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sciumi

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I have a question about all this vaccine stuff. Im much more familier with canine vaccines, not so much cats, so help me out here.... Are Sphynx cats MORE suseptable to side affects or illness from vacs than a regular fuzzy cat? what if I plan on taking my future naked baby on outtings with me to the petstore, friends places, etc..... I will never let my cat out w/o a leash/harness, but would really enjoy taking him with me anywhere that i can. I guess there is not way to be 100% sure we would never come across a sick cat. what type of vaccines should i give or avoid??

I have never heard anything about Sphynxes having any sort of susceptibility. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, but the vast majority of health/medical information is equally applicable to all breeds. And I've read a few places that no congenital disorders have been specifically connected to the Sphynx breed.

Astor didn't get anything more than core vaccines. My vet advised to only vaccinate against diseases for which he would be at risk--as an indoor kitty (even with my intentions of taking him out on a harness occasionally), his risk is negligible.

My area doesn't have a lot of strays around either, so I can't imagine us even coming across one--let alone being in a situation where Astor could actually be bitten.


I don't remember if FIV has been discussed yet, but a huge drawback for that vaccine is that, once vaccinated, FIV tests will always come back positive because it detects the antibodies from the vaccine.
 

Caloci

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Most breeder contracts will state FIV and FeLV vacs will void the contract. A lot of vets don't recommend them either for any cat.
 

catarina68

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My vet says there is no need for leukemia vaccine, since my baby boy never leaves the house and has no contact with other animals. It is an expensive and unnecessary vaccine.
In other hand before I started going to this vet, I previously went to another one, that filled my poor sphynx with all imaginable vaccines and prevent-full treatments. I started having doubts about if she was concerned about my cat´s health or just looking for easy profit.
I prefer to think less is more so... I try to provide my Boris with the best veterinary care but without filling him with chemicals which will weaken is immunity system.
 
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PunkNdisorderly

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I'm a little indecisive about the vaccine also. My kitty was given it by the breeder before we got him and then at the first booster shots my vet said he wasn't comfortable giving it.
Do you think the fact that he has had it once will be enough to protect him?
 

RyuusMom

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FIV and leukemia are also passed from mother to babies. I know this because we had a cat die from having markers of both. The strains are a little different than the type a cat gets from catching it from a bite, scratch, or sneeze. She passed from kidney failure because of it. And Ryuu passed from FIV a few weeks ago. We were told he had been vaccinated against it. He was rescued from an over run cattery. By law, rescues HAVE to be altered and vaccinated against FIV, leukemia and get their first year shots. At least in the state of MI. So cats coming into this state have to comply with those laws. Even though they came from a breeder. They were official rescues.

Watching Ryuu suffer... End stage FIV is incredibly ugly. He was only presenting symptoms for two weeks. We didnt know until the day before we euthanized, that FIV is what was making him sick. We'd been tryin all sorts of treatments, antibiotics, sub cue fluids. Because it looks like something else. The symptoms look like the flu! It is the cat version of AIDS and has no cure. It can be treated and you can prolong a quality life for your cat if you catch it in time. But we didn't.. So because of my experiences I will at least get mine vaccinated against FIV.

I've been told that during the warmer months, in most regions of the US, a cat can get feline leukemia, just from walking through grass that's been peed on by an infected cat, and then licking their feet, up to a week, without rainfall. It's highly transmittable. And that terrifies me.

We have 5 potbellied pigs and because of their needs, we have to have a doggy door installed. They are our indoor pets but have to come and go constantly. It's almost impossible to keep a cat indoors because of this. So all future cats will be vaccinated for at least FIV. The horror stories for the vaccine for the other scare me more than leukemia itself. Both the side affects and the disease sound very unpleasant.

One last thing, I heard you can request to have vaccines given in the tip of their tail so that if they do get cancer at the injection site, it's easier to remove and treat.
 

beckicu

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I know there has been a post on which vaccines to use and not use - but I am at work and in a hurry. Dinka is at the vet this morning for his neuter. The tech said he has not had his leukemia vaccine. I told her that I would have to get back with her on that. Do I vaccinate?:Dizzy:
When I first got my cats the person I bought them from warned me not to allow them to get the leukemia vaccine-However Oscar was given the vaccine anyway -I was very upset but he had no problem with it. As far as any other vaccines-my 3 cats get all shots.
I feel that I can't know what other people may carry on their clothes or hands, We also have a cat outdoors that was a feral rescue & There are other cats in the neighborhood. Although my cats are never ever allowed outside and all my doors have closers on them- you just never know what may might happen. In the 8 years I've had them, I've had 3 times where 1 or 2 of them have gotten outside-luckily nothing bad happened, but still no matter how careful you are you just never know.
 

