Following the American Association of Feline Practitioner’s guidelines for vaccination of cats, our veterinarians offer several important vaccines. We will work with you to develop a custom vaccination schedule for your cat based on his or her lifestyle.
RABIES VACCINATION (REQUIRED BY NY STATE LAW)
A rabies vaccination is extremely important and lifesaving, and is required by New York state law for all dogs, cats and ferrets. We offer the PureVax ® feline rabies vaccine which is administered annually. Unlike other rabies vaccines, this one is formulated just for cats – which we all know are not just small dogs!
3-IN-1 FVRCP VACCINE
This vaccine protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis (feline herpesvirus-1), calicivirus, and panleukopenia. These diseases are highly contagious and can be fatal, especially for kittens. Although it is often referred to as “feline distemper,” panleukopenia of cats is actually very similar to parvovirus in dogs. The vaccine is about 60% effective for calicivirus, 50% effective for herpesvirus, and nearly 100% effective for panleukopenia, the most fatal of the three diseases. Kittens should be vaccinated every 3-4 weeks starting at 6 weeks of age. Vaccination of adult cats can be decreased to every 1-3 years.
FELINE LEUKEMIA VACCINE
Feline leukemia is spread through direct contact between cats. For those cats who become infected, it is generally 1-3 years before they develop signs of illness in the form of fatal cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma. This disease affects approximately 3% of cats in the northeastern US; at Roosevelt Vet on the Hudson we diagnosed our first case of feline leukemia within 2 weeks of opening. Any cat who goes outside without direct supervision should be vaccinated. Cats should be tested for feline leukemia before vaccinating. After an initial series, this vaccine should be repeated annually.