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Every owner wants his beloved cat to feel good and live a happy life in comfortable conditions. To do this, pets are carefully looked after - regularly fed, provided with a place to play, rest, relieve themselves, and undergo hygiene procedures. But one of the most important stages of owner care is health care, in particular, timely preventive vaccination. Distemper is one of the most dangerous viral diseases for cats, so a vaccine against it must be administered to the animal regularly.
- 2 Types of plague vaccines
- 3 Popular distemper vaccines for cats
- 4 When and how to get vaccinated against distemper
- 5 Preparation and contraindications
- 6 Post-vaccination period
The danger of distemper for cats
Panleukopenia, or plague, is a viral disease, the causative agent of which has a high degree of resistance in the environment. Thus, when exposed to a temperature of 60 degrees, it retains its activity for more than an hour, and disinfectants in a concentration of up to 3% (this is where they are most often used in residential premises) are unable to destroy it at all. A cat can become infected through saliva, feces and urine, or through items caring for a sick or already ill animal.
Once in the body, the panleukopenia virus aggressively affects all systems, from the brain to the heart and digestive tract. Within a few days after the incubation period (which can last from 2 to 12 days), the affected and unvaccinated cat will begin to experience suffering due to fluid loss, general intoxication, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. The disease is most dangerous for kittens, elderly animals and individuals with weakened immune systems - often, even with timely treatment, pets die . The main thing for an adult and strong animal is to survive the first 3-4 days of illness; if he succeeds, then with a high probability the cat will survive. Considering the high risks that the disease carries, it is more advisable to vaccinate your cat on time and not expose your pet to unnecessary danger.
A cat with distemper suffers from all organs, and symptoms of dehydration increase due to high body temperature and vomiting.
Some cat owners deliberately refuse vaccination, arguing that their pets are kept exclusively at home and do not go outside. But it is worth understanding that there is a risk of infection even for domestic cats. The owner can bring particles of contaminated feces into the house on shoes, and any trip, including to a veterinary clinic, can result in unplanned contact with another animal.
First complex vaccination: rules
Before vaccinating a kitten, you must:
1Carry out anthelmintic measures to cleanse the body of possible helminth infection. This is necessary so that the animal’s immunity is not subjected to too much stress - vaccination against the background of helminthic infestation. Otherwise, the kitten may get sick and the vaccine will not have the expected effect. First, the cat is rid of fleas, and then, 10-14 days before vaccination, of worms. If traces of worms were found in the feces, then after 10 days the kitten is dewormed again, and only after 10-14 days is it vaccinated. 2Make sure the kitten is completely healthy. Observe him for two weeks; if the disease is in the incubation period, it will manifest itself. This is especially true for kittens taken from the street or from a bird market. 3Invite a veterinarian to your home to give the kitten the first vaccination. At home, the risk of catching an infection is much lower than in a veterinary clinic. This is necessary to protect the kitten during the vulnerable period after vaccination.
Types of plague vaccines
There are different types of vaccines for cats. According to the purpose of the drug, they are distinguished:
- monovaccines are products that are designed to create immunity in an animal to only one disease. To date, no monovaccines are available for the prevention of distemper in cats, as this is considered inappropriate;
- Polyvaccines are complex preparations, the introduction of which allows the animal to be protected from several dangerous diseases at once. Most often, complex cat vaccinations allow you to form an immune response immediately against panleukopenia, viral rhinotracheitis and calicivirosis.
Choosing a single- or multi-component vaccine is solely the decision of the animal owner, because there is no difference in effectiveness between them. The latter option is chosen more often, as it is very convenient - in one trip to the clinic you can complete several tasks according to the vaccination calendar. These types of drugs do not differ in the quality of the results.
Depending on the state of the virus in which it is in the preparation, there are:
- inactivated (dead, killed) vaccines. In such preparations, the causative agent of the disease is killed by temperature or chemical influence, and its entry into the body causes an immune reaction, but is not capable of provoking the disease. The advantage of this option is safety for the animal. But the disadvantages include less effectiveness - immunity is less reliable and short-lived;
- attenuated (weakened, live) vaccines. Viruses are modified, weakened, but retain their ability to reproduce, therefore, when they enter the body, they cause a brighter and more intense immune response. Due to the weakness of the pathogen, the disease does not occur, but the effect of a live vaccine is better - immunity is more stable and long-lasting.
Today, special vaccines for animals are being developed, the creation of which uses genetic engineering methods. The resulting recombinant preparations should contain only individual genes, which, when introduced into the cat’s body, will be able to form the proper level of immune protection.
In theory, mono-vaccines, in which the virus is killed, are considered safe, but they are less effective. Modern drugs, when used correctly, rarely give side effects, so the main attention should be paid to the quality of the chosen drug for panleukopenia and compliance with all the rules for vaccination.
What does a comprehensive vaccination give for cats?
A vaccine is a biological product containing strains of weakened or killed pathogens. When introduced into the body, it triggers the body's immune response, which fights the viral infection and produces active immunity. Now, as soon as a living, active virus enters the body again, the immune system immediately “recognizes” it and destroys it with the help of specific antibodies. Nowadays, complex vaccination for cats is widely used, which provides protection against several infections at once.
and requires two administrations at the beginning, and then repetition every year.
