VACCINATIONS
Vaccinations protocols are a controversial topic in today’s Veterinary society. Some vets advise to perform a set of kitten vaccines from 8 – 16 weeks of age followed by yearly boosters while others advise to vaccinate the kitten with the primal set of kitten vaccines and no yearly boosters or boosters every 3 years instead of every year. Some vets recommend only the FVRCP vaccine as part of the core vaccines while others include the FeLV vaccine.
At Ethereal Persians Cattery, we recommend inoculating with the FVRCP and rabies vaccine only. Our kittens receive their first FVRCP vaccine at 8 weeks of age. Our trusted veterinarian continues vaccinating them every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks of age. If the kitten leaves for their new home at 12 weeks of age the last FVRCP vaccine becomes the responsibility of the new owner. We recommend immunizing with the rabies vaccine when the kitten is 5 – 6 months of age. Vaccines should be administered individually to reduce risk of vaccine reactions and to determine sensitivity if a vaccine reaction occurs.
By 6 months of age your kitten should be fully vaccinated. As far as continued care, we recommend one booster of the FVRCP vaccine a year after the first, then no more boosters for life. The rabies vaccine must be updated in accordance to your state and county law. The booster for the rabies vaccine is not for your cats health; in fact, it is a detriment to their health.
In addition to the FVRCP and rabies vaccine, your veterinarian may recommend to vaccinate your cat against Feline Leukemia. We do NOT recommend allowing vaccination with the Feline Leukemia Vaccine (FeLV) unless your cat is exposed to Feline Leukemia positive cats. Once a cat is vaccinated with the Feline Leukemia vaccine they are likely to trigger a false positive on the feline leukemia test. This can be alarming if you don’t expect it.
Dr. Karen Becker talks about pet vaccinations and also encourages you to find a holistic veterinarian who will partner with you to keep your pet healthy.
Our highest concern, as a pet parent and dedicated breeders, is the history of over-vaccination in the pet industry and the resulting health problems. Current law is founded by outdated research and fear of zoological transmission of disease from animal to human. Some speculate that it is less about the transmission of disease and more about lining the pockets of pharmaceutical companies. We belief that it started as the former, and evolved into the latter.
Modern veterinarians have the power to verify when immunity has been developed by conducting an exam called a titer test. This exam measures the existence of antibodies that circulate the immune system for select disease(s). Any measure of antibody means the animal does not require a booster vaccine. Once immunity is achieved, it does not deplete over time like a fuel tank. Furthermore, once immunity is achieved, memory cells are created which generally provide life-long protection against the disease if antigens to the disease were to be detected in the body. This is why animals, as humans, do not need yearly boosters.
To know more about immunity and the efficacy of vaccines, please read publications or watch videos by the worlds leading pet immunologist, Dr. Ronald Schultz. He has been present through the drastic evolution of vaccinations and their protocols since the mid 1900’s. He offers interesting insight about the efficiency and necessity of booster requirement of older and younger pets.
If you would like to make a difference, join the ongoing worldwide movement called “Protect the Pets,” led by Veterinarian John Robb. It urges pet owners to not over-vaccinate their beloved pet(s), with a focus on the rabies vaccine. After dead upon dead animal at his clinic, he realized the rabies vaccine should be weight dependent, not a set 2 cc volume for an animal regardless of size. A cat or small breed dog should not receive the same volume as a St. Bernard or a horse. Over stimulation of the immune system triggered by a high dose of rabies vaccine can be lethal.
We hope that you watch the videos on this page and take them to heart and mind.