No cat is totally immune to deadly and disabling infectious diseases. Kittens, particularly, are at risk. Your responsibility as a cat owner is to understand the threat which exists to your cats health and wellbeing. It is important that you take the simple, direct steps necessary to ensure adequate protection, because it is far less costly, to you and to your cat to prevent diseases rather than to treat them.
Most common infectious diseases can be prevented by routine vaccination and periodic physical examinations. Diseases for which your cat may be immunized (vaccinated) include: Panleukopenia (feline distemper), Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Chlamydiosis (pneumonitis), Feline Leukemia, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, and Rabies.
Newborn kittens receive temporary protection from these diseases through antibodies present in their mother's colostral milk. This natural protection declines by one half every seven to 10 days. This period of maternal protection lasts from six to 12 weeks, depending on genetics and other factors, and varies from individual to individual. Therefore, you need to rely on your veterinarian to make vaccination recommendations that will provide the most effective and timely protection for your cat or kitten.
Even with an effective vaccination program, you can never assume that your pet will be protected completely from infectious diseases. You still must take precautions to monitor its health through regular examinations and to keep it from coming into contact with animals known to be diseased.

FELINE PANLEUKOPENIA (feline distemper) Feline panleukopenia is a very contagious viral disease that primarily affects young kittens, but cats of any age are susceptible. The percentage of all cats affected (morbidity) can be as high as 90% to 100% of all animals exposed in a given area. The percentage of all unprotected, exposed cats who will die (mortality) can also be very high.
The panleukopenia virus is generally widespread and natural exposure is common. Despite early maternal protection, infection of newborn kittens is frequent. Clinical signs include fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, depression, diarrhea, dehydration and other complications that can result in death.
Treatment of infected cats is difficult and the mortality rate in kittens is very high. Even when recovery occurs, a kitten may become a carrier of the disease and infect other, unprotected felines.
The most effective means of controlling this disease is through an early and ongoing vaccination program that we administer.

FELINE VIRAL RHINOTRACHEITIS (FVR) Feline viral rhinotracheitis is the most severe and widespread upper-respiratory virus to which cats are susceptible. FVR is highly contagious and very serious in young kittens, but cats of all ages are at risk.
Clinical signs include: moderate fever, tearing, discharges from the eyes and nose, mouth breathing, coughing, and salivation. There is no cure, so treatment is limited to supportive and symptomatic care. Recovered cats become carriers for life and have recurring disease breaks; they can shed virus intermittently, especially during periods of stress. This chronic carrier state makes vaccination the best means of prevention and control of the disease.

FELINE CALICIVIRUS (FCV) Feline calicivirus is another of the major feline upper-respiratory viruses. It is widespread, highly contagious and accounts for about 4O% of the respiratory diseases in cats. The severity of infection varies with the strain of virus present Clinical signs include: moderate fever, pneumonia, and ulcers or blisters on the tongue. There is also no cure for this disease, so the only available treatment is supportive therapy.
Calicivirus also has a chronic-carrier state, in which recovered cats become carriers for life. These FCV carriers shed virus continuously which makes prevention very important. Vaccination is recommended for the health of your pet.

FELINE CHLAMYDIOSIS (pneumonitis) The organism Chlamydia psittaci is directly responsible for 15% to 20% of all feline respiratory diseases. Chlamydiosis is extremely contagious, especially in young kittens. Chlamydia psittaci causes a "local" infection of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose. Clinical signs include a mild-to-severe conjunctivitis, excessive tearing, sneezing, heavy salivation, and coughing. Cats with chlamydiosis may have lung involvement, but generally do not show clinical signs of pneumonia. Treatment involves the use of antibiotics for several weeks. Vaccination is the preferred method for prevention.

FELINE LEUKEMIA (FeLV) This virus, along with its associated diseases, is a leading cause of disease and death in cats. Feline leukemia, in addition to being fatal by itself, can also break down the cats protective immune response such that the cat is unable to fight off infections it would normally be able to resist.
Infected cats are found mainly in multiple cat households and catteries, which are the exposure environments needed for virus transmission. Prolonged intimate cat-to-cat contact is needed for transmission of FeLV, since the virus dies quickly outside the cats body. Testing is available to determine the FeLV status of the individual cat If the cat is negative, vaccination is recommended, especially in cats that have a higher risk factor for exposure.

FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS (FIP) FIP is a disease seen most often in young adult cats. It is caused by a coronavirus. Once clinical signs are exhibited, the disease is progressive and leads to death. There are two types of clinical disease, which are referred to as the wet and the dry forms. In the wet form, large amounts of fluid build up in body cavities, especially the abdominal cavity. In the dry form, the clinical signs are variable depending on the organ system affected, such as the intestines, kidneys, liver, lungs, nervous system or eyes. The dry form usually has a longer clinical course and death may not occur for a year or more.
Diagnostic testing for FIP is difficult No cure exists at this time, and the disease is almost always fatal once clinical signs appear. The risk of getting FIP is relatively low compared to the other feline diseases. A vaccine is available, and you may wish to ask us if vaccination would be appropriate for your cat.

RABIES Rabies is a fatal viral disease affecting the central nervous system of almost all mammals, including humans. It commonly is spread by contact with infected saliva through bites inflicted by a carrier animal or through a break in the skin.
Cats are at increased risk for several reasons:
• Cats are more likely to roam at night and come into contact with rabid nocturnal wild animals such as skunks, raccoons, and bats.
• Rural cats are more numerous than rural dogs.
• House cats that go outdoors occasionally are also at risk through exposure to other cats or wild animals.
• Because most cats are not vaccinated, they are vulnerable to rabies infection.
Vaccination against rabies gives your cat much greater resistance in case of exposure, reducing the likelihood of infecting humans. There is no cure for the disease once the symptoms appear.
Rabies vaccines may be given intramuscularly (IM) or can be injected under the skin (subcutaneously) for easier administration and less stress on the pet. Furthermore, some rabies vaccines can be administered in one injection combined with your cats annual FVRCP and FeLV vaccination, thus providing even less stress.
RECOMMENDATIONS We can recommend a program of periodic health exams and vaccinations to keep your cat free from the threat of infectious diseases during your cats lifetime.
Although some cats have acquired an immunity to some diseases, this immunity does not last That is why a veterinarian can help establish the proper schedule of vaccinations and select the vaccines that will provide the widest possible protection over the longest period of time.
The Eclipse and Fevaxyn families of vaccines, available from Solvay Animal Health, Inc., provide the veterinary profession with innovative products prepared to give cats the protection they deserve for a healthy, happy lifetime.