Cat Vaccination Side Effects
Vaccines are shots administered by a qualified veterinarian to give cats a measure of protection against several common illnesses. Many feline diseases can hinder life quality and, in some cases, lead to death. Vaccination is not a cure, rather a prevention that can either reduce symptoms or eliminate contraction of the disease altogether. As with human vaccines, cat vaccines have their downside.
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Rabies Vaccine
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Rabies is not a typical disease for cats to contract, but once infected, a bite can cause harm to humans and other animals. Cats can contract the illness from rodents, bats and other wild animals. In many states, rabies vaccinations are the law for domestic pets. Rabies can kill human beings. A vaccine every three years is the usual recommendation for cats.
Side effects for the rabies vaccine are serious and rare. They include problems with large and fine motor skills, seizures and damage to the tissue. Issues with the nervous system of the cat can appear up to 45 days after the vaccine has been administered and include kidney damage and liver problems.
FVRCP Vaccine
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The FVRCP vaccine protects against three common illnesses: Calcivirus, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and distemper. Calcivirus is similar to the common cold in most cats, but can turn into a serious condition in some. Viral Rhinotracheitis is the cause of many respiratory conditions in cats, and distemper is a serious, deadly and highly contagious illness for both cats and dogs. Distemper is everywhere a cat is; vaccination is highly recommended.
Common reactions to the FVRCP vaccine included symptoms similar to a cold, including runny nose, sneezing, coughing and, in some cases, vomiting. These symptoms only last a couple of days. Cat depression is an infrequent side effect of the vaccination and should be treated by a physician if it doesn't clear up in a few days or includes breathing problems. -
Feline Leukemia Vaccine
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Feline leukemia is a deadly infection in wild and domestic cats and is easily contracted by cats who spend a lot of time outdoors. The virus is serious and, in most cases, deadly and can be compared with the human immune deficient virus (HIV) as it attacks the body cells and destroys the immune system. Cats get the disease from bites, feces, shared dirty cat trays, infected cats, bites and bodily fluids. For cats who spend their lives indoors completely isolated from other cats, vaccine is not necessary.
Besides swelling and lumps at the injection site, cats can experience a range of side effects from the vaccine, including fever, benign lumps and sarcomas. Sarcomas are a grouping of cancerous cells that can potentially kill a cat and require radiation treatment.
Feline AIDS Vaccine
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Feline AIDS can kill a cat, cause immune systems to fail, affect cells, marrow and causes cancer. There is no known cure for the disease; vaccination is highly recommended as most cats die within three years of contracting the illness.
The main side effect of the AIDS vaccine is that it will always make a cat test positive for the disease when they don't have it. Besides irritation at the vaccination site, the vaccine can cause benign and malignant tumors. As the vaccine is not 100 percent effective against the virus, vaccination should be discussed with a professional.
Chlamydia Psittaci Vaccine
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This vaccine prevents against the bacteria Chlamydiosis, which causes problems to the eyes and lungs of cats. The decision to administer the vaccine is a personal one as cases can usually be treated with antibiotics. The vaccine itself does not prevent the disease, only lessens the symptoms and make things easier for the cat. The vaccine is not recommended for the majority of the cat population, but is more common in multi-cat homes or animal shelters.
Side effects can be severe including eating disorders, depression, fever and extreme tiredness.
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