Question
# 121 |
Should we vaccinate incoming cats that are pregnant? |
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Answer |
Yes. Although there is very little published research on this subject, it is speculated that the modified live (MLV) panleukopenia component of feline vaccines could be problematic, as field strain panleukopenia can cause abortion or fetal defects. There is one published case study in which a vaccine may have led to fetal defects (Sharp, Davis, et al., 1999). On the other hand, respiratory vaccines (live or killed) during pregnancy have been associated with reduced disease and death in kittens (and no increase in abortions). Many shelters do vaccinate all cats at intake with MLV vaccines, and of course some of those cats were unrecognized pregnancies. There are also many causes of abortion in shelter cats (stress and respiratory pathogens can also cause abortion), so when abortions occur, it's hard to say whether the vaccine was at fault. I have never heard of cerebellar disease in kittens born to a cat vaccinated during pregnancy at an animal shelter - doesn''t mean it has never happened, but appears to be uncommon. IF a cat is already immune due to prior vaccination or exposure, the vaccine will cause no harm; mom's antibodies will neutralize it, and the fetuses will never see the effect. IF mom is going to be spayed/aborted, then certainly it is worth vaccinating to protect her life; you don't want to go to all the trouble of spaying, only to have her die of panleukopenia. IF a cat has never been exposed or vaccinated against panleukopenia (and you of course don't know which have and which haven't) then she is at risk for disease and death if not immediately protected by MLV vaccination, unless she can be immediately transferred to a very low risk environment. In most shelters and high volume rescue homes, the risk of the very devastating panleukopenia disease probably outweighs the risk of vaccination. Vaccination at worst will cause abortion; however, panleukopenia can kill mom, her kittens, and potentially spread to other cats, leading to contamination of a foster home or even triggering a quarantine or mass euthanasia of a whole area. For this reason it is generally recommended to vaccinate ALL incoming cats with MLV vaccines even if pregnant. |
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Question
# 75 |
Where can I find additional information on Shelter Medicine? |
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Our Links page is a good place to start. |
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Question
# 74 |
I found some orphaned kittens; do you have any advice on raising them? |
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Information Sheet: Guide to Raising Orphaned Kittens |
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Question
# 73 |
Where can I find more information about Infectious Tracheobronchitis (Kennel Cough)?
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Information Sheet: Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis (Kennel Cough) |
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Question
# 72 |
What are some possible causes of an outbreak of diarrhea in shelter cats? Last week, a few of the cats came down with diarreah. Stool samples were collected and sent out for culture by our vet. However, this weekend, the problem has extended throughout the shelter. It seems that every cat has the same problem. Every litter box is filled with light tan, pancake batter consistency "poop". There are no normal ones in any of the boxes. While we realize the best thing would be to isolate all the cats, it is impossible in our situation. We just do not have the cages to isolate every animal. Is there something you can suggest we do while awaiting the results of the cultures we have already sent out? Our cats have free roam of two large rooms plus an screened outside area. We do have a fountain in our outiside room. Is it possible that this is the cause of this outbreak? I would appreciate any help you could give us. |
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(1) I assume you've already done standard tests such as fecal floatation and direct smear. If those have been negative, I suggest you test aggressively for Giardia using a known, high quality test (it is very common to miss Giardia infections using the standard floatation techniques we usually use in shelters). Idexx' in-house snap test is reportedly pretty good, or if you send to a commerical lab, make sure they are using a recommended test (not all of them do). While it is unusual in my experience for Giardia to cause an outbreak of this magnitude, there are strain variations. (2) The other cause to strongly consider would be a food issue, particularly because it is very unusual to see an infection affect such a high percentage of cats. Is there any consistent association with a particular food? e.g. are only cats versus kittens affected? |
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Question
# 71 |
Does the UC Davis School of Veterninary Medicine provide diagnostic services? |
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Yes. The UC Davis Shelter Medicine Program offers diagnostic and consultative services for dog and cat populations, including: - Protocol development and review, - Infectious disease control programs, including cleaning and disinfection - Shelter wellness programs, including vaccination and parasite control - Comprehensive review of shelter medical programs - Facility design - Outbreak investigation/consultation - Veterinary services for cruelty and neglect investigations - Staff and volunteer training programs - Feline and Canine Upper Respiratory Panel and Interpretation |
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Question
# 70 |
Can Trifectant be applied with a hose-end sprayer?” |
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Yes. We have seen cases were it is made with up at twice the concentration then set the sprayer to dilute it one to two - or whatever worked with their sprayer (like if their sprayer could only dilute down to 1:4, make it up to four times the concentration). some that have tried it thought it worked great, but I talked to another shelter that had tried this and thought it was a respiratory irritant. I don't have the details on how any of them did it so can't say what the difference might have been (or it might even have been that they were applying it in more or less well ventilated environments). Reportedly it is not very corrosive to surfaces, certainly less so than bleach. The Virkon website is actually quite well referenced and informative. Obviously bent towards the manufacturer's prejudice, but there are a number of independent studies referenced as well. |
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Question
# 69 |
How can I submit a question to the UC Davis Shelter Medicine Program? |
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Go to the Ask a Question page |
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Question
# 68 |
How is Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) diagnosed? |
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Please refer to the Information Sheet on FeLV |
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Question
# 67 |
What are the upcoming Events and Conferences concerning Shelter Medicine? |
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Date question was answered: |
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Shelter Medicine Events and confernces |
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