Feline Vaccines Unit 5

Preventative Health Programs Yearly evaluations Include: behavior, nutrition, dental care, heartworm and intestinal parasite checks Vaccines: Why?

Patient Risk Evaluation Each patient has different needs Lifestyle: Indoors Outdoors Travel Board Shows

Core Vaccines V. Non-Core Vaccines Core Vaccines: Basic vaccines Nationally recognized Non-Core Vaccines: Lifestyle based

Feline Core Vaccines Panleukopenia Calicivirus Feline herpesvirus 1 Rabies For kittens: Feline Leukemia vaccine

Panleukopenia: Overview “Feline Distemper” Type of Parvovirus Highly effective- not seen often Life threatening Highly contagious disease Virus can be found anywhere that is not regularly disinfected At risk: unvaccinated, barn cats, feral colonies, animal shelters, pet stores, rescue facilities

Panleukopenia: The Virus Itself Can last indoors for years Survives freezing 10-minute bleach exposure will kill it Virus enters body thru mouth/nose

Panleukopenia: Infection and Disease Infected cat sheds large amounts of the virus in all body secretions First invades rapidly dividing cells Then to lymph nodes in the throat, bone marrow, intestines WBC suppression GI ulceration, diarrhea, dehydration

Panleukopenia: Diagnosis Fever Appetite loss Diarrhea and/or vomiting: bacterial infection White blood cell count= almost none! Vaccine history Snap test (not approved for cats) Antibody measurement

Panleukopenia: Treatment Antibiotics Aggressive I.V. fluid therapy Supportive care Isolation Little chance for survival without hospitalization

Panleukopenia: Recovery Virus is shed up to 6 weeks after recovery No way to adequately disinfect environment Any new cats coming in need to be vaccinated

Panleukopenia: Prevention Two vaccines 2-4 weeks apart With last dose after 14 weeks of age Booster at 1 yr of age Then given every 3 years Usually given in the right shoulder Adult cat- unvaccinated or unknown history- two vaccines, 2-4 weeks apart

Calicivirus: Overview Virus causes mild to severe respiratory illness Become infected by swallowing or inhaling virus Symptoms develop within 2-10 days Virus can last 1-4 weeks Continue to shed virus for weeks to years

Calicivirus: Symptoms Signs include: runny eyes, nose, sneezing, depression, poor appetite, ulcers on tongue/hard palate, excessive drooling

Calicivirus: Diagnosis Based on symptoms Culture swabs from back of mouth Two blood sample: early, later to prove increasing antibodies

Calicivirus: Treatment Supportive care Aggressive I.V. fluid therapy Soft foods or esophageal feeding tube placement Antibiotics: oral, ophthalmic

Calicivirus: Prognosis Can recover within 1-2 weeks Can develop secondary pneumonia More guarded prognosis

Feline Herpesvirus one Also known as “rhinotracheitis” Most common type of upper respiratory infection Sneezing, runny nose and eyes

Feline Herpesvirus One: Transmission Virus shed from infected cats eyes, nose and mouth Contaminated objects: food bowls, cages, pet owner/clothing, etc.

Feline Herpesvirus one: symptoms Coughing Fever (up to 106°F or 41°C) Loss of appetite and weight loss (anorexia) Runny nose (rhinitis) Sneezing attacks Runny eyes Anorexia Eye ulcers

Feline Herpesvirus One: Diagnosis Medical history and symptoms Culture swabs immunofluorescent assay

Feline Herpesvirus one: Treatment Supportive care Isolation Aggressive I.V. Fluid therapy Eye ointment Antibiotics Handfeed or feeding tube

Feline Herpesvirus One: Prognosis Can recover within 7-10 days or longer Can have chronic rhinosinusitis- sneezing and nasal discharge Can cause death in the young/old

Feline Herpesvirus One: Prevention Vaccination 2-4 weeks apart Until 14 weeks of age Booster at 1 yr, then given every 3 years

Feline Rabies Fatal Zoonotic potential public health education Not common due to vaccination By law: domestic “pet” cats must be vaccinated every year

Feline Rabies: Disease and Transmission Incurable Effects the nervous system Spread from saliva from infected animal (can include skunks, bats, raccoons etc)

Feline Rabies: Symptoms and Diagnosis Three stages of symptoms: Nervous and withdrawn Aggressive Paralysis, inability to swallow Euthanasia- direct fluorescent antibody test (dFA) on the brain tissue

Feline Rabies: Vaccination Given at 12 weeks of age Given at 1 year Then given every year thereafter

Non-Core Feline Vaccines Feline Leukemia virus (FeLV) Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

Feline Leukemia Virus: Symptoms Blood disorders Cancer Immune deficiency Secondary infections occur

Feline Leukemia virus: transmission Feline leukemia virus infection (FeLV) can be transmitted several ways: by the saliva of infected cats contaminating the eye, mouth, and nose membranes of non- infected cats via licking. by passing infected blood to non-infected cats. from mother to fetuses (developing kittens) during pregnancy.

Feline Leukemia virus: Treatment There is no effective treatment Supportive care only

Feline Leukemia Virus: Prognosis Eighty-five percent of cats with FeLV infection die within 3 years of the diagnosis.

Feline Leukemia Virus: Prevention Cats can be FeLV tested, and then vaccinated if they are negative. Vaccination is recommended for high risk cats only Multi-cat households with FeLV positive cats should be maintained as a closed colony. (No new cats should be brought into the household, to prevent the spread of infection to the new arrivals.)

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: symptoms Can appear “normal” for years Causes immune deficiency Secondary infections Loss of appetite Poor coat Inflammation: gums, etc.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: transmission and diagnosis Transmission:Bite wounds Diagnosis: Snap test, can be done in hospital, results within minutes

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: Vaccination Does not provide full protection Vaccine can cause vaccine-associated sarcomas Only given for cats at very high risk