Hey Cindy, Check out this link from the FeLV talk archives:
http://www.mail-archive.com/felvtalk@felineleukemia.org/msg28478.html I remembered it being brought up before, and that there was controversy surrounding it. :) Wendy --- cindy reasoner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have had my cats vaccinated every year but I need > to > talk to my vet about it. I sure don't want to take > any chances. Have any of you heard of this new > strain > of calici virus? My vet sent a letter out to all > his > clients owned by cats. You have to go for a booster > then go back in 3 weeks for the last shot. The > letter > said that the cat didn't have to come in contact > with > the infected cat. We can bring it in to them. It > is > highly contagious and a perfectly healthy cat can > die > within days if exposed. My vet was even considering > making it mandatory that all of their feline clients > be vaccinated for this. He told me about a vet in > the > northeast that had an infected cat come in and I > think > he said that vet's office couldn't have any cats in > there for something like 45 days until they > disinfected the office and were sure there was no > more > danger from exposure. I have 8 cats and I just got > through with the 2nd shot for all of them. This > disease just sounded to scary to take a chance. All > of my cats are inside cats. They never go out. I > think where I live (Tennessee)it is a law that you > have to have your pets vaccinated for rabies. I am > not sure though. > > Cindy Reasoner > > --- elizabeth trent <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I lost my Felicity to vaccine-related fibro > sarcoma > > > http://www.trentdesigns.com/elizabeth/felicity.html > > > > They've changed the vaccine now, however...there > is > > less risk. There is > > still risk, however. > > > > I can tell you though that with an aggressive > fibro > > sarcoma, amputating the > > paw can prolong the life but it cannot save it. > > Felicity had her leg > > amputated. A very sad and heart-wrenching story. > > The survival rate even > > for humans with this type of cancer is abysmal. > > > > I'm glad to hear there is on-going research. > > > > It's a difficult call. Some vaccines are > formulated > > to be given every three > > years. Others are formulated for every year. > Many > > say you don't want to > > give a vaccine yearly formulated vaccine every 3 > > years. There have also > > been tests that indicate the three year vaccines > are > > less effective. I'm > > told that currently the best way to ensure you > > aren't over vaccinating is > > to have blood work done for titers...but you could > > still end up paying for > > that test and still have to pay for the vaccine > too. > > > > My vet doesn't like to vaccinate > immuno-compromised > > or geriatric cats. I > > confess that I am very shell-shocked from my > > experience with Felicity...and > > I do not have my cats vaccinated every year. It > > might make more sense to > > have them vaccinated more often if they were > outdoor > > types. I really think > > that if we still had FeVL+ babies living with us, > I > > would have them > > vaccinated more often. > > > > I've lost babies to the vaccine - and I've lost a > > baby to FeVL+. Both are > > heart-wrenching. > > > > elizabeth > > > > > > On 6/21/07, Jane Lyons <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > > > > The risk of vaccination and sarcoma is not > > inconsequential. > > > Many veterinarians have altered their > vaccination > > protocols to > > > every three years because recent studies that > have > > indicated we are > > > over vaccinating our animals. In many instances > > one vaccination > > > can protect an animal for its lifetime, and > > revaccination and boosters > > > are driven by the economics of a practice and > > pharmaceutical companies. > > > > > > Dr Jean Dodds DVM and Ronald Schultz DVM are now > > conducting the 'Rabies > > > Challenge" > > > research, which is an effort to prove that one > > rabies vaccination is > > > sufficient for > > > the lifetime of an animal. > > > > > > I did not intend to get into a vaccination > > discussion, other than to > > > say it is prudent to > > > research the type and frequency of vaccinations. > > There are many > > > practices that now > > > inoculate cats just above the paw, so that in > the > > event of a sarcoma, > > > the paw can be amputated > > > and the animals life saved. > > > > > > Jane > > > > > > > > > > > > On Jun 21, 2007, at 10:49 AM, Melissa Lind > wrote: > > > > > > > I had heard that on the radio or > > something--about not needing > > > > vaccinations > > > > every year. If I don't have to put them > through > > the stress...I think > > > > I'll > > > > approach my new vet about the distemper. I > guess > > my reasoning for not > > > > vaccinating the youngest is simply because she > > doesn't ever go > > > > outside. She > > > > doesn't even sneak out, or try to sneak out. > The > > chances of her > > > > getting FeLV > > > > from contact through the screen patio door are > > so slim, that I just > > > > would > > > > rather not. But, if I ran a rescue where I had > > cats coming and going > > > > all the > > > > time, I definitely would vaccinate--more risk > > involved. > > > > > > > > Melissa > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On > > Behalf Of Kelley > > > > Saveika > > > > Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:32 AM > > > > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > > > > Subject: Re: The best food for Duncan?? > > > > > > > > I think that the risk of vaccination and > > sarcomas is so low as to be > > > > inconsequential. I think it is really > important > > that all cats be > > > > vaccinated against FELV in the first year, and > > my vet agrees, so > > > > that's what my rescue does, even though it > adds > > to our cost. > > > > > > > > It is a personal decision though, like > > everything else. I'm certainly > > > > not trying to tell other folks what to do. > > > > > > > > I did see that the latest AAFP vaccination > > guidelines recommend going > > > > to once every 3 years against distemper... > > > > > === message truncated === "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has!" ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel. http://travel.yahoo.com/
