Vaccination for cats FAQ

 

We are regularly facing questions on Cat Vaccination Schedule from cat parents and RKD as usual provides credible guidance to pet parents. So here is the easy to understand schedule.

Source: https://www.petmd.com/cat/wellness/what-fvrcp-cat-vaccine

 

Your cat needs FVRCP Vaccine and Rabies Vaccine. That’s all.

 

What Does FVRCP Stand For?

 

The FVRCP is a combined vaccine against:

-Feline Viral Rhinotracheiti (FVR),

-Calicivirus (C) &

-Panleukopenia (P).

 

This vaccine is similar to DHPPiL vaccine for dogs. The details of those feline diseases are towards the end of the section. But, first the schedule that you must read and memorize and practice.

 

Select TriCat Trio from the “Pet Vaccines: Delivery Service” Section & Deworming suspension at the “Dewormer: Dogs/ Puppies/ Cats/ Kitten” section. It protects against the Core Diseases–Feline Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleucopenia. These 3 are the mandatorily basic protections that are required.

 

There are other higher priced vaccines that offer protection against some non-core diseases, but those are optional for adult cats.

 

The other core vaccine being the rabies vaccine which also is available at the same link at best price.

 

 

 

 

The Schedule: For Kittens

1) 6 to 8 weeks: FVRCP 1st dose preceded by liver guard medicine and deworming suspension one week prior to vaccination.

2) 10 to 12 weeks: FVRCP 1st Booster Dose with liver guard and deworming as per schedule noted in step 1).

3) 14 to 16 weeks: FVRCP 2nd Booster Dose, with deworming as per schedule noted in step 1).

4) 16 to 18 weeks: Anti Rabies Vaccine without need for another deworming. (Same vaccine as used for any animal—dogs, cows etc., all delivered by RKD at best prices.)

5) After 1 year from Dose 3): FVRCP Final booster dose.

6) After 3 years from Dose 5): FVRCP dose and continue every 3 yrs.

 

Special Note: If you want to vaccinate adult cats that have not received any vaccine as kittens, then start from step 4). If they have survived through kitten stage without getting infected, there is no reason to think that they are highly at risk. To be safe, vaccinate them with the final dose and follow through at 3 yrs intervals.

 

Why Booster Doses are Required for kittens?

The series of vaccines is necessary because it takes a number of “booster shots” to convince the immune system to recognize the components of the vaccine. The series also helps ensure that the vaccine starts working in kittens when the immunity from their mother’s milk wears off.

 

Details of the life threats:

FVR: The “FVR” in FVRCP stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheiti (Caused by Feline Herpes Virus 1 or FHV-1). This disease can lead to a severe upper respiratory tract disease (including rhinitis, sneezing and conjunctivitis). Most cats die in unusually harsh winters because of this. Other less common symptoms include oral ulceration and primary pneumonia.

 

Don’t consider your cat safe just because it survived a few winters without vaccination. The virus can lie dormant in cats until they are stressed by environmental conditions such as very low temperature on any one particular winter night which can come without warning. It will cause a flare-up of symptoms.

 

Feline Calicivirus: The “C” in FVRCP stands for calicivirus (Feline Calicivirus or FCV). Similar to FHV-1, feline calicivirus typically causes upper respiratory tract disease and oral ulceration. It can also cause chronic stomatitis, pneumonia, systemic disease or lameness that becomes life threatening in winter season. Occasionally, a more severe strain—virulent systemic feline calicivirus (VS-FCV)—can travel through a population, which can result in more debilitating symptoms as well as infection of the internal organs. This more severe strain is frequently fatal.

 

Panleukopenia: Finally, the “P” in FVRCP stands for Panleukopenia (Feline Panleukopenia Or Feline Distemper or FPV). FPV is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. It causes anorexia, vomiting, fever and severe diarrhoea in cats. The virus also attacks the bone marrow and lymph nodes, which leads to a very low white blood cell count and prevents the cat from being able to activate their immune system normally.

 

The vaccines named above are called Core Vaccines. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) says, “Core vaccines protect animals from severe, life-threatening diseases that have global distributions.” All three of the viruses that the FVRCP vaccine protects against are widespread and have the potential to be fatal.

 

All three viruses are also highly contagious. FVR and FCV are spread through sneezes, saliva or eye secretions, but can also be transferred through the environment. FPV can also be spread through the same bodily fluids, but is predominantly spread through contact with contaminated stools—similar to parvovirus. The virus can live for up to a year in the environment on things like bedding, food bowls, litter boxes, cages, clothing, etc. This means that your cat does NOT have to come into contact with an infected cat to become ill—they just need to be exposed to something contaminated with the virus.