Can your cat be vaccinated too much? The answer is unequivocally YES. We know this because one of our cats suffers from a terrible condition caused by over-vaccinating. He is why we are so passionate about this issue. And why we feel so compelled to share what we’ve learned with you.
Aside from the initial core vaccines, many veterinarians are required to recommend ‘extra’ vaccines for cats. One of the most commonly recommended vaccines is FeLV – even though the studies show that it’s rarely effective. We cannot stress enough the importance of weighing the risk of the disease vs. the risk of the vaccination when it comes to our kitties.
If your cat is indoors only and not exposed to sharing bowls with an FeLV positive kitty, ask yourself (and your vet) why would this vaccine be necessary? And what risks does the vaccine carry?
Should I vaccinate my cat after their initial core vaccinations?
Dr. Karen Becker DVM, speaking to re-vaccination protocol in vet clinics, says “that dogs and cats are repeatedly and in most cases unnecessarily subjected to the viruses, chemicals, adjuvants, and other potential toxins contained in vaccines.”
The science doesn’t show that re-vaccinating cats makes them more protected. To the contrary, re-vaccinating often causes illness in our kitties. That’s what happened with our Pooh Bear. He was vaccinated for rabies as a kitten… then again at 3 years of age. Almost immediately he presented symptoms of vaccinosis. Now he lives with autoimmune disease on a daily basis. 🙁
The good news? We can avoid the risk of over-vaccinating by requesting a titer test instead of a vaccination. Titer testing is a simple blood draw that tests antibodies within your cat to measure immunity – and avoid over vaccinating!
Did you know that initial core vaccines typically protect our cats for their entire lives? We didn’t. And we also didn’t think to question our many vets over the years when they said it was time for more shots.
We do now. And many vets (like Dr. Karen Becker and Dr. John Robb) are also advocating for new, healthy, vaccine protocols – informed by science and implemented in the best interest of our healthy pets.
We are our cats advocates until these protocols (and some laws) are changed. It’s up to us to communicate with our vet, ask the questions and make the most informed decisions regarding our cat’s health… and really, that’s the way is should be. 🙂
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