When and how to get vaccinated against distemper
Vaccination must be carried out taking into account a number of strict rules. First of all, you need to respect the age restrictions and follow the recommended regimen, which is described by the International Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).
Work on creating a unified animal vaccination system is being carried out at the international level, since vaccinations are not only about protecting one specific animal, it is an opportunity to maintain so-called population immunity for a longer time (the more animals are vaccinated against a specific disease, the less chance of getting sick the minority that was left without protection).
At birth, kittens receive antibodies from their mother, which protect their body during the first weeks of life. A high titer of maternal antibodies can interfere with effective vaccination, so the first distemper vaccination is given when passive immunity drops - at 8–9 weeks. The vaccination schedule with drugs against panleukopenia is as follows:
- first vaccination - at 8–9 weeks;
- the second dose is given 3–4 weeks later, usually at 12 weeks of age;
- then revaccination is carried out at the age of 1 year;
- then revaccination against plague is carried out annually.
Theoretically, it is possible to carry out the procedure yourself, but it is better to go to a veterinary clinic or call a doctor at home. The first difficulty lies in the peculiarities of the vaccine itself - live multicomponent preparations must be stored and transported only under certain temperature conditions, that is, when purchasing a vaccine at a veterinary pharmacy, you must follow the cold chain rule and take it home in a special refrigerator. In addition, before vaccination, the animal must be examined by a doctor, because only a professional can objectively judge the pet’s condition. Therefore, vaccinating an animal yourself is a big risk with a high probability of complications.
It is better to contact a veterinarian for vaccination - only a specialist will be able to correctly assess the animal’s condition and vaccinate it.
What diseases will vaccination protect a kitten from?
Vaccination is necessary for any animal, regardless of origin. For example, Scottish, British and Maine Coon kittens need the same vaccinations as outbred animals. Let's look at the pathologies that vaccination given to a kitten will protect against.
Feline parvovirus enteritis
The disease is known as feline distemper and panleukopenia. This is a highly contagious viral disease. The mortality rate is 85 - 90%. Sources of infection: saliva, feces, urine, vomit of a sick animal. Cats become infected through the gastrointestinal tract or through the air. The pathogen affects the intestines, bone marrow and lymphatic system. The disease is dangerous for unvaccinated kittens with undeveloped immunity. Their plague occurs at lightning speed. Signs: hyperthermia (up to 40 - 42 ° C), vomiting, diarrhea, refusal to eat, convulsions. In the blood: leukopenia, anemia. The kitten can die within two days.
Calicivirus rhinotracheitis
Calicivirus is a viral respiratory infection. Gates for invasion: mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, oral cavity and eyes. Clinical manifestations: fever up to 41° C, ulceration of the mucous membranes of the mouth, tongue, larynx, esophagus. Due to soreness in the mouth, the kitten loses its appetite. The pet is lethargic and apathetic. Possible drooling, discharge of pus from the eyes, vomiting. Calicivirus is not a fatal, but serious disease, which causes glomerulonephritis as a complication.
Herpes viral rhinotracheitis
The pathology is species-specific and not contagious to other animals. It is transmitted by airborne droplets and through contact with sick cats. Recovered pets become carriers of the virus. The mortality rate among kittens, in the absence of vaccination, reaches 25%. Symptoms: lethargy, drowsiness, coughing, sneezing, itching in the nose and eyes. Due to inflammatory swelling of the mucous membranes of the pharynx, the animal breathes heavily and refuses to feed. The cornea of the eyes is affected. Fever up to 41.5° C is possible.
Preparation and contraindications
In order for vaccination against panleukopenia to take place with minimal risks and maximum benefits for the cat, it is necessary to make proper preparations for the procedure:
- Deworming. 10–12 days before the vaccination date, it is necessary to get rid of parasites, in particular worms. The presence of such a problem significantly increases the load on the immune system, which will create a so-called breakthrough of post-vaccination protection - an animal with critically reduced immunity will be practically defenseless against any infectious danger. Even if it is not definitely established that the cat has worms, it is still necessary to give the drug (Prazid, Drontal, Azinox, etc.) for prevention.
- No stress. The burden on the immune system combined with stress is a difficult test, especially for a kitten. Therefore, if there has been a change of residence and there has been a long trip, it is better to postpone vaccination for 1–2 weeks, giving the animal the opportunity to adapt normally to the changed conditions.
You should not go for a distemper vaccination if:
- the cat is pregnant - the introduction of the virus can provoke developmental disorders of the nervous system in the offspring;
- less than two weeks have passed since the course of antibiotics;
- The kitten is actively teething;
- less than a month has passed since the infectious disease;
- An elevated temperature was detected before vaccination;
- less than three weeks have passed since surgery or less than a month is left before it.
It is worth rescheduling scheduled vaccinations if your pet is pregnant
Remember, before vaccination, the cat must be absolutely healthy; any signs of illness should alert the owner and make him think about the advisability of vaccination at this very moment.
