cover: New Africa | Shutterstock
Core vaccinations in cats | Together against cat rhinotracheitis and feline epidemics. Core vaccinations protect against dangerous infectious diseases that your cat can catch at any time. These include cat flu and feline panleukopenia. To understand why core vaccinations are so important, we would like to show you in this article how the infections work.
What are core vaccinations?
Core vaccinations have already been mentioned in our introductory article on vaccinations for dogs and cats. They protect your pet from infections with pathogens that can cause severe to fatal diseases without vaccination protection. In cats, this core group consists of three viruses: the feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus (both of which are among the agents that cause cat flu, also called feline respiratory disease complex or feline upper respiratory infection) and the feline panleukopenia virus.
Cat flu: feline herpesvirus (FHV)
The standard vaccination of the cat contains three components. Two of them belong to the feline respiratory disease complex a.k.a cat flu. The term complex is used here because the disease can be triggered by different viruses and bacteria.
One of them is the feline herpesvirus, also called rhinotracheitis virus. Similar to the herpes virus in humans, this is a particularly persistent pathogen that settles in the body and breaks out during stress or a weakening of the immune system. Sick cats sneeze, have fever, nasal and eye discharge and conjunctivitis.
Cat flu: feline calicivirus (FCV)
An infection with the feline calicivirus, the second representative of cat flu, shows similar symptoms. In this case, ulcers in gingiva and tongue often occur, which can turn into a chronic form if left untreated. Herpesviruses and caliciviruses are mostly transmitted from animal to animal via direct contact.
A viral infection can weaken your cat's immune system. Bacteria then have it easier to settle on the mucous membranes, causing infections and making the healing process more difficult. Well-known examples are chlamydia and bordetella, which are classified as non-core vaccines in cats.
Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV)
Feline panleukopenia is also called feline distemper. The virus that causes it is particularly insidious. Even if your cat is an indoor cat, it can become infected by viruses one brings inside on his shoelaces, bags or clothing. This pathogen settles in the bone marrow, intestines and lymphatic tissues such as lymph nodes and causes severe malaise, fever, diarrhoea and vomiting – even emaciation. Especially in young, unvaccinated animals, the course can quickly become fatal. Cats that have been vaccinated and have formed antibodies, on the other hand, show no symptoms.
Are there differences between indoor and outdoor cats?
The Standing Commission on Vaccination in Veterinary Medicine (StIKo Vet) recommends vaccinating all cats against the core components. It does not differentiate between indoor and outdoor cats, as both groups are at high risk of becoming infected with the named viruses.
Janina M. | confidu
When to booster?
Each vaccination preparation has an individual expiry date. Depending on the manufacturer, the vaccinations must be repeated annually, every two years or sometimes even only every three years. The veterinarian usually enters the next date in your pet's vaccination record. There you can check when the boost is due.
The StIKo Vet generally recommends repeating the vaccinations every three years. Studies have shown that cats vaccinated against feline calicivirus, herpesvirus and panleukopenia virus were protected against infection for up to three years.
The confidu magazine is written by our veterinarians according to current scientific standards. The articles do not replace a veterinary diagnosis, but are intended to provide you with initial information on many topics related to your animal. If you have specific questions about your pet, our vets will be happy to advise you via the confidu app.