Conference misery::feline_v1

    Hmm.  Interesting - how is the percentage of prevention?  Is it
    higher than the older vaccine, which I think was 80% effective?
    
    E.T.

    No idea.  There was just a tiny blurb in the magazine.
    

    I THINK THAT THE SHOT THAT IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR LEUKEMIA, IS A GREAT
    THING FOR CATS.  I THING IT'S AT LEAST 80% OR BETTER. I WOULD RECOMMEND
    IT FOR PEOPLE WHO LET THERE CATS OUT SIDE. I HAD A CAT THAT DIED
    FOR THAT IT WAS TERRIABLE.

    My half-Siamese kitty seems to be allergic to the current feline
    leukemia booster shot.  She always seems to be sick for a day or
    two after she has hers, while the other kitty quickly recovers by
    the next day, and she never used to have a problem before.  By "sick"
    I mean that she won't eat, seems to have a fever, and will just
    lay around under the bedspread and meow at me if I touch her.  I
    wonder if this new shot will cause less problems for her.  I feel
    so sorry for the kitty; it reminds me of how sick I got after getting
    a typhoid vaccination before travelling overseas on vacation a while
    ago (it was *awful* - better than getting typhoid fever, though!).

    Re: .3
    
    Both Holly and Sweetie are very subdued for 12 to 24 hours after
    their leukemia shots.  Once Holly's episode lasted for almost two
    days -- the vet said if that happened again, to bring her in for
    a fluid shot, as dehydration could be serious.  he also said that
    otherwise it was a reaction that did happen sometimes, and as long
    as the cat was treated it would be okay.
    

    Neb would drink water after her leukemia shot (if I hauled her over
    to her water bowl, anyhow), but she doesn't eat anything for a couple
    of days and generally acts like she feels rotten - she used her
    box, too, since I would carry her down there after she drank.  Poor
    little kitty!  I don't suppose not eating for a day or two really
    harms her much since she is bit tubby anyhow.  I'll tell the vet
    when the two of them next go in for their shots (in a month or two).
    JFCL is fine by the next day, though it takes her longer than that
    to forgive her pet human for hauling her off to the vet! (She
    eventually decides that it wasn't all that much worse than when
    the same human clips her claws, and forgives me.)
                                

    Last night I asked my vet about the new vaccine. Apparently it is
    a "killed" vaccine. There is the chance that a faulty "batch" would
    not have been properly "killed" and some of the virus would live
    resulting in live virus being injected into the cat. With todays
    technology the chances of that happening are VERY slight. Another
    considertation is that "killing" the virus changes its basic structure
    (shape, etc.) ...and the implications of that aren't completely
    known yet. For the time being our hospital is using a conservative
    approach and using the more fully tested Leukocell (sp?). So far
    we have lost only one cat to FeLV that had the shots ...and last
    report was we see 2 to 3 cases of FeLV a day. It is believed that
    the one casualty was actually coming down with the disease at the
    time it received the shots ...it's supposed to be impossible for
    the vaccine to cause the disease (though a few cats are allergic
    to the "medium" that is used).  Please keep in mind that this is
    my interpretation of what was being told to me ..and is not intended
    as advice ..or even opinion. ...just food for thought.

    About killed vs other vaccines:  I believe that when the polio vaccines
    first came out (you can tell how old I am), that they were the kind
    where the virus (or whatever it is) is not killed but only weakened.
    My recollection is that a killed vaccine for Polio was considered
    a step forward, and that the weakened-type vaccines are actually more
    dangerous.  However, I do agree that I'd like to see some more info
    about any new vaccine.
     

