for all your pets
Cats
Vaccinations:
We recommend regular vaccination against:
• Feline Herpesvirus
• Feline Calicivirus
• Feline Panleucopaenia (enteritis)
• Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)
Kittens primary vaccination course consists of two injections given at 9 and 12 weeks of age. Annual boosters are required.
Feline Herpesvirus and Feline Calicivirus are the two virus that cause what is commonly called cat flu. It is a very contagious disease that is widespread and common in feral populations. Cats differ from dogs, in a number of ways, in that it is still recommended that they are kept isolated until 10-14 days after their vaccine injection as the risk of infection is high. If you do not know the complete history of your cat, it may already have been infected prior to your ownership. Once cat flu is in your cats system it will remain there and from time to time problems e.g. sneezing, eye (ocular) and nose (nasal) discharge can occur. Vaccination will not prevent, but should help reduce the severity of disease during these flare ups (recrudescence).
Feline Panleucopaenia is the viral cause of cat enteritis. It is highly contagious life threatening parvovirus (similar to parvovirus in dogs). It affects bone marrow, causing a suppression of the immune system, and the lining of the gut (gastro-intestinal tract) causing serious diarrhoea in those that survive.
Feline Leukaemia (FeLV) is a virus that causes complex disease that can result in rapid death, tumours, or chronic immunosupression. Sick cats that are found to be FeLV positive on blood testing only survive for 18 months, on average.
There are no specific treatments for any of the above diseases.