PHC4 Feline vaccines

Question 1

Why are kittens/puppies more susceptible to disease?
What is the role of MDAs

Answer 1

• In general, kittens (and puppies) are more susceptible than adults.
  
  • Kittens born to immune queens lack significant amounts of transplacentally acquired antibodies.
  • Absorb specific maternally derived antibodies (MDAs) through colostrum. Most absorption occurs within 24 hours.
  • MDAs interfere with active immunization in 2 main ways.
    
    1. Neutralizes vaccine antigens and prevents them from stimulating an immune response.
    2. Inhibits IgG production
  • Research shows that kittens may be susceptible to infectious disease at about 1 month of age - perhaps as much as 2 weeks earlier than puppies

Question 2

What is the most common reason for vaccine failure?

Answer 2

Persistence of MDAs is one of the most common reasons for vaccine failures.

Question 3

How are vaccine protocols designed in regards to MDAs?

Answer 3

• Vaccine protocols are therefore designed at timing intervals to increase the chance that successful immunization will occur soon after MDAs have declined to sufficiently low titers.

Question 4

What are ethe core vaccines in a cat?

Answer 4

• Feline Herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1)
  
  • Feline calicivirus (FCV)
  • Feline Panleukopenia virus (FPV)
  • Feline leukopenia virus (FeLV) for less than 1 year.
    Rabies virus

Question 5

How are the core vaccines administrated?

Answer 5

• FHV-1, FCV, FPV all come as a multivalent or combination vaccine and usually SC route.
  
  • Intra nasal vaccine also available. Often called RCP
    FeLV is a monovalent vaccine and given SC

Question 6

When do you administer core vaccines?

Answer 6

• FHV-1, FCV, FPV combination can be given at 6 weeks, then every 3-4 weeks until at least 16-20 weeks of age.
  ○ First dose at 8-10 weeks
  ○ Second dose at 12-14 weeks
  ○ Third dose at 16-18 weeks
  
  • If the cats are greater than 16 weeks of age, 2 vaccines 3-4 weeks apart.
    ○ First dose at 17 weeks
    ○ Second dose at 20-21 weeks
  • Booster: Give a single dose of a combination vaccine at 12-16 months (1 year following kitten series).
  • Give subsequent adult doses at intervals of 3 years

FeLV
- Two doses 3-4 weeks apart starting early as 8 weeks old
- If >16 weeks for first dose then give two doses 3-4 weeks apart (first at 17 weeks, second at 20-21 weeks).
- Booster: 12 months after last kitten vaccine
- Subsequent as adult:
○ Consider re vaccination if the cat is high risk
○ Re vax can be annually or every 3 years depending on labelling of vaccine.
○ Considered non-core for adults >1 year who are low risk.
○ Cats > 1 yr who are not vaccinated for FeLV should have a FeLV test done prior to vaccinations.

Rabies
- 1 yr and 3 yr labelled vaccine available
- Give single dose at not earlier than 12 weeks. Give a single dose once turned 12 weeks or older.
- Second dose needed 12 months following 1st dose
Subsequent doses can use 1 yr or 3 yr .

Question 7

What is high risk FeLV?

Answer 7

• High risk = a subjective assessment. Refers to potential of regular exposure to FeLV through encountering FeLV cats, living with FeLV +ve cats, socialising with cats of unknown FeLV status. Outdoor lifestyle and saliva exchange activities.
  AAFP recommends continued annual (or every 3 years as per labelling) vaccination for high risk and vaccination every 2 years for cats who have periodic exposure to FeLV.

Question 8

What are the non-core vaccines?

Answer 8

• Chlamydia
  
  • Bordetella Bronchiseptica
  • Feline immunodeficiency virus
• Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Question 9

What are some considerations for vaccine plans?

Answer 9

• Lifestyle - boarding/travelling
  
  • Life stage - infection more prevalent in kittens
  • Health status - concurrent disease, repro
  • Population of cats - multi cat household, new cats?
    Breeding, foster, shelter - exposure and stress increase.