder she would get rhinotracheitis (?sp) about 2 weeks after her shot for the past 2 years!

Stephanie

 

[blaise]

Originally Posted by Breal76

...I am a big believer in the Purevax rabies injection for all animals. This is a new device on the market that can be used for rabies and FELV vaccinations. I highly reccomend it because it's a needless injection (don't ask me how) and it does reduce the risk of tumors...

As for the part

...don't ask me how

You can read all about it on this page...and, don't miss the animations on there.

and, Merial's Purevax homepage is here.

 

[optionken]

I do not believe that vaccinations after the first set are ever necessary. I especially wouldn't vaccinate a cat who is off or sick in any way

here are some sites
http://www.holisticat.com/vaccinations.html

http://www.vaclib.org/legal/PetsDying.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/F...cinations.html

 

[breal76]

You can read all about it on this page...and, don't miss the animations on there.

You know I have seen the animation and it still boggles my mind! lol..It's crazy to me, but I am glad my vet recomended it to me after my last cat was infested with tumors. ( However Mr. Murphy didn't receive very many vaccines in life. I was a smoker..

don't smoke it the house!) I don't want to give my cats cancer, period.

You're welcome. It's $4 a pet- and since we REALLY need a new animal shelter, I have no problem giving the city the money.

Okay...can I give you another KUDOS! Thank you for realizing where the money goes. I get yelled at on a daily basis due to licensing fees. I can't begin to tell you the kind of wonderful treatment pets get in our custody. The are WELL cared for. The county next to ours does not require licensing for cats, they also don't accept cats at their shelter. So if a person lost their cat, they would have nowhere to go. Imagine that.

Every animal that gets a rabies vaccination (we've had several cases of raccoons/foxes coming down with it) the owner's addy is sent into city hall. If your animal gets a shot- but no licence, you can get called to court.

Scary! After that specialist came to our shelter I have a better understanding of rabies. I didn't realize that there is an actual shortage of the "cure" for rabies if you got bit.

I do see people get up in arms about rabies vaccines, but if you think about how well it is contained in the US, you understand better of why it's enforced.