Vaccination and Re-Vaccination - your thoughts?
Recently I have come across a number of articles suggesting that some vaccinations can be harmful (e.g. our breeder does not routinely vaccinate her kittens against Feline Leukaemia Virus as she is unhappy about loading their systems with it at a vulnerable age), and that booster vaccinations are unnecessary.
Now, we have always ensured that the booster vaccinations are kept up to date and indeed, had we not done so, then when Gabby, Spike and Whisper went down with Cat Flu, Petplan would not have paid out! The fact that the Cat Flu vaccine doesn't protect against all strains of the virus is immaterial - so long as you have vaccinated against whatever they have developed, in theory the Insurance should cover the illness.
There is a lot of conflicting information out there - for instance, one site states that FIE, FCV and FVR are "compulsory", with Chlamydia and FeLV recommended and boosters every year. Our vet gives boosters to our "oldsters" of FIE, FCV and FVR but not FeLV and has recommended vaccinating Hobbes against FeLV as he wasn't vaccinated as a kitten and the others in the household are no longer given the booster.
I am obviously concerned at this point, because Hobbes may be at risk from developing FIP and the older ones don't need any stress either. Our cats do not go outside and they stay home with a sitter if we ever go away.
I will be checking with our veterinary practice but would like to get your "take" on this subject.
Re_vaccination-your thoughts.
I think this could be another subject with varying replies like the one on "how do you feed your cat".I also think it will depend on wether you have been unlucky enough to have had an animal that has reacted badly.I work at a vets,our dogs are not overboosted as for a lot of years now certain elements of that booster are only done every third year,research has now shown that it also can apply to cats & panleucopenia is now given every third year after initial course & 1st booster.I saw parvovirus when it first came into this country & no way would I ever want any of my dogs to suffer like that,we hadn't seen it for several years until the "don't over vaccinate your dog ,only makes the vets money campaign started" & now in the last three years it is back & at a surgery twenty miles from us last year there were several deaths from it because of people letting their boosters lapse or not bothering with vaccinations full stop,the same applies with cats,we used to have a big number of cats die from FELV but through vaccinating them against it a big drop was noticed,my cats are "indoors"but again I wouldn't risk them in case they escaped & the big local tom cat bit them,would never forgive myself if they caught something I could protect them against but like everything it is something the individual has to decide for themselves,it helps me a bit seeing the otherside & perhaps I have been lucky to see more benefits for it than against......