Conference misery::feline_v1

That's interesting. My vet is really pushing the leukemia shots. 
He's so in favor of it, that the price he charges for the 
injections is just slightly over his cost! How long ago did you 
get this assessment from your vet? 

So far all three of my cats have had the first shot - my vet warned 
of some possible side affects...listlessness, perhaps some soreness 
in the legs. These symptoms were supposed to last for only a short 
time. None of my cats reacted at all (but they're apparently 
not as sensitive as your cat).

From the literature that I've read, the vaccine has been well 
tested...both by its developer and independent sources. The 
independent sources claim an 80% success rate...the developer 
claims a much higher percentage. However, my vet (Dr. Clough at 
the Merrimack Veterinary Hospital) told me that in his experience 
feline leukemia is the #2 killer of cats...cars being #1.

Please get another opinion...especially if your cat is an 
"outdoor cat." (If your cat never goes outdoors, his risk is 
greatly reduced since he probably doesn't contact other cats.) This 
is a highly contagious disease. I picked up a stray cat a few 
months ago (he was handsome and friendly...looked like a Russian 
Blue) and had to have him put to sleep because he was infected. 
It broke my heart...but I couldn't bring him home to spread the 
infection further. (Once they get it there is no cure.)

Oh well...enough rambling. If you are near the Merrimack area, 
call the Merrimack Animal Hospital. They have a lot of literature 
on the subject.

-nn

Ada and Loiosh have each had their first two FeLV shots at the Bulger Animal
Clinic in North Andover.  After the second vaccination, the vet had me sit
in the waiting room with them for fifteen minutes, just in case there was
any reaction (there wasn't).  He claimed that only half a dozen cats out of
a hundred thousand or so tested went into shock, and that the shock was
easily treated if it occurred.

In re .1:

My vet is enthusiastic, but not THAT enthusiastic.  I'm paying $20 a shot!

					-- Roger

Re .2, the $20/shot figure is the same down here in NJ. Mr.Pigge had his
first FeLV shot recently with no side effects at all, but the vet did
say a little nausea or fatigue would not be anything to worry about.
Incidentally, he always recommends testing the cat before administering
the vaccine, since the series is expensive & ineffective if the animal has
already been exposed to the virus. (The test cost $12). He tells me that
about half of the cats tested have been exposed, and that a grimly large
percentage of those can expect to have the virus become active at some
point, with the inevitably fatal result. 
Shot #2 is scheduled for next week; if any adverse effects are noted, I'll
post the story here.

                          -Frank.
PS-
I've noticed that the Tick season is upon us here again (expletive deleted!).
Yes, FeLV is but another thing which can be transmitted by those miserable
bloodsuckers! Ticks may pose a more serious problem for dogs, but they will
infest cats (and humans!) too given half a chance.

In 62.10 I put the results of the clinical study done before the vaccine
was released. The bottom line was that no cats got the disease from the vaccine
and while some suffered from some side effects for a short time all recovered.

An article in FDA Consumer (yes, the FDA has to approve animial drugs just like
human drugs) also indicated that there had been no serious problems with the
vaccine.

Steve

First, I have to say that I really enjoy this file.  I just started reading
it this week and have been having a lot of fun with it.  

After reading note 62 and this one, I decided to give my vets a call about
the vaccine.  He and she both highly recommend it, especially since my two
cats are indoor/outdoor.  The charge is 10 dollars per shot, the screening
test to see if they already have the virus is 15.00.  I've read the literature
from the drug company and it sounds pretty resonable.  I worked several years
as a Med Tech, so I'm usually pretty sceptical where wonder cures are
concerned.  Since this is the ONLY vaccine on the market and NO
mortalities have resulted, it seems to be the way to go.  I also called a
couple of catteries out here (Northern Calif.) and they are now requiring that
all cats have the vaccine before they will board them.

I'm taking the cats (Pearson and Orion) to the vet this afternoon for their
first shot.  I'll post if there are any ill effects.

Thanks for the info.

Lynne
 

Cat received shot #2 this week....no reaction whatever. Vet says he's
now innoculated over 30 cats, with no reported reactions.

---Frank

After the first shot, both Reje and Ned were grumpy and
sleepy....but after 12 hours or so (probably sooner, I was
at work), they were back to normal.  Shot #2 is next week.
Clark Vet Hospital in Nashua charged me 40$ for the two
cats, but that also included the drops for Reje's ear
infection.  They highly recommended the shots, without
pushing.

How many shots are there in the series?

denise

In re .8:

Three shots are required to establish the initial immunity.  The second is
given two weeks after the first.  The third is given two months after the
second.  After that there are yearly boosters.

					-- Roger

    For any of you still interested in the vaccine and its effectiveness,
    I would like to recommend that you look to Cats Magazine's Exhibitors
    Edition.  Just a few months ago a clinic in Oregon reported the
    results of their two (or maybe three) year study of the effectiveness
    of the Norden Labs Luekocell vaccine.  The results were not very
    promising.  I don't remember the exact figures but many of the cats
    that had previously tested negative were vaccinated and still
    contracted the disease (more than the 20% Norden claims)  If anyone
    is interested I will reprint the results here.
    
    Jo Ann
    
    

    My vet does not feel very confident about the vaccine at all.  In
    fact, I asked him about doing my cats and he actually talked me
    out of it.  He said from what he read, he doesn't feel all that
    confident.  Does anyone know anything about the original test group?
    My vet told me the original test group was less than 100 cats!!!
    
