A cat vaccination is one of the ways we maintain the overall health of our feline friends in Pflugerville, TX. Central Texas Animal Hospital has all the core and non-core vaccines you will need to ensure that your cat lives a long and healthy life. Whenever possible, we try to start the vaccination of cats when they are in the kitten stage of life.
Core Cat Vaccines
There are two “core” vaccines that are recommended for all cats. These are the rabies vaccine and the HCP vaccine. The HCP is a multi-vaccine shot that protects against several common cat diseases.
It is important that your cat be vaccinated at all stages of its life. We recommend the following vaccines for most of our feline patients:
- HCP: Also known as the feline distemper/upper respiratory vaccine, HCP protects against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Panleukopenia, and Feline Calicivirus. The following illnesses are highly contagious among cats and are responsible for most cat illnesses in the US. Panleukopenia (Feline Distemper) is often fatal in cats if left untreated.
- Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and Feline Calicivirus – result in the majority of most reline respiratory diseases and are easily transmitted.
Symptoms include nasal or ocular discharge, sneezing, conjunctivitis, ulcers of the oral cavity, anorexia, and depression. - Panleukopenia – (Feline Distemper) a highly contagious, often fatal disease. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and abdominal pain.
- We administer this vaccine every 3 years once adult immunity has been established.
- Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and Feline Calicivirus – result in the majority of most reline respiratory diseases and are easily transmitted.
Non-Core Cat Vaccines
The FeLV (Feline Leukemia) vaccine is not technically considered a “core” vaccine, but we do recommend it and administer it to many pets. If your cat is going to be spending any time outdoors, they can be at risk of coming into contact with another cat that has feline leukemia. FeLV is a highly contagious virus that suppresses the immune system. It can make cats very sick and can even lead to some types of feline cancers.
- FeLV, or the “Feline Leukemia” vaccine protects against the virus that produces immunosuppression, which can lead to other diseases or infections and eventually, some forms of cancer. The disease is transmitted by direct contact with infected cats. We administer this vaccine every 2 years once adult immunity has been established.
- Rabies – The law requires that all pets be kept current on their rabies vaccine. Failure to do so could result in a fine and citation. In the event, your pet bites someone, quarantine or other public safety measures may be ordered by local law enforcement.
- For cats, we offer either an annual or three-year vaccine. Rabies is a viral disease that can affect all warm-blooded mammals.
Schedule for a Cat Vaccination
Kittens usually start their first round of vaccines between 8 and 16 weeks of age. Once adult immunity has been established, booster shots for all the above vaccines are administered on (roughly) this schedule:
- Rabies: One-year or three-year vaccines available
- HCP: Once every three years
- FeLV: Once every two years
Whether you have an older cat that needs to be kept on the vaccine schedule or a new kitten that you’ve just brought into your household, contact us at a Central Texas Animal Hospital for your vaccine needs!
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