Vet talked me out of FIP shot

[superconnected]

Today I took 4 of my cats in to start their vaccinations.It was a great day because I finally took the cost plunge and did the bulk. Now just the booster shots. One problem, the vet insisted that FIP was genetic and something that mutated from parent to child. She insisted I shouldn't get it.

I was told by the workers at that clinic that they used to recommend it but just stopped recently.

Does anyone know about this?

With the money I saved, I took another bite and got my cats chipped today which was nice. But I'm thinking if they're wrong about FIP I need to know and get them vaccinated for that too.

Lastly, introducing Misty- homeless tuxedo that comes in and out of my place. Today he stood and my back door and scream until I let him in so he could eat. I found out yesterday that he is offically a homeless cat in the complex - I don't always know if cats I'm feeding are really homeless. A guy who had 20 cats he saved at my complex got evicted recently(for losing his job and not being able to make rent, not because of the cats). He came by and identified which cats in my home were his before he got evicted. Most of his got homes via his aquaintences. Wilder ones like Misty didn't. He's taking Misty back when he gets a place again.

he also identified Chance - a long haired black cat that moved in with me a few weeks ago, which he will also reclaim. Chance it turns out has his front paws declawed.

Didn't get a pic of chance yet - he's an indoor/outdoor, here is misty:


Misty rubs against my legs hard and when I pet him he attacks me and scares me(bites/claws) then instantly rubs against my legs again. I was told he and Chance used to be very skittish but have calmed down a lot to humans.

Chance is the cat I wrote about a week ago that just started staying every night. He moved in like Blacky did. Just appeared and plans to stay.

[kestrel91316]

1. DU's resident cat vet here -

I have NEVER recommended the FIP vaccination. It was introduced 12 years ago or so, to great fanfare. But knowing what I know about the nature of the disease "FIP", I held off on using it and let the other vets deal with new-product problems.

It was a good thing I did so. A year after the vaccine was introduced, a study done by Cornell showed that the vaccine, in some cases, actually potentiated the disease rather than providing protection. The Cornell study's results have never been duplicted, but this is a very difficult disease to study for many reasons.

Current recommendations (by veterinary preventive medicine specialists and feline specialists) are to ONLY use the FIP vaccine after extensive consultation on pros and cons with the owner. There may be some catteries that would benefit from using the vaccine, but it NOT recommended for routine use in pets.

The main problem is that FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) is not a NORMAL viral infection. It is caused by a normally harmless coronavirus which is ubiquitous (found everywhere) and causes either no symptoms of disease whatsoever, or transient gastrointestinal problems. The "FIP test" is NOT a test for the disease, but rather a test for prior exposure to the harmless coronavirus. So diagnosis of FIP can be problematic if not impossible.

FIP happens when a cat with the harmless feline coronavirus becomes excessively stressed, most commonly due to poor nutrition, overcrowding, untreated illness, etc. Under these circumstances, the coronavirus in that particular cat mutates into a harmful form which induces an immune-mediated inflammation of the blood vessels, and generally chronic deterioration. It can lead to brain, eye, intestinal, kidney, spinal, or lung disease. It is COMPLETELY INCURABLE, and very poorly responsive to any treatment. There are two forms: wet FIP which is the classic fluid-filled abdominal or chest cavity; and dry FIP which is everything else, and is associated with granulomatous inflammation which compromised organ function. This is a BAD disease.

Fortunately, FIP is largely preventable if you remember that cats were never intended to be crammed together in dirty, crowded quarters and allowed to have untreated parasites, respiratory disease, etc. Most FIP I see comes out of "rescue" facilities or animal shelters, and also breeder catteries. It is rare for a private-party "healthy source" cat to develop FIP. At any rate, the vaccine will probably not prevent this disease, and may increase the risk of death due to FIP.

If you have any more questions, let me know.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Great info. thanks.

[superconnected]

5. Thank you very much for posting this.

great info!

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Misty is gorgeous. Guess the felines in the area know what a good heart

you have....word has spread. ;)

[demnan]

4. Great thread!

It's good to know what to get for our feline kids and what to stay away from. Makes you extra mad when an abandoned cat is declawed, doesn't it?

I'll have more pictures of Charley to post this weekend.

[superconnected]

6. Introducing Chance... and black cat number 4

I took this pic a far because I didn't want Chance to get scared. He was only sleeping so it's not much.

That is not Chance in the white circle. That's the cat that looks exactly like Chance who was sleeping there when I took the pic. Both long haired black cats. I SERIOUSLY HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT CAT IN THE WHITE CIRCLE BEFORE.

It was short haired blacky who had the twin I just discovered. This new discovery of Chances twin - in my apt. happened in the last 15 minutes.

How do I know which one is Chance when both are identical - Chance woke up and let me pet him after the pic.

Black cats are multiplying, black cats are multiplying...