Topic: FIV+ Kitties-To Vaccinate or to not Vaccinate? (Read 12378 times)

Ela · « **Reply #24 on:** September 17, 2007, 14:30:05 PM »

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Enteritis is not an airborne disease

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Quite right but is is it is highly contagious and can spread rapidly, carried on shoes, clothing, food dishes and litter trays, so a visitor could easily bring it in.

Mojo · « **Reply #23 on:** September 17, 2007, 14:26:26 PM »

I will try to remember that then next time they are due. I think its later in the year though I may have to check with the vets.

Ela · « **Reply #22 on:** September 17, 2007, 14:24:33 PM »

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Should I do those jabs whilst they are indoors too?

Wew have all indoor cats inkected for enteritis and cat flu and those that go out for FeLV

Mojo · « **Reply #21 on:** September 17, 2007, 13:08:05 PM »

Thanks for your advice guys

Millys Mum · « **Reply #20 on:** September 17, 2007, 12:51:17 PM »

If you have decided yes to vaccinating then do enteritis and flu. The other things that can be done are chlamydia and felv.
Imo Chlamydia isnt something to worry about in a domestic environment. Felv for indoor cats/secured garden isnt neccessary imo as it needs close contact with an infected cat to spread. My outdoor cats dont get it either. If you do a search on here you will find threads on it.

Mojo · « **Reply #19 on:** September 17, 2007, 11:54:20 AM »

Should I do those jabs whilst they are indoors too?

Millys Mum · « **Reply #18 on:** September 17, 2007, 11:22:57 AM »

Enteritis is not an airborne disease.

Mojo if you jab for flu and enteritis they would be fine to go out in a secure garden.

Mojo · « **Reply #17 on:** September 17, 2007, 10:52:24 AM »

Yes, I think vaccines on the airborne virus' will be done whilst they are at my current house, and further testing/Vaccination will be done if we were to move.

Eventually I want to move to a house with a garden that can be fenced off, so if/when this occurs, I will test them again for the FIV and vaccinate for all.

TBH I dont think the FIV makes a difference to whether they would be in the garden, I would just vaccinate against the usual stuff instead of just airborne.

Ela · « **Reply #16 on:** September 17, 2007, 10:27:04 AM »

We have our FIV cats injected against cat flu and enteritis and they are airborne diseases. As a FIV cats immune system is already suppressed, it gives the cat a greater chance of fighting off the diseases.

Also you need injections if you are to put the cat in a cattery at any time.

Dawn (DiddyDawn) · « **Reply #15 on:** September 17, 2007, 00:23:52 AM »

I've had Lucas's first lot of jabs done and he's been fine. I never thought to ask at the time if it was adviseable letting him have his vaccinations but I didn't know 100% he was FIV. I would have thought if they are healthy in themselves, it's better to have their jabs but I'm going to have a chat with the vet anyway just for future reference.

Schmew · « **Reply #14 on:** August 27, 2007, 23:33:00 PM »

Sorry, I meant young as in young adults rather than kittens. If I had any from kits I'd certainly vaccinate if they were healthy and carry them on as they aged.

blackcat · « **Reply #13 on:** August 27, 2007, 09:37:53 AM »

yes, I agree, they have not had a chance to build up their natural antibodies so are more vulnerable to airborne disease ...

Ela · « **Reply #12 on:** August 27, 2007, 09:33:57 AM »

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Also I think when they are young and healthy it's not as much of a risk. I may be wrong that's just my feeling

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To be honest the young are very much at risk from airborn enteritis and cat flu. I personally hear and deal with far more case of both in younger cats than older.

Schmew · « **Reply #11 on:** August 26, 2007, 23:57:51 PM »

This is a tricky one, jury's out as Clare says!

My FIV cats are vaccinated because they have outdoor access to the run and also because I foster (FIV) - even though new ones coming in don't meet mine for a good while I know things get carried round as Ela says.

Also I think when they are young and healthy it's not as much of a risk. I may be wrong that's just my feeling. As far as I'm aware all mine have had live vaccs except the current foster cat who was done before he came with a dead vacc.

Hope you find your answer soon

x

Ela · « **Reply #10 on:** August 25, 2007, 17:16:25 PM »

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because he never went outside and was never in contact with other cats

What I would say is that cat flu and enteritis are airborn so it is wise to have even indoor cats injected against those. Also as FIV cats immune system is not as robust as a 'normal'cat, we feel it is very important to continue with the boosters although I appreciate others may have different views.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #9 on:** August 25, 2007, 13:53:05 PM »

The only prob with every other year vacc's would be if you ever had to put them in a cattery, they would need to be done yearly. I personally would go with your vets advice, each vet uses different vaccines, and some are better for FIV+ than others. I personally would re-test as they were on teh young side, so it might have been false, not because it will change your love for them, but just so you know for any future health issues, unless you act as though they were with any illness.

LittleLijah · « **Reply #8 on:** August 24, 2007, 21:11:34 PM »

It's so difficult to know what to do in these circumstances. My Georgie that I lost in February wasn't vaccinated after I knew he was FIV+ because he never went outside and was never in contact with other cats but sometimes I wonder if that was the right decision....maybe it's better to vaccinate and "give them the best chances of fighting the disease"? I know FIV+ kits will get problems but maybe the vaccinations help in the early years!?! It's so hard to do what's best.

