Louise Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3588457.stm I am not a fan of over vaccinating and this kind of backs that up I know personally as I have to be blood tested twice a year for Rabies antibodies and I was first vaccinated 20 years ago and had one boost (without a bleed first ) 7 years ago when I came to work here and I have never needed another boost as my antibody levels are so high still I was quite ill after the boost as well I have always felt vaccination is a money making scheme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Interesting. It does make sense that they shouldn't need the same ones year in year out. The majority of human vaccines give a lifelong immunity following an initial course and one or two boosters So why should animals be any different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted December 17, 2007 Author Share Posted December 17, 2007 My point Snowy I don't have any of my animals vaccinated I have never had a cat die of a vaccinatable disease When they have one for the wheels of a car I will be first in the queue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Must admit, my dog had his initial ones and maybe boosters at 1 year, but nothing for the past 6 years. Even with myself and the children, I'd rather undergo a blood test and get antibody levels checked before having unnecessary boosters. One company I worked for insisted I needed a hep B booster as I was 2 years over the booster due date. Checked antibodies - still at protective levels. Now they say you actually don't need a booster every 5 years (but it isn't actually policy yet, so they are still doing them ). And don't get me started on mass vaccination of children a second time because 10% might not have become immune first time around! Oh dear, ranting now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Funny you should have posted this Louise because I was discussing it with Lesley on Saturday and I said that i would ask you about it. I resent paying out so much on cat vaccinations each year and wonder whether they actually need doing each year - I may have to have a full and frank discussion with my vet about this. Do you think it's worth getting the cats tested to see if they are immune? I've had the same thing with human vaccines too Lousie - I used to travel extensively, mostly to third world countries and always kept my vaccinations up to date. One time - they made me quite ill and when my doc looked into it, it turned out that I was still immune from all the vaccines I'd already had; I stopped having them, except for the yellow fever as some countries require you to have an up to date vaccination certificate if you are travelling from a YF zone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted December 17, 2007 Author Share Posted December 17, 2007 I react to vaccinations too and I am glad I get checked but it is a difficult one to guess at as we have alot of people here who have to have the rabies jabs - engineers, QA as well as the lab staff and it is only a theoretical risk anyway as we don't actually handle the virus just blood samples (from vaccinated pets) that may have it in - never had one in 10 years though Some of the people on the list need to be boosted every year others like me never seem to need one I think either your body makes the antibodies easily or it doesn't so is it fair to assume animals fall into these two categories as well Yes getting the animal sampled may answer that question but how much will the lab test cost - alot probably so it may be cheaper to boost However if you check for a couple of years and levels are way up still you may get away with testing every 5 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Thanks for the advice Louise - I'll speak to the vet. Biscuit is as strong (and roughly the same size) as an ox, but Georgie, our rescue cat is tiny and often catches colds, so I worry more about her health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 This is an interesting thread. We had our old cat Toffee vaccinated every year from the time that we got her. She had a form of cat flu as soon as we got her when she was about 2 yrs old we then had her boosted every year and she never showed any respiratory symptoms and lived until she was 19. We got 2 new cats also about 2 yrs old from the Cats Protection this yr they were both ready vaccinated but when Scamp was bitten by a fox earlier this year the stress brought out feline herpes virus which is one of the conditions against which they are vaccinated and we were then told that if they have it when they are little they are always carriers and will have outbreaks from time to time. When they went to the cattery over half term Ziggy sneezed a lot and they paniced and isolated them, took ziggy to the vet and were told that she was fine. I don't see their problem if the other cats have been vaccinated then they won't catch it unless they are also carriers but you don't know that unless they show symptoms. We will probably continue to have our cats done each year because most catteries won't take them without a valid certificate and we need to put them in several times a year but it does seem that it a waste of time and money not to mention stress to the animal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 That's interesting Liz. One of the reasons for asking was beacuse a friend had a small kitten, took it to be vaccinated (as you do)...it had a massive reaction to the vaccines and ended up dying My rescue cat brought cat flu with it - we had her treated on the rescue centre's account at our vets, but she always catches colds and sneezes a lot now. I wondre whether the flu affected her immune system or if it was to do with the vaccinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 My two have definately got respiratory problems. Ziggy sneezes a fair bit but without the nasty bits and Scamp snores and grunts even when she is awake but relaxed.They are both in very good health with good appetites and lively otherwise. I obviously did not know them before they had their jabs they may have always been like this, but it makes you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 My friends cat died a few years ago of a feline leukaemia which he could have been vaccinated against. It was pitiful to see, so maybe that particular disease is worth preventing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 My mum lost several cats when I was little to feline leukemia it is horrible, she now has two siamese brothers who are coming up for 16. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 We always had our cats vaccinated until we moved house 8 years ago..... we haven't bothered since. Too expensive, to be honest, with 3 of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I think that I'm gpign to stop having mine done. I no longer use a cattery when we go away so that's not an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 It's the same with tetanus vaccs - time and again I had patients coming and asking for a tetanus because they'd cut their finger, stood on a garden fork etc. and often weren't happy when I checked their history and wouldn't give them one. I had to explain you only need to complete your childhood course and have one booster during your lifetime - too many can give you a really sore arm. I also remember as a student nurse, I cut my finger on a glass morphine ampoule and the sister on the ward sending me for a tetanus booster - how I was going to contract tetanus from that I'll never know (but in those days you NEVER questioned the ward sister ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I havent had my lady cat vacc'ed since she was 3 she is now 13 mixes with other cats outdoors and seems quite healthy. If the yearly jab would endow her with some brain I'd do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 We only got our two vaccinated yearly beacuse it was a requirement from the cattery. Several years ago we decided they were never going back to a cattery and so we stopped the vaccinations - the vet agreed it wasnt worth doing any more especially as they never left the garden! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I had a tetanus injection about 10 years ago because I was bitten by the hamster and our GP who is also a friend advised it after a rodent bite. Three weeks later I had a reaction, with rigors and a high temperature etc. Quite normal apparently but very alarming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Cholera used to do that to me - I stopped having it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Cholera! Blimey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I mean the vaccination Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Phew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 we use homoeopathic equivalents. We had daisies first jabs and she developed immune system probs. she has a raw diet now and uses homoeopathy and is very well. It's taken 2 years to get her right though. We do the same for all our cats now and Ollie and Tinks are so fit, they have never had jabs. Henry has the typical gum issues. we're sure the jabs cause this problem in so many cats. I wouldn't use nothing but happy with the homoeopathic approach. It's safe BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Can you give me any details Buffie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 You'd need to register with a vet like Chris Day 01367 718243, they'll also give you more details I am sure Clare BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
