Am I doing more harm then good? - Part 1 -

Anti-biotics

Anti-parasitic
treatments and

vaccinations..

Administer

or

Refrain?

With a pandemic raving the globe, anti-vaxxers and pro vaccination individuals are more polarized then ever. When it comes to our pets, should we vaccinate, deworm or use anti-parasitic tablets/ chews?

The answers are really not as straight forward as you think.
Here are the guidelines set forth by the Singapore government and I would recommend all pawrents to read for vaccinating their furries.

SINGAPORE VACCINATION GUIDELINES FOR DOGS AND CATS 2020

https://sva.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Singapore-Vax-Guidelines-version-final_FINAL.pdf

WinterForest recommendations on vaccinations are in line with WSAVA.

THE WORLD SMALL ANIMAL VETERINARY ASSOCIATION VACCINATION GUIDELINES

https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/WSAVA-Vaccination-Guidelines-2015.pdf

There are 2 groups of Vaccines for Cats. Categorized as Core vaccines or Non-Core vaccines.

Vaccine Schedule

WinterForest provides all our graduates with core vaccines. This is done at 8/9 weeks , 12/13 weeks and sometimes another at 16/17 weeks. This more than adequately covers your kitten.
We require that our graduates go for their booster 12 months after their last kitten vaccination and recommend that the next vaccination to be no earlier than 3 years after that.

Most core vaccines have shown to give adequate coverage of 5 to 7 years. Although some literature suggest that 2 vaccinations given at 16 weeks and after maybe sufficient to cover your cat’s lifetime, WinterForest Siberians are relatively long lived and if allowed an outdoor area, should be vaccinated in view of their long lifespans.
We also recommend boosters a month prior to the introduction of a new kitten if the last vaccination was more than 2 years past.

When in doubt, request for a titer test before vaccinating your cat. As long as there are anti bodies, no matter how low, your cat is protected from severe complications from the disease.

WinterForest Vaccinates against

1. Feline panleukopenia (FPL) also known as feline infectious enteritis or feline distemper, caused by FPL virus or feline parvovirus (FPLV).

2. Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), also known as herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1) caused by FVR virus.

3. Feline caliciviral disease caused by various strains of feline caliciviruses (FCV).

4. Feline chlamydiosis caused by Chlamydophila felis infection

A point to note, kittens will not be fully protected until seven to ten days after the second or third vaccination depending on when it was administered.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines work by stimulating the body's immune system to recognize and fight a particular microorganism such as a virus, bacteria, or other infectious organism. Once vaccinated, the animal's immune system is prepared to react to a future infection with that microorganism thereby preventing infection or lessen the severity of infection and promote rapid recovery.

While a vaccine can prevent illness, it cannot block microorganisms from getting into the body. This means that sometimes a cat may not look sick thanks to the vaccine, but the cat can still spread the invading microorganisms to other cats. This is why it is important to vaccinate your kitty as we never know what another kitty may or may not be carrying.

Difference between the various types of vaccine?

There are three major types of vaccine for pets:

1.  Modified live vaccines. These vaccines contain live organisms that are weakened or genetically modified so that they will not produce disease but will multiply in the cat's body. Live vaccines induce a stronger, longer lasting immunity than inactivated vaccines. It is not advisable to use modified live vaccines in pregnant queens or cats whose immune system is not working properly (e.g., cats infected by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), or other diseases).

2.  Killed (inactivated) vaccines. These vaccines are prepared using actual organisms or genetically modified organisms that have been killed by various treatments. On their own, they do not give as high a level of protection as the live, replicating type of vaccine, so killed vaccines may have an adjuvant (an added ingredient) to make the immune response stronger.

3.  Subunit vaccines. These are more commonly called recombinant-DNA vaccines. These are vaccines in which the infectious organism has been broken apart and only certain parts are included in the vaccine.

Will my cat always be protected?

Sadly, even vaccinated kittens may not be protected due to vaccine failure from

Variations between different strains of viruses. Available vaccines may only partially protect against some of these strains.

Maternally derived antibodies. Kittens acquire maternal antibodies from the mother (through the uterus before birth and from the milk during nursing). A well-vaccinated queen passes antibodies to her kitten, and these antibodies protect the vulnerable kitten against those diseases for the first two or three months of life. However, during this same period, those antibodies from the mother can block the effects of vaccination of the kitten, the same way they can block actual infection. This blocking effect decreases over time as the maternal antibodies gradually disappear, and occurs between 2-4 months of age. Because this time range varies between kittens, booster vaccines are recommended frequently until the kitten is older.

The cat was stressed or not completely healthy at the time of vaccination. 
Stress can prevent a good response to vaccination. For this reason, it is better to let a kitten settle into its new home for five to seven days before a vaccination is given. Before administering a vaccine, your veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination to help ensure that there are no signs of clinical disease.

Some vaccine types are not always able to completely prevent infections. 
Some vaccines are designed to lessen the severity of disease. Therefore, it may look like the vaccine did not work, when it actually did prevent severe disease.

The immune system of the cat is under-performing or incompetent. 
This can occur due to disease, or complications associated with advanced age.

These are not the only reasons for vaccination failure, but they are the most common.

Are there risks associated with vaccinations?

After their first vaccination, there are very few risks to subsequent vaccinations. You may notice your cat has a temporary loss of appetite or is less lively a day or two after a vaccination, but this should resolve within 24-48 hours. There are kittens that are allergic to vaccinations and do not survive their first vaccination.
When subsequently vaccinating your cat, try and stick to the same vaccine the cattery has used to minimize the possibility of allergic reactions.

There is some evidence that suggest that over vaccinating may result in food allergies, for this reason we do not recommend annual vaccinations. They may also develop a rare form of soft tissue sarcoma known as vaccine-associated or injection-site fibrosarcoma has been associated with a reaction to vaccine components or medication.

Overall, we strictly enforce the first 3 vaccinations and encourage that subsequent vaccinations be administered at 3 yearly intervals.