Vaccinations

Keeping your kitty vaccinated is really important.  Even kitties who don't go outside or have visitors should still be vaccinated to protect them against many diseases.  The problem is, cats have a weird response to shots.  The most worrying is that some cats will develop a fast growing cancer at the shot site.  So it is important to keep kitty up to date on vaccinations, with as few actual injections as possible.

Popular belief up until recently was that you needed to run a series of 3 vaccinations  close together (3-4 weeks apart) for the most common kitty vaccinations starting when the kitten was young, and then boost again at one year, and then every year after.  And for rabies, you needed two shots not too far apart, and yearly boosters.  Research has shown, however, that this practice over does it--that cats retain more immunity than previously thought. 

Early kitten shots need to be evaluated by each situation.  The initial series in kittens is hard because of the immunities they gain from their mother at birth and by nursing, and the timing for those wearing off--it varies and is not entirely predictable.   Until those immunities fade, vaccinations will not be effective.  So often the first shot will be ineffective, because of immunities still preset in the kitten's system.  However, if the kittens wean early, and they will be homeward bound early--that shot can be critical for many. Because of my conditions, environment, and practices I can wait a little longer to give the first kitten shot, and as such, get by fine with only doing two of them.  After that, they need another after one year, and then at 3 year intervals.

Now it is possible to fine tune vaccination schedules even further, by the use of titre testing.  Unfortunately, not all vets offer this testing, and some will charge through the nose for it--although others are very reasonable.  Titre testing uses a sample of your cat's blood to check for antibody levels to the things we vaccinate against.  By regularly checking these levels (most commonly at 3 years) you can know exactly when and what your kitty needs to stay protected, and reduce the number of injections (and the amount of adjuvant, antigen, and preservatives--all foreign bodies you are injecting in to your cat)--thereby reducing the risks of injection site carcinoma greatly.

Some other things to consider--what shots does kitty REALLY need?  FVRCP (3-in-1) shots are the backbone of any cat vaccination program.  This shot provides protection against Feline Panleukopenia, Feline Calcivirus, and Feline Herpesvirus/Rhinotracheitis.  Four-in-1 shots add chladmydia, which is no longer a core vaccine, and should only be administered in certain situations (most commonly feral colonies). Rabies is required in many states, but is also the biggest culprit for producing injection site carcinomas.  Some types of rabies vaccinations may be safer than others--so if you need this vaccination, do some reading about different brands and types.  THEN talk to your vet about your concerns and come up with a plan.  Leukemia vaccinations are commonly suggested at the vet's office, but they are EXTREMELY situational, and come with a lot of risks.  Many breeders' contracts stipulate that if this shot is given, any health guarantees made are voided.  The "FIP shot" (Feline Infectious Peritonitis -- a devastating and fatal disease) is another one to avoid--there is very little support for this vaccination doing anything useful.  Likewise the Ringworm vaccination (which turns kitties who become infected with it in to carriers with no symptoms!!).

Fortunately, vaccinations are recieving a lot of attention by the veterinary and cat fancy communities right now--which is causing practices to evolve, and become much safer.  It also means that protocols are changing, so my advice to you, cat lover, is to do some research on your own before each scheduled vet visit!  Come prepared!  Most vets are in the business because they love animals and want to do right by them.  However, they are busy people--and may not be as up to date on cat protocols as they could be.  So help them (and your kitty!) out =^..^=  Know what YOU need, and make sure you are heard!

Chin Acne

Yuck, right?  

Feline acne is a common concern for cat owners.  It often shows up, just like human teenagers, when kitties are making a fast push to adulthood.  For some kitties, it is very temporary.  For others, it will be an issue on and off for most of their lives.  Fortunately, it is pretty easy to control in most cats, and is not usually serious--although it does require treatment! (Or it can get very serious!)

Chin acne is usually caused by oils in the food and bacteria.  It is not generally serious if you catch it early and treat it.  If it gets bad, it can become very problematic, with infection.  If the kitty eats out of a plastic bowl, try switching to a ceramic, glass, or metal one—and make sure you wash it out every day (put the dry food that is left over in another container while you wash and thoroughly dry it, then put back in bowl).   Plastic, no matter how well you try and take care of it, will always harbor some bacteria.  Also, make sure you are feeding a high quality dry diet (if you feed dry at all)--cheaper foods often exacerbate this problem because of ingredient choices. 

To treat the skin, I usually wash the chin with warm water and a wash cloth, using gentle pressure and a circular motion.  You need to thoroughly clean the area, but try not to irritate it—that will make it worse.  I do that a couple times a day.  If your kitty is particularly good about baths and face washing, I like to dilute a little plain Dawn or Ivory dish soap and then make a little lather on a wash cloth and clean with that.  However, you need to rinse the heck out of that, or it will irritate and make it worse--so I recommend that only with kitties who are comfortable with water around the face.  After the area is clean there are a couple things to try—hydrogen peroxide on a cotton pad—wet the area, also 2-3 times a day.  Try not to get it in the mouth—yuck.  If that doesn’t work after a few days, try Neosporin ointment, just make sure it is the plain kind—NOT the one with the painkiller in it—that is poison to cats!  Or you can get the benzyl peroxide pads in a jar for teen acne, and gently cleanse the area with those.  Again, try and keep it out of the mouth/off the lips/not touching the nose (they burn). Look for the ones with the lowest concentration of ingredient, if they have one for sensitive skin, that usually is better, too, because it shouldn’t be fragranced and have tons of alcohol in it. 

If you see any redness or swelling, take your kitty to the vet.  They will probably give you an antibiotic (oral or stronger topical), which is important, because it can become a real problem if left unchecked.  It just usually doesn’t—I’ve had one kitty that needed antibiotics of the hundreds of kitties I have owned, worked thru rescue, or taken care of in various settings.  Most are fine after a week or two of cleaning, and then maintenance.   Once it clears up, just wash it with a warm wash cloth every couple days.  If your kitty is very prone, you might need to do it every day, but my guess is in a few months it will go away. =^..^=