Sylvia · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2007, 20:59:19 PM »

My vet is treating my two FIV boys on a case by case basis.

After some discussion, we decided not to vaccinate Tatty, our first FIV boy, for the same reason that Clare's vet advised.

However, when Tabs joined us, I had another very long discussion with the vet, and as Tatty was potentially a flu carrier, we decided that if Tabs was to be able to join Tatty, that we would need to give him as much protection as we could, and that he would have the vaccinations. I had to keep a very close eye on Tabs following his injections, but so far he has been fine, and we have just reached the end of the week following the second injection. We are now ready to start the introductions, but we will be doing this very slowly, and carefully.

Sorry that this probably isn't much help to you with your particular circumstances

Mojo · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2007, 20:15:08 PM »

Like you say-they would not be loved any less

but i may get them tested again if we were to move house-that way i would know whether they could go outside etc.

The vaccinosis thing still worries me even with no FIV+. I know my sister only vaccinates every other year, maybe this would be a good compromise anyway???

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2007, 20:10:25 PM »

Just did a quick google and found this... Not that it matters either way as they are and will always be loved to bits I guess it would just affect decisions like the vaccination Q etc etc

"Very young kittens may occasionally show "false positives" for FIV, because of the transfer of antibodies from a mother cat in the womb. It is suggested that these kittens be tested again at age 6 months. On the other hand, a negative FIV test will indicate a strong possibility that the kitten does not carry the virus."

and this... (taken from http://www.gla.ac.uk/companion/ofiv.htm#kittens )

My feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infected queen has kittens - will they be FIV positive?

FIV does not generally cross the placenta to the unborn kitten. There is a small possibility of an FIV positive queen infecting her kittens as she bites through the umbilical cord. The test for FIV is an antibody test, cats which are FIV positive have antibodies in their blood. Queens pass antibodies to their kittens in their milk, especially in their first day of life, so that kittens of FIV positive queens can have positive FIV tests, although in fact they are not themselves infected - because of the antibody from their mothers milk. So it is essential that kittens of FIV positive queens are not FIV tested until they are at least 16 weeks old, by which time the antibody they got from suckling should have disappeared. If you really can't wait until they are 16 weeks old to know whether or not kittens are FIV positive, it is possible to do a virus isolation test, though it requires quite a big blood sample for a little kitten to give. Isolating the virus will cost rather more than the routine antibody test.

Kittens which have FIV positive tests are usually not FIV infected. They should be retested after 16 weeks of age.

Mojo · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2007, 20:00:33 PM »

When I got them - Mango at seven weeks as she was hand reared from two weeks old, and Chutney at twelve weeks I was told the CP lady had had them both tested (sent to Glasgow).

I asked specifically for FIV+ kitties as I knew I had to have them indoors as no garden and that they were a bit more difficult to re-home. The CP lady had rescued FIV+ kitties before, and did not discriminate when rescuing.

I have not had them tested since, maybe I should?

either way, they are indoor kitties now.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2007, 19:48:47 PM »

Don't really know what the general thought on vaccination with FIV cats is but was just wondering how you knew they were FIV+. I didn't think the test was reliable until they were 6 months and if they were jabbed at a few weeks old I'm guessing you've had them since babies? Sorry, I know that doesn't help you answer your question but I was just curious what made you test them as youngsters.

Quote from: Mojo on August 24, 2007, 13:31:10 PM

Hi Guys,

As you may or may not know, my two babes Mango and Chutney are FIV+. They were jabbed at a few weeks old when I got them, and obviously the next jabs will be due later this year.

My kitties dont go outside, and i remember speaking to my vet about if it was worth getting their yearly jabs. Does it really help with their antibodies etc? Would it affect them in any way to have these yearly jabs if their immune system is already suppressed? What about Vaccinosis?

Can anyone offer me some advice? This has been turning over and over in my head for months

clarenmax · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2007, 13:34:11 PM »

I think the jury's still out on this one to be honest.

I don't vaccinate my boy, I took advice from my vet (they spoke to the vaccine suppliers), and they said that even the 'dead' form of vaccine could still pose a problem, if the cat's immune system is particularly poor.

I know that others do vaccinate their FIV puds, I guess it depends on which vet you see and what advice they give you.

Sorry, I know that's not much help

Mojo · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2007, 13:31:10 PM »

Hi Guys,

As you may or may not know, my two babes Mango and Chutney are FIV+. They were jabbed at a few weeks old when I got them, and obviously the next jabs will be due later this year.

My kitties dont go outside, and i remember speaking to my vet about if it was worth getting their yearly jabs. Does it really help with their antibodies etc? Would it affect them in any way to have these yearly jabs if their immune system is already suppressed? What about Vaccinosis?

Can anyone offer me some advice? This has been turning over and over in my head for months

Author Topic: FIV+ Kitties-To Vaccinate or to not Vaccinate? (Read 12378 times)