Crinkuls

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Just another thing to think of......check your pet insurance!! It might not be valid if you don't get all the injections they list. My youngest has the Calicivirus and I am struggling to get the symptoms under control even tho she is on Interferon. She is due her annual booster this month for cat flu,enteritis etc but there is NO WAY I will be allowing it my vet agrees and will argue against PetPlan if she needs to. Just check small print
 

RyuusMom

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I do have a question about the distemper? Is that a no-no?
ZahZah is going in for a spay in a few days and I need to know if Sphynxes have a susceptibility to it. She's so tiny. She's like 1.5 years old, but isn't very big. I think poor care and the fact that the breeder CLAIMS her father is a different cat, I'm not so sure. I mean she did come to us pregnant and neither her (the breeder), nor us, knew about it, until there was a surprise baby in my bed.. -_- ANYWAYS....

Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with this? And if there is a reaction, what do you do? We are moving to California, soon, and cats moving across state have to have vaccines... so it isn't an option not to... Plus, with my earlier post, I said that we will more than likely have a doggy door, so the ability to keep her inside 100% of the time just won't be possible...

Any advice? I just don't want to kill her or make her sick. :(
 

lyndxe

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my breeder vaccinated our boys with RCPChFeLV before they ever came to us. even though the parents and the cats in her home are FIV and FeLV negative, she does so because she shows her cats, and wants to be sure that any hair or residual viruses could be transmitted to the kittens before they leave her home. she also said should we choose not to expose our cats to other cats and they remain the only two in the house, that we wouldn't need to booster them at 1 year.

The particular strain that these guys were vaccinated against is modified FeLV recombinant canary virus, which according to text, states "it is thought to be safer than the old vaccine as it does not require an adjuvant to be effective. Although this is a live virus, it originates from a bird host and so does not replicate in mammals"

we were also required to have them vaccinated against rabies in order to fly with them into Texas (that's a state law, not a requirement to enter with them from EU member states into the US), although this is probably for the best for them in the long run.

the boys are very healthy and active, and i've seen no problems with them whatsoever from what could've been possible side effects.

Melvin had an mild eye infection in his left eye about a month after he came to us, which i am fairly sure came from a scratch while play fighting with his brother. a course of antibiotics cleared up the infection immediately, and he was fine. after his neuter surgery, he licked his incision and managed to get some litter or poo in there (despite my best efforts to keep it clean), and needed to go on a small course of antibiotics again as the incision became infected. again, cleared up and he healed quickly.

i'd love for him to never have to go on antibiotics again, but i am comfortable that these things had nothing to do with the fact he was vaccinated with the RCPChFeLV vaccine. i trust my breeder implicitly, her cattery is well known here in CZ, and i have several friends who own breeding cats from her line. she also does scans yearly for HCM, and maintains an HCM free line, as well as keeping in contact with all the people who buy her cats. she is very concerned with their placement in a caring and healthy home.

i would say not to worry too much about the side effects of FeLV if they are using an avian virus that cannot replicate in mammals, and doesn't require an adjuvant to be effective.

just my two cents!
 

admin

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Here is the current vaccine protocol (most sphynx owners DO NOT do the "Optional" especially the FIP & FeLV vaccines, which can also void your kitten contract):

Healthy kittens and adult cats should be vaccinated for "life threatening" diseases like panleukopenia, herpesvirus, calicivirus (FVRCP), and rabies. These are considered the “core” vaccines – ones that every cat should receive. While vaccines come in a variety of form and combinations, the most commonly used FVRCP vaccine is a multivalent vaccine: it contains viral antigens for several diseases. The rabies vaccine is a monovalent vaccine. It contains viral antigens for one virus: the rabies virus.

Optional or “non-core” vaccines available for cats include Chlamydophila felis(a respiratory pathogen, formerly called Chlamydia), the feline leukemia virus(FeLV), the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus, Bordetella (another respiratory pathogen), Giardia (an intestinal protozoan), and ringworm (a skin fungus). Some of these vaccines are believed to be fairly efficacious, while others are considered nearly useless.

