Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Kate Richardson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:51:38 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]The Vaccination Guidelines Group and the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases recommend that adult cats only need to be vaccinated every 3 years.[/quote]

Sorry I should have been more specific- my recommendation on vaccination in any cat regardless of age is based upon risk level- but I can't find anything to support reducing vaccination frequency based on age alone.

The ABCD guidelines actually recommend triennial vaccinations against Herpes and Calici in low risk situations only (e.g. indoor-only cats without contact to other cats). Otherwise they still recommend annual vaccinations. Panleukopaenia is recommended every 3+ years; immunity has been shown to last a lot longer (7 years being the latest point in time tested). For FeLV- the ABCD suggests that in cats older than three to four years, a booster every two to three years is sufficient.

Many people seem to think there is no point vaccinating older animals but I haven't seen any evidence to suggest we shouldn't vaccinate them based on the same risk assessment as for younger animals; likely to be lower risk as more likely to have less contact with other cats as staying at home more and hence likely to require less frequent vaccination, but each case still needs individual assessment, not a blanket approach.

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Annual check yes - annual vaccination not necessarily.[/quote]

Absolutely. But based on risk assessment.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:12:11 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]

I think vaccinations versus the flu/enteritis viruses are important in older cats as the immune system ages just like every other system, but I do advise dropping FeLV vaccinations in a lot of older cats. I think it comes down to helping the owner to spend their money effectively and it may be more helpful to put the cost of vaccination towards other health care costs in an older animal.

[/quote] You're thinking the wrong way Kate, Clive and I have already both touched on this. The Vaccination Guidelines Group and the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases recommend that adult cats only need to be vaccinated every 3 years. One could easily argue that an old cat could better benefit from its dodgy immune system being put to use fighting real threats not against diseases for which it already has adequate immunity and is less likely to encounter. Its not about owners making choices over spending their money it is about us giving them the right information, making risk assessments and not putting the bottom line first! Annual check yes - annual vaccination not necessarily.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Kate Richardson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:39:22 GMT

I would advise waiting, unless the owner desperately wanted the cat vaccinated. Although there are common causes of weight loss in old cats that don't preclude vaccination, there are equally causes that may make it less of a priority, and cats are excellent at masking serious disease. So many owners think weight loss is 'normal' in older animals, even when they know its appetite has decreased, and they can be hard to observe for other signs especially if they go outdoors. What I sometimes do is offer to keep the cat in the hosp until the bloods are run (if being done in house) to save any extra car trips for the cat and then it can be treated or vaccinated and sent home depending on results. I think the initial reaction to the blood results in a cat that was okay in itself needing urgent rehydration was a bit OTT-advising a urine analysis would have been my next step to determine cause of the azotaemia.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Clive Ansell — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:35:16 GMT

I agree with Gillian, if I was concerned enough about the cats health to advise a blood test I would also advise waiting for the results before vaccination. If the client asked me to I probably would vaccinate, but my advice would still be wait for the results first. At least that way if the client later questions whether or not you should have vaccinated, you can say "sorry, your call, my advice was to wait for the results" a case of covering ones bottom.

Is vaccination indicated or necessary in a knackered 16 year old cat anyway?

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Mark Holmes — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:02:29 GMT

[quote user="Julian Earl"]

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]Good clinical examination and bloods taken, may as well vaccinate, I would have done.[/quote]

Me too. I wouldn't vaccinate if the cat was showing signs of infection, but poor kidneys is not a reason not to vaccinate IMO.

[/quote]

Agreed. I owuld vacinate as long as it is not showing clinical symptoms of infectious disease. A ot of renal cats seem to develop mattery eyes and a runny nose; one could argue that if they are run donw then extra protection is essential.

[/quote] Although I would argue that snotty renal cats are more likely recrudescence of previous disease and therefore vaccination is not going to offer protection but simply increase the antigenic burden. A cat with several vaccines in its history is already immune, already carrying the disease or unable to respond to vaccination, they are also often limited in the extent to which they mix with other cats.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

CatherineThomas — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:50:26 GMT

I probably would have vaccinated it as long as it wasn't showing any signs of infection too. The most likely things you will find on bloods are renal insufficiency or hyperthyroidism, neither of which preclude vaccination unless it's end stage kidney disease and the cat isn't going to live much longer. But in that case I would expect the cat to be showing more than just weight loss. As Julian said if they are run down it's even more important for them to be covered with vaccination.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Julian Earl — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:55:39 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]Good clinical examination and bloods taken, may as well vaccinate, I would have done.[/quote]

Me too. I wouldn't vaccinate if the cat was showing signs of infection, but poor kidneys is not a reason not to vaccinate IMO.

[/quote]

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:43:47 GMT

If I was concerned enough about the cat that I took bloods (which I wouldn't necessarily have done in this case if it wasn't likely to change anything) then I would not vaccinate until I had the blood results back. Afterall, apart from the health of the cat still being an unknown, you could be wasting the owner's hard earned money!

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Robin Grimmer — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:09:04 GMT

sounds a bit like a case of treating the lab results rather than the cat itself. If the cat was well in itself and was eating then did it really need to go in for a drip? CRF should have been confirmed with urinalysis first, and ideally BP measured. Perhaps all it needed was to go on to a renal diet +- Fortekor +- amlodopine if hypertensive?

Re the vaccine itself, I wouldn't criticise the vet for doing that if the cat wasn't that unwell.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Jacquin Mitchell — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:06:44 GMT

Fair enough, I'm probably a bit on the cautious side.
My friend would have been happy to have come back once the blood results were back if vaccination had been advised. The cat very rarely goes outside and never into a cattery, her vets are still advising yearly vaccination but she would have been happy enough to leave it and just continue with yearly check ups.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:45:39 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]Good clinical examination and bloods taken, may as well vaccinate, I would have done.[/quote]

Me too. I wouldn't vaccinate if the cat was showing signs of infection, but poor kidneys is not a reason not to vaccinate IMO.

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:10:13 GMT

I would say a 16 year old cat probably doesn't need vaccinating annually anyway unless it has to go to cattery then that is only for their benefit not the cat's. I would then investigate the problem that was casing it to be unwell because if its too ill to have a vaccine its too ill to go to cattery!

Re: Vaccinating A Cat when unwell?

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:27:41 GMT

A case of hindsight

The owner has made the effort to box the cat, and bring it in for a vaccination. Good clinical examination and bloods taken, may as well vaccinate, I would have done.

If the bloods were negative would the owner be delighted to come back or could your friend have claimed that it was a wasted trip and couldn't this have been done at the time?

Neil