    I felv test my cats regularly, but I haven't yet started to use
    the vaccine.  Of course, I am extremely careful about contact with
    other cats, and I do very little outside breeding.  
    
    Are other breeders using the vaccine yet???  Do you still do the
    regular felv tests??
    
    just wondering
    cin
    

    Also, what about long term effects from the vaccine....I don't think
    there were any studies on this particular aspect of it...with all
    I've been hearing lately, makes me wonder if the vaccine isn't causing
    the felv in vaccinated cats...
    

    My vet also talked me out of having my cats get the vaccine, tho
    he "pushes" everything else, including rabies shots for indoor cats.
    He said it "wasn't all that effective, actually."  He consults at
    Angell Memorial, btw.  Another vet (a friend of a friend) who is
    on the faculty at Tufts Veterinary, last spring cited a very negative
    study showing that not only is it not effective, but it has serious
    -- sometimes fatal -- side effects.  Yes, watching the animal for
    the first 15-30 minutes after the 2nd and subsequent shots (with
    adrenalin, etc. handy) might save a cat experiencing a reaction
    (similar to penicillin allergies, in some ways).  However, if it
    isn't effective and it isn't safe...
    
    I'll ask my vet if he has a copy of any of the published reports
    of the clinical trials.
    
    	P

    I had all my cats vaccinated not too long after it came out. I have
    not had any noticable side effects.  I have heard that there can
    be eye problems after using the vaccine, but this is supposed to
    be very rare, and isn't neccessarily linked to the vaccine.  As
    far as the vaccine cause a cat to become leukemic, I feel very sure
    that's not possible.  The method used for making the vasccine is
    quite different than most vaccines because of the nature of the
    virus.  It was not possible to use a 'live' virus in this vaccine,
    because that was found to nearly always infect the cats.  It was
    also found not possible to use a simple 'killed virus, as the
    immunodepressive effects of the virus still seemed to take place
    in some cats.  So, the virus was made from proteins, that are found
    in the virus, that have been inactivated.  The virus itself isn't
    even in the vaccine! The proteins in the vaccine are a few of many
    found in the virus, too, so there relly isn't even most of the virus
    parts in the  vaccine.  I don't think it would be possible to get
    the virus from the shots itself.  
    	As for the test group, yes it was less than 100 cats.  New results
    of testing the offspring of the survivors of the test group show
    that the offspring (even though vaccinated) don't have nearly the
    immunity level of their parents!  So, the vaccine appears to be
    less and less effective.  
    	I have had all my cats vaccinated - no problems.  Will I continue
    to do this?  Probably not.  Have I continued to test?  Absolutely!!!
    Every time someone is going to be bred they get tested.  You CAN'T
    be too careful!  I have a 'closed' cattery.  There are one or two
    friend that I work with, who I know well enough, and whose cleanliness
    and breeding practices I trust.  I do not give stud service, and
    don't take my females out, except on occasion to one of the
    aforementioned friends.
    
    The long and short of it all is that it looks like the vaccine,
    although still thought to be no more dangerous than other vaccines,
    is turning out to be relatively ineffective.
    
    Molly

RE:  Note 95.14 by LAIDBK::SHERRICK 

<    I have heard that there can be eye problems after using the vaccine,
<    but this is supposed to be very rare, and isn't neccessarily linked 
<    to the vaccine. 


Could you elaborate on that?  I just got back from the vet with my 7-month
old kitten and she has conjunctivitis in one eye which he fears may turn to
retinitis.  She had her second leukemia shot a month ago.  I asked the vet
about possible eye problems in relation to the vaccine and he had never heard
of it.

Any extra information on this would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Pam

    Have any of you breeders had any experience with queens losing litters
    following their Felv vaccinations.  A breeder friend reported that
    3 of her queens had problems with their first litter following
    vaccination.  1 litter was stillborn and 2 litters were reabsorbed.
    
    Anyone else have this problem or hear of it before?
    
    Jo Ann
    

    Sorry I didn't answer .-2 earlier, but I've been on a residency
    at a customer site, and unable to follow this notes file.  I seriously
    doubt that conjunctivitis has any relation to the vaccine at all.
    The eye problems that I've heard about had to do with blindness
    not related to any sort of viral or bacterial infections.  More
    than likely your cat picked up a virus.  Sorry if I've been vague
    about this, but I didn't have any problem, and the problems I heard
    about were third hand.
    
    One thing I think we should all be careful of is blaming problems
    that we see on the vaccine when there could be another reason for
    them.  We know that there are many reasons that queens can lose
    litters.  Last year several breeder friends of mine had problems
    with reabsorptions, and miscarriages.  It seems that there was a
    virus going around (this according to the vet community at Cornell)
    that was relatively harmless to most cats, but caused birthing problem
    in queens.  Could it be that your friend (.-1) had a bout with such
    a virus after the fe-leuk without knowing it?  I'm not saying that
    it couldn't be the fe-leuk - I'm just saying that without a controlled
    test, it isn't wise to assume.  I personaaly think that the vaccine
    is safe, but relatively ineffective.  If I had outdoor cats, I wouldn't
    be without it.  I have vaccinated most of my cats, but don't plan
    to keep up with the boosters.  I have a 'closed' cattery - i.e.
    i don't give stud service, or send cats out for it - except to 2
    very close friends who work only with me.  I plan on sticking to
    the tried and true test before you breed method.  
    	Good luck to all - and have safe and happy holidays!
    
    Molly