Vaccinating Your Kitten

Congratulations! By vaccinating your kitten, you have take an important step toward protecting them from serious diseases.

Vaccines are designed to trigger a specific immune response that will protect your pet from illness in the event of exposure to infections.

Remember:

your kitten will need multiple visits to complete the vaccination series
each dose is as important as the first, your kitten is not fully protected until it receives the full series of vaccines
immunity does not happen immediately, most vaccines take up to 4 weeks for full immunity
puppies and kittens should be vaccinated every 2-3 weeks between the ages of 8-16 weeks
your veterinarian will follow the American Veterinary Medical Association’s recommended vaccine protocol while also taking into account the individual needs and environmental exposure for your cat
always consult with your veterinary care professionals if you have questions about your pet’s vaccination schedule

SIDE EFFECTS

Some pets may experience mild side effects following vaccinations. Typically starting within hours of vaccination, symptoms are often mild and do not persist more than 24 hours. This is a normal response by your pet’s immune system during the process of developing immunity. Always report ANY concern of a reaction to your veterinarian.

It is common for kitten to experience the following symptoms:

mild fever up to 103*F
lethargy, decreased activity, or hiding
discomfort or swelling at the injection site
decreased appetite

Contact your veterinarian if symptoms persist longer than 24 hours.
Call your veterinarian immediately or seek emergency medical treatment if your kitten experiences any of the following:

persistent high fever over 103*F
extreme lethargy
difficulty breathing
persistent vomiting or diarrhea
collapse

It is very rare for cats to experience a severe reaction such as facial swelling or hives.

VACCINATIONS
At Countryside Animal Clinic, vaccines are always administered by a veterinarian and include a full physical examination and consultation. Cats get the highest quality vaccines made especially for their individual health needs.
Rabies is a deadly, communicable disease between dogs, cats, people, and wild animals. Vaccinating yearly for Rabies is a legal requirement that is important for the health of the entire family.
Feline Distemper is a combination vaccination protects cats from contagious upper respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases such at Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, and Rhinotracheitis. These viruses are very prevalent in shelters and in stray cat populations. Most cats have been exposed to and are carriers of upper respiratory viruses.
Feline Leukemia is a highly contagious and life threatening virus transmitted between cats. It can be easily transmitted by saliva such as sharing water bowls and hissing. There is no cure for this virus and kittens do not usually live more than 1 year when contracted at an early age.
It is important to vaccinate all cats for these viruses. Indoor cats that are not vaccinated for these diseases have no protection if they were to escape or if a new cat enters the environment. Not complying with vaccine recommendations is why more cats contract Rabies than dogs.
Feline Immunosuppressive Virus (FIV) is another serious virus contagious between cats. FIV is commonly transmitted by blood contact such as fighting and mating. Cats that go outdoors, fight, are intact, have oral disease, or have abscess wounds are at a greater risk of infection. There is no cure for this detrimental virus and there is currently no effective vaccine.
It is recommended to test all cats for the Feline Leukemia and FIV viruses. Cats can have little to no symptoms. Blood testing is the only way to know for sure if a cat is infected.

Vaccinating Your Kitten