3 min read | June 15th, 2012
Why you should vaccinate your cat
Here at Allianz, Ireland’s leading provider of pet healthcare insurance, we believe in and promote responsible pet ownership. This includes having your pet micro-chipped, neutering your pet and most importantly vaccinating your pet, be it a dog, cat or horse.
The focus of this article is vaccinating your cat, the various vaccinations your cat should have and the illnesses these vaccinations protect your cat against. Under the terms and conditions of the Allianz Pet Insurance Policy, we require cats to be vaccinated against Cat flu; Feline Infectious Enteritis and Feline Leukaemia Virus.
The article below has been kindly supplied by Merial, a leading manufacturer of vaccines.
The importance of vaccination
Cats of all ages can and do become seriously ill or die from infectious diseases that could have been prevented through vaccination.
Vaccination offers the most effective way of protecting your cat against many of the most serious infectious diseases, including Cat flu, Feline Infectious Enteritis, Feline Leukaemia Virus and Chlamydophila.
Many of these diseases are commonly reported in Ireland, and they represent a potentially significant threat to your pet’s health.
Below is a brief overview of the common infectious diseases that could potentially affect your cat:
Cat flu
This common disease is caused by two different viruses- Feline Herpesvirus and Feline Calicivirus.
Signs of cat flu include fever, runny nose and eyes, sneezing and loss of appetite. Very young or old cats can develop pneumonia, which can be fatal in some cases. Affected cats can also suffer from ulceration of the mouth and tongue, making it difficult and painful to eat. Extensive nursing is often required to help affected cats fully recover from this disease. Some cats can go on to spread disease throughout their lives, spreading infection to other cats.
Feline Leukaemia Virus
Feline Leukaemia Virus is a important cause of illness and mortality in pet cats. Approximately one third of cats exposed to the virus will go on to develop clinical signs and the majority of these cats will die within 2 to 4 years of becoming infected.
Clinical signs are extremely diverse but include fever, lethargy, poor appetite and weight loss. Respiratory, skin and intestinal signs are also common, as the virus weakens the cat’s immune system and allows other infections to take hold.
Those cats that develop disease are also prone to developing cancer, and this develops in around 15% of cats infected with Feline Leukaemia Virus.
Feline Infectious Enteritis
This disease, also known as panleukopaenia, is similar to parvovirus in dogs. Infection typically causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, particularly in young kittens. Treatment of affected cats is difficult and often unsuccessful. Infection of pregnant cats can result in the birth of kittens with permanent neurological problems. The virus which causes the disease is able to survive for long periods of time, and can be transmitted by contaminated equipment, shoes and clothing - so even indoor cats which don’t have direct contact with other cats are potentially at risk.
Chlamydophila felis
Infection with this bacterium causes inflammation and swelling of the eyes. Some cats are more likely to be exposed to this disease than others and your vet will be able to advise you as to whether your cat needs to be vaccinated.
All of the above diseases can be transmitted via direct contact with infected cats, but some of the viruses which cause disease can also survive in the outside environment. This means that your cat does not always need to come into contact with other cats to get sick.
Vaccinating your cat is the best and only real way of protecting your pet from any potential threat posed by these diseases, even for those which live mainly indoors. Vaccines work by stimulating the body’s immune system to mount a protective response against specific disease(s). The immune system then remembers these diseases, enabling it to defend the body against any natural exposure to that disease in the future.
A primary course of two vaccinations, with an interval of 3 to 4 weeks between injections ensures that the immune system has the best chance of mounting a strong protective response. However, the immunity generated from a primary course does not last for life. Regular booster vaccinations are necessary to “remind” the immune system and maintain the highest possible level of protection against serious infectious diseases.
Annual visits also allow the vet to give your cat a full clinical examination and check up, and spot the early signs of any disease conditions which may be developing.
Allianz does not take any responsibility for any advice provided in this article. Please discuss your pets needs with your vet, who will advise you in relation to all necessary treatments and vaccinations.
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