Kittens, typically presented to veterinarians at 6 to 8 weeks of age, should receive an FVRCP vaccine, with additional boosters given every 3 – 4 weeks until 12 weeks of age. Kittens older than 12 weeks of age, and adult cats with no known vaccination history should receive an FVRCP vaccine, and one additional FVRCP booster 3 – 4 weeks later.

All cats should receive a rabies vaccine at 12 – 16 weeks of age.

At one year of age, or one year after the last vaccination, an FVRCP and a rabies vaccine should again be administered.

How often these “core” vaccines should be administered is not entirely clear. Vaccination is a medical procedure, and like all medical procedures, it carries some degree – granted, a very small degree – of risk The goal of veterinarians should be to vaccinate as many cats as possible, but reduce the number and frequency of unnecessary vaccines.

Always check with your vet of course to be safe and current. :)
 

DarkWing

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i´m normaly for vaccines but after my last experinces i thought a bit difrend..... in germany we got the scheme to vaccinate RCP every year..... what i did to all of my cats. My females and my one male got every year ahot of the RCP vacine and as kitten the got the leukosis basic immunized, the male one also get rabbies hsot as kitten.... now i have the shelter kittenhere and some read the storry of him and he makes me think about the vaccines because i thinkig he got his bad condition with ataxia and all from the last RCP shot. If you git a weak kitten don´t let vaccined them ... wait to the healthiesy point. becaus vaccine reaction can be realy horrorbil
 

Izidora

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My vet has Versifel vaccines, is that ok? I still did not vaccinate my boy. His breeder (byb unfortunately, yes) did not do it and since I got him, his brother died, I changed job, problems in life - never get around to it. However, I will soon and I will not let them give him the rabies one. Joshira, my female, got everything because she traveled from Ukraine to my country and she could not go on a flight without vaccinating.
 

Izidora

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well he's an indoor cat and he won't get out of the house...and I'm paranoid about vaccines and his health and have an enormous fear that something might happen if he gets all the vaccines so I try to give him the minimum. But if someone says it does not matter and that it's all fine, please do convince me that it's safe because my paranoia is killing me! :(
 

Maddie

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@Izidora
That's a fair enough reason :) I get the paranoia and wanting to keep your baby safe! My girl only has the main three, and she has her rabies because the breeder got it done (she was supposed to be a queen).

One reason people get the rabies shot done is if their baby were to bite someone. Then it's known that the human is safe from rabies, there was some other reason that went with it but I can't remember it at the moment. That was my vets reason as to why people do get it for their indoor cats, but he also said it was a person choice :)
 

Izidora

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Well, I do not know much of feline diseases, are they all transmitted cat to cat or can you bring it on your shoes, as you would bring parasites?
 

Catzzzmeow

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@Izidora I live in NY and it is a law we need to vaccinate pets against rabies. We bring our boy Sunday for his. Our vet does not like to give rabies at the same time as other vaccines which I appreciate him sharing, so he spaced his 3 weeks apart from his last vaccines. We have seen a few times in here bats have gotten into homes, or cats have slipped out of the house unnoticed. Yes, we have seen some issues of babies having a reaction, but I trust our vet. When our Bengal hit 16 and started having some health issues, our vet said he recommended us not getting the rabies vaccine any longer. The one thing I can't get out of my head is that if an animal bites someone and is feared to have rabies they euthanize the animal in order to collect tissue from the brain. Yes, I am nervous getting the vaccine (humans are nervous giving vaccines to their kids these days) but I am doing it in hopes of protecting mine as best possible.
 

Yoda mom

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@Izidora ,
Here is a link with replies about vaccines too as well as a link too by admin
How important is it to get the 2nd set/ Booster shots?

If you have a kitty contract read thru it -
Some breeders void a contract if certain vaccines given

I have been to vets that want to vaccinate for everthing over and over .
Other vets believe in not over vaccinating
There are often mandatory rabies vaccine "
It can be overwhelming.

In the United states it is kind of tricky because the 1 yr rabies vaccine is actually the same as the three year -
Confirmed last week when I got my pups rabies vaccine.
its packaging / labeling because of different protocols by counties / state.

It is ultimately my choice and can decline based on my kitties individual circumstances.
I have been in the vets office and declined certain vaccines.

Based on my circumstances I personally do not over vaccinate -
You can ask your vet about the laws in your area and if they offer/ accept a titer test.
*Some counties will allow a waiver under certain circumstances your vet can tell you about.

Also, certain brand vaccines are preferred by vets. I am not familiar with the Brand you mentioned but you can online search check it for more information.