    Re: .8    A good point. I know it was once explained to me how the
    Leukocell vaccine was different from the usual weakened live virus
    type of vaccine. ...something about it wouldn't work in the case
    of FeLV so they developed another way of dealing with it. The method
    was a little technical for my definitely non-technical mind and
    the details escape me. I will ask again, though. ...or perhaps some
    of our Noters understand the "workings" a little better. The worry
    still remains around the 80% success record ...and the unanswered
    questions about the effects on pregnancy and kittens. It is encouraging
    that the work continues and new things are being tried. The Leukocell 
    vaccine has been so much improved in the past couple of years that we didn't
    see any of the violent reactions that we used to see occassionaly
    with the earlier versions.  And with the new vaccines coming along it 
    brings new hope that we are moving closer to the 100% safe and
    effective vaccine we're all hoping for.
    
    Linda

    I just brought my kitten (Tashti) to the vet's this weekend.  He
    is a totally indoor cat, but I decided to have it vaccinated for
    FeLV anyways, just to be safe.  
    
    When I asked my vet (Dr. Brian Holub at Countryside Veterinary Clinic
    in Chelmsford), he said that
    
    1)  The vaccine (I didn't get the name) was 100% safe.  It was a
    "dead" vaccine-- it wasn't even the entire FeLV virus... that a
    doctor had extracted just "part" of the virus which was a very
    effective prevention.  He said it wasn't possible to get FeLV from
    the vaccine, since they weren't injecting the entire virus.
    
    2)  That the 80% effectiveness figure was very misleading.  He said
    that the vaccine was really 99% effective (as effective as vaccinations
    against mumps and measles for humans) and that the 80% effectiveness
    figure came from an extreme test where the immunity systems of a
    bunch of cats were "disabled".  They were given the vaccine and
    exposed to 200X strength FeLV virus and 80% did not get it.
    
    3)  He mentioned that 1 in 10 cats will be mopey the next day and
    that it's done in a set of 3 shots.
    
    Maybe other people could ask their vets to confirm this information?
    
    Ruby
    

    I'm sure what you are describing is the Leukocell (sp?) vaccine
    that has been in use for quite a while. We used to see quite a few
    violent reactions to this vaccine when it first came out, but it
    has been modified in recent years and is much, much safer.  I *believe*
    80% is the published effectiveness ratio of this vaccine, but I
    don't doubt that this is conservative. ..as I mentioned in a previous
    reply, our hospital has had only one cat that received the shots
    develop the disease ...and it's believed that that one was already
    developing the disease as the time it received the shots.
    
    The one big area still in question is the effect on breeding cats
    and their future kittens. I've heard alot of conflicting evidence
    on that one.  ....but for non-breeding animals it seems to be more
    than worth the occassional day or so "under the weather" to know
    they are protected.  The large number of cats seen at our hospital
    (2-3 a day) with active virus means that alot of people are still
    "opting" not to use the vaccine.
                                                 
    Linda
    

    There seems to be some veterinary differences of opinion on
    the effectiveness of the FeLV vaccine.  At the Feline Symposium
    at Tufts Veterinary School held several months ago, they
    indicated that they believe the vaccine to in fact be less
    than 80% effective, more like 50%.  The vet giving the FeLV
    presentation seemed to be exceptionally knowledgeable regarding 
    the disease and I know this was her area of expertise.
    
    Donna 

    I have heard the same in my travels - sure wish it would
    improve soon.  

    At the vet's last night I was told that a New England vet (a woman
    but I couldn't get her name) has had some bad experiences with the
    new Covenant vaccine.  Once cat died (from shock) just after receiving
    the vaccine. I understand there were others that went into shock
    also ..but the cats were saved. I guess there's some controversy
    around pulling it off the market.
    
    The December Cat Fancy article about FeLV states that the new Leukocell
    vaccine to be released in January is a killed vaccine (such as
    Covenant). Since this did not agree with early promotional material
    which was sent out by Norden, my vet called Norden to check it
    out.  Turns out the Cat Fancy article was mistaken. The new Leukocell
    vaccine will be a sub-unit vaccine (similar to the current Leukocell)
    with some changes ...including an initial two dosage program, rather
    than the current three. Norden has requested a copy of the article
    and said they will be in touch with Cat Fancy to straighten the
    record...