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Feline (Cat) Vaccines

The Deadly Respiratory Viruses: This group of vaccines are also combined in combination doses to spare your feline friends extra “sticks” with the vaccination needle. The viruses that these vaccines have been designed to protect your friends against are usually fatal or very difficult to treat. All of these vaccines are given on an annual basis. Please remember that the world of vaccinations is not a perfect world. The protection percentages depend upon many factors which cannot be controlled. However, compared to not vaccinating , (the risks to your friends are obvious!) these products do give very good protection.

FELINE VIRAL RHINOTRACHEITIS. This long name is used to describe a virus that attacks the respiratory areas of your friend from nasal passages , down the windpipe, to the lungs. Many cats also develop ulcers on their tongues, which severely reduce appetite. All surfaces in breathing system are continuous, so the virus attacks the cells that line the airways . The protective mechanisms in the airways basically create more mucous and release more antibodies to the damaged sites. However, your feline friends are very susceptible to respiratory infections. Cats that recover from this disease generally have permanent damage to one or more areas of the respiratory system. They often have permanent nasal discharge, runny eyes, wheezing, can’t meow very well, asthma-like symptoms. If you have ever adopted a “wheezy” cat, it probably had a close encounter with this virus. The vaccine is most often given as an attenuated virus. That means that the virus is “disabled” so that your friend cannot develop an actual infection, or even run a fever. Your friend’s immune system will hopefully produce antibodies against this virus that will circulate for about a year or more and protect against an attack by this virus. Protection with this vaccine is very good. I have not seen a case of rhinotracheitis in a vaccinated cat...ever!

CALICIVIRUS: This virus causes a fatal respiratory infection, generally resulting in a terminal pneumonia. The virus attacks tissues along the respiratory tracts. It also attacks the lining of the mouth, producing ulcers. Cats that survive this attack sometimes develop chronic gingivitis. This seems to be a favorite place for the virus to reside as the Calici virus can be cultured from the damaged gum tissue. This damaged gum tissue never heals completely . The only resolution is to trim all of the gum tissue back to healthy tissue. The vaccine is also an attenuated virus so immunity to the disease is very good. I have seen damaged gum tissue in vaccinated cats. However, I believe that most of this damage is due to dental problems and not the Calici virus.

FELINE RHINOPNEUMONITIS (CHLAMYDIA): This organism causes a pneumonitis . Pneumonitis means an inflammation of the lung tissues with no excessive fluid or mucous produced. This organism is not considered fatal by itself. Chlamydia is generally blamed for degrading the immune responses of the feline so that deadly bacteria can attack the lung tissues. It attacks the same tissues from the lining of the nose down the windpipe to the lungs. The symptoms are the same for this organism as the rhino virus. This portion of the combination vaccine is simply ground up chlamydia . Protection is not complete, but much better than no protection at all. Veterinary researchers believe that the response by the body to this chlamydia gives what I referred to in previous articles as “cross immunity”. That is, the antibodies produced against this organism offers some protection against viruses. Kitty cats that contract a case of pneumonitis from this organism usually recover. Many develop permanent tearing in one or both eyes. Give your friends a hug for me!

DR. BOB

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