Vaccines are also usually given on certain parts of the body-
rabies vaccine here is usually given right rear leg in case of complications /amputation
Some of the other "L" vaccines are given in left rear leg .

I have had a kitty with near death reaction to vaccines- his vet said no more for him
My other kitties have had no adverse reaction with their vaccines

You will see many posts of pros and cons about vaccines
Best to talk in depth to your vet with whom you have a good working relationship-
They can also tell you about transmittal diseases

When I worked animal control I always disinfected my shoes , clothing.
Even when I visited catteries looking for a kitty , I took hand sanitizer and sprayed my shoes
Just for an extra precaution


** there are "similar threads " too at the bottom page of this thread
 

Izidora

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@Catzzzmeow @Maddie
Nah, my country is lousy even in human laws, not to mention animals. I admire countries that have animal police, animal insurance and so on. :( There is no such law here that would make you vaccinate an animal. It's all up to you. But I guess if an animal bit someone and the person got sick, and the animal turned out to be not vaccinated, someone WOULD sue you allright.

My vet gave the vaccine in the back of the neck (that was to my late Teenoo)...now I'd like to give Silvio only the basic ones - hope it doesn't matter he's 10 months old :(
 

kellyannallen

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In Germany, My Zino came with his 'Baby shots' from the breeder. He's had his boosters (Along with fuzzy brother Lio) only because we go away in the summer for a month and we have to have the shots for cat colds to board them with wonderful people for a month. Lio has had the FLv shot because we adopted a Burmese from our shelter and he had it.... And died from it... And we got Lio and Nym (Thai Cat) vaccinated because he was sick..... Nym died at 21 and Lio is fine.....

Our vets here ask a lot of questions about the lifestyle of the cat, and indoors only the basics like rabies and distemper are suggested, other than that its a question between you and your vet and what shots you give or do not....
 

dejavually

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597d97fdabba902e0f7277ed3b0b093d.jpg

Hey everyone ordered the new HCM GENETIC SWAB TEST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO it's finally here I ordered a couple swaps for both cats. This is what the paperwork work looks like. It comes in the mail in a plain white folder envelope with just a hand printed address on outside of envelop. Each test is only $40 bucks each swab.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Sundance

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Thanks everybody - neuter went well. He got his pain meds and the vet said he will probably sleep through the rest of the day and night.:LOL::LOL::LOL:NOT-Dinka's eyes are dialated and everytime I check on him he starts rolling on the floor all lovey and purring then wants to play attack. He has NOT slept. It is 9PM and he is in his room staring at the litter box. I am afraid he has an addictive personality - loves the meds. Also I asked the vet about his constant weeping eyes. Vet says he has a duct that goes to his nose. Any additional tearing pools up into the inner corner of the lower lid and would drain from this duct into his nose. It could be a birth defect or the deep wrinkling that keep this from happening. Nothing serious. He gave me eye drops to give him. If it does not work then the vet could run a small fillament through the duct to open it up. Very tedious. I won't have that done. (This is the same vet that did surgery on Kika's eye, my last Sphynx and did a fantastic job). Thought it was informative. This vet spent 45 minutes with me talking about the leukemia virus. He informed me of different drug companies that made it, how they made the drug and so on. He also said that in the 80's and when the virus was rampant - he was appalled at how many cats he had to put down. Also the drugs are made different these days. The main complication rom the vaccine would be a tumor. It is how and where you inject it. There is one company that has an air driven injection but he beleives it might not deliver the amount needed, they did this to avoid the tumor issue. He said the vaccine is so different these days and is not made from the live virus anymore. Just info I thought I would pass along. Thanks for asking about Dinka. Beleive me - he is doing great.:Smile:
The whole tumor thing is a problem.... My Rosie developed fibrosarcoma, from being vaccinated back when they used to put all the vaccines together in a group right behind the neck. She survived.... but at the expense of having all skin and muscle removed, all the way down to the bone, from her neck to midway down her back and from one shoulder blade across to the other. She never acted like she cared, she ran around like a maniac and played and was the Queen of the Household until she died of unrelated issues at age 16.. But when I petted her and could feel her spine right under her skin, I cared. Rosie never had another vaccination in her life.

Now they separate each vaccine, and put one in each leg (if your cat develops fibrosarcoma, they just amputate the leg). Since predilection to fibrosarcoma is genetic, Rosie's mother had to have all her vaccinations in her tail, which is terribly painful but prevents your cat from dying if they develop fibrosarcoma.
 
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