The FIV Vaccine – Is Is Safe?

The Best Little Cat House’s health requirements of a current vaccination for FVRCP (3-in-one or Distemper Combo) and the addition of a negative result of a blood test for FIV/FeLV for Group Cats were developed after consulting with several local veterinarians and some thoughtful research. We think it’s philosophy is rational and generally a good guide for most cat owners to follow. It generally follows U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s core vaccination guidelines with the blood test added for extra piece of mind. Some veterinarians’ opinions differ from ours and the addition of most other vaccinations shouldn’t present a problem with one possible exception, the FIV vaccine.

FIV, or the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, was first isolated in cats in 1986 at UC Davis. FIV is a retrovirus belonging to the lentivirus family and it is related to the HIV virus in humans (the virus that causes AIDS). However, these two viruses are species-specific. HIV does not produce disease in cats and FIV does not produce disease in humans. FIV is most commonly found in free-roaming un-neutered toms and is thought to infect 1.2% to 4% of cats. Transmission of the virus is through bite wounds or blood transfusions. It is thought that food bowl sharing does not contribute to the spread of FIV. In our anecdotal experience, we have seen many multi-cat households with one FIV infected cat remain as such with no further transmission of the disease. FIV, like HIV, can live in its host’s body for years before leading to a life-threatening AIDS situation. Ultimately, FIV is suppressive to the immune system and the average life expectancy from the time of diagnosis is five years.

Vaccinations in general help to protect against infections by tricking the body into thinking it has the full blown disease thereby causing the white blood cells to develop antibodies to prevent against future infection. The FIV vaccine was developed by Fort Dodge, a leading manufacturer of animal vaccines.  There are five strains of FIV virus, called “Clades.”

• The vaccine was made using Clades A and D and tested using Clade A. Clade B, for example, is a very common strain in most regions of the U.S. and no testing of the vaccine has been performed thus far against Clade B. This means that a pet owner might wrongly believe they were protecting their cat fully against the FIV virus with this vaccine. California has both Clades A and B.
• The FIV vaccine is an “adjuvanted” vaccine. An adjuvant is an additive used with killed vaccines to improve their ability to stimulate the immune system. Unfortunately, adjuvanted vaccines have been implicated in the development of certain tumors in the cat. (For more information on vaccine-associated sarcomas click here). Our hospital currently uses no adjuvanted vaccines for cats and has no desire to administer a vaccine that stimulates tumor growth even under rare circumstances.
• Vaccinated cats will test positive on all current methods of testing for the FIV virus. This means it will no longer be possible to distinguish vaccinated cats from truly infected cats. The vaccine is advertised at protecting 82% of cats which means 18% can still be infected. This is nearly a one in five chance of unknowingly having an infected cat. What this means in practical terms is if your cat has been vaccinated for FIV and gets loose it may be subjected to destruction since FIV positive cats are routinely destroyed by animal control.

In our opinion, since incidence of this disease if fairly low in most house cats and the vaccine has unacceptable risks associated with it, we believe that annual testing is the best approach. It is important to note the UC Davis VMTH pharmacy does not stock this vaccine, and its routine use in indoor cats is not recommended. Certainly owners of recently adopted cats should develop their own philosophy in conjunction with their family veterinarian when it comes to this vaccine. If you decide to vaccinate against FIV be sure to have your cat tested just prior to the vaccination.

Sources:
U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
American Association of Feline Practioners
PetSide.com
About.Com:Cats
Mar Vista Animal Medical Center
Manhattan Cat Specialists
How Stuff Works

The “M” on the cat

One of the distinctive markings on Tabbies is the letter M above their eyes. There is a great parable that comes from the Islamic religion which offers an explanation for this.

It is said that the Prophet Muhammad was an animal lover and had a special fondness for cats. One day, as he was preparing to leave for prayer, he discovered his cat Muezza sleeping on the sleeve of his garment. Rather than disturb the sleeping cat, Muhammad cut off the sleeve. It’s the assumption that the letter M symbolizes the esteem in which he held cats. In the Islamic world cats are highly regarded and are even permitted in mosques.

Cats do the darndest things

Romeo and Juliet have started sitting up with their backs propped against the glass. They really are funny cats. They always imitate each other like twins should. Congo, in the background, has been doing this for some time but he does it because he’s too fat to groom himself the normal way. I wonder what they’re going to pick up next.

Fred and Stinky get adopted

I’m happy to announce that Fred and Stinky have found a permanent home.  They were dropped off at The Best Little Cat House in Los Angeles in April for grooming and boarding and never claimed. Since they were such fantastic cats we took care of them until we were able to place them.

A few weeks back a couple took a tour of our L.A. location because they were thinking about adopting a kitten from the shelter and were planning ahead for their holiday vacation.  Cindy convinced them to have a look at Fred and Stinky by mentioning the positive aspects of adopting older cats. They were both spayed (Fred’s a girl!) and house broken and both are really easy going, low maintenance cats. I like the idea of adopting older animals because their personalities are fully developed.

It turns out they were a great fit. I checked in last week and the cats have adjusted well to their new home and the owners adore them.

Dump Cats!

A couple stopped by The Best Little Cat House in Burbank today thinking we were a cat rescue place. Even though we aren’t, we have several cats up for adoption who were abandoned by their owners.

I’d like to think most of these owners gave up their cats as a last resort, though dropping a cat off for grooming AND boarding and never picking it up isn’t an ethical maneuver in my book. The sad truth is we’ve had 7 or 8 cats dumped on us in the past 6 months. As a small business owner it’s never an easy thing to swallow when someone decides to contract a service and stiff you for the bill. As an animal lover, it’s bewildering why someone would decide to abandon an animal. It’s not that much work to take care of a cat. OK end of rant.

Sable’s been with us now for going on seven months. Her owner made good with us a while back and since Sable’s really a wonderful cat she can stay with us as long as she lives. The couple spent time with Polly (another rescue cat) and Sable and said thet’d be back next week to choose one. They seem really nice and I’m sure will provide a good home.