46-48 Pollen Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
T: (09) 360 0961
F: (09) 360 0938
Send an email

Vaccinations

Feline Enteritis (Panleucopenia), Feline Viral Respiratory Disease (Cat Flu/Snuffles) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus are major infectious diseases of cats that can cause suffering and potentially death. Fortunately there are now simple and virtually painless injections that will protect your cat from these diseases. A course of two vaccinations is required for Enteritis/Cat Flu viruses, and three vaccinations for FIV.

Feline Leukaemia Virus is seen rarely in this practice, and Chlamydia is quite easily treated so we currently do not vaccinate against these infections.

1st Cat Flu/Enteritis vaccination 9 weeks of age.
2nd Cat Flu/Enteritis vaccination 12 weeks of age.
Cat Flu/Enteritis vaccinations can be started earlier or later, as long as there is a vaccination every 3-4 weeks finishing when the kitten is older than 12 weeks of age.
At least two Cat Flu/Enteritis vaccinations are required for cats of any age in the initial course.
FIV requires 3 boosters given 3 weeks apart, from 9 weeks of age or later. (A blood test may be conducted before this vaccination to check whether your cat could have been exposed to FIV already.)
A yearly booster starting one year after the last kitten vaccination is recommended for both Cat Flu/Enteritis and FIV. An Annual wellness Examination is strongly recommended for all pets, to ensure their continuing good health. In addition a risk assessment of infectious diseases and a suitable vaccination protocol can be tailored to your individual cat.
If an annual booster for Cat Flu/Enteritis or FIV is overdue by more than 3 months, we recommend repeating the initial course of 2 or 3 vaccinations.

Feline Enteritis (Panleucopaenia)	A highly contagious disease causing loss of appetite, diarrhoea, vomiting, extreme lethargy, dehydration and frequently death. It is most common ( & most severe) in young kittens, but can affect cats of any age.
*Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)*	This disease is mainly spread by fighting with the virus being excreted in large amounts in saliva. Auckland has a high incidence of this virus in it's cat populations. There is no cure for this disease and vaccination provides the best protection available. A blood test may be conducted before vaccination to check for prior exposure to FIV. A microchip can be implanted to positively identify cats who have this vaccine (since the vaccine will cause them to test positive on regular tests for FIV infection, they may be mistakenly diagnosed with this.) Microchips also help with finding lost or injured cats.
Feline Viral Respiratory Disease (Cat Flu)	A common & highly contagious disease causing sneezing, runny eyes & nose, mouth & corneal ulcers and loss of appetite. In severe cases cats may die or be left with a persistent nasal discharge, eye deformities & sneezing ("snuffles").
Feline Leukaemia (FeLV)	FeLV causes both neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders. The immune system is depressed predisposing affected cats to other infections and these can often be fatal. FeLV is recognised as the most important infectious cause of mortality in cats, worldwide. New Zealand is therefore something of an exception, as it is still uncommon here. The vaccine has been implicated in causing a sarcoma (a tumour) at the injection site. The risk of this appears to be approximately 1:3-10,000, but as a result we administer this vaccination in the hind leg or tail. This allows early diagnosis of a lump and provides more treatment options.
Feline Chlamydia	This disease can cause recurrent bouts of sneezing, conjunctivitis ("sticky eyes") and infertility or abortion in breeding queens - it rarely can cause a mild conjunctivitis in humans. The vaccine occasionally causes lethargy that can last upto 3 months. The disease is treated with a course of antibiotics for 3 weeks.