Warning for cat owners! Innoculations.

[ElaineB]

Basically your cat can get a very serious condition known as feline sarcoma from the inoculation. This is an extremely aggressive form of cancer and if they can operate, the prognosis is not good. Our cat had a lump in the scruff of the neck just three weeks after her jabs and thankfully, we have just received the OK from our Vet (they had to perform a biopsy to establish the cause). She had a reaction to the jab , but only an inflammation.

The latest Veterinary advice is to have the leukimia inoculation in a hind leg, NOT in the scruff of the neck. If they get the sarcoma, they can amputate the leg to save the animal. They can continue to put the 'flu vaccine in the scruff of the neck, which I understand, should not cause the sarcoma.


Elaine

[batnurse]

FeLV vaccinations MAY HAVE AN ASSOCIATION with sarcoma formation in cats, i.e. we don't know if they causes it or not, and you can get sarcomas in non-injection sites too. This is not a new issue, and was covered in a Defra report on animals vaccination a little while ago http://www.noah.co.uk/papers/vpc-catdogvetsurv.pdf

The figures from the USA quote a sarcoma rate of 1:1000 to 1:10,000 depending on what report you read. This is higher than the UK rate of 1:265,000 because it includes rabies vaccinations as well as FeLV vaccinations. Rabies vaccinations are known to cause a greater inflammatory response, and the assocation is thought to be linked to the aluminium based adjuvant used in the vaccine.

Overall, the tiny risk of an adverse reaction to any given vaccination is minute compared to the risk of not vaccinating your cat. I have nursed cats with cat flu and FeLV and it's heartbreaking
I have all of my cats vaccinated, and will continue to do so. As yet, I have not been advised to have the vaccination done in any site other than the scruff, so will contine to be guided by my vet on the matter.

Hope this puts your minds at rest

[ElaineB]

Originally Posted by batnurse

FeLV vaccinations MAY HAVE AN ASSOCIATION with sarcoma formation in cats, i.e. we don't know if they causes it or not, and you can get sarcomas in non-injection sites too. This is not a new issue, and was covered in a Defra report on animals vaccination a little while ago http://www.noah.co.uk/papers/vpc-catdogvetsurv.pdf

The figures from the USA quote a sarcoma rate of 1:1000 to 1:10,000 depending on what report you read. This is higher than the UK rate of 1:265,000 because it includes rabies vaccinations as well as FeLV vaccinations. Rabies vaccinations are known to cause a greater inflammatory response, and the assocation is thought to be linked to the aluminium based adjuvant used in the vaccine.

Overall, the tiny risk of an adverse reaction to any given vaccination is minute compared to the risk of not vaccinating your cat. I have nursed cats with cat flu and FeLV and it's heartbreaking
I have all of my cats vaccinated, and will continue to do so. As yet, I have not been advised to have the vaccination done in any site other than the scruff, so will contine to be guided by my vet on the matter.

Hope this puts your minds at rest

There are five Vets at our practice and the one who gave Kira her jabs put them both in the scruff of the neck. Two of the other Vets, including the Senior Vet told me this week that it is now good practice to put the FeLV vaccine in the leg, not the scruff, because of the increase of this problem.

Yes, not all sarcomas are as a result of the vaccine, so apologies if I gave this impression and yes, it is rare, but apparantly on the increase. After a biopsy, I was told today that our cat appears to have had a reaction to the 'irritant' that is given with the flu and FeLV virus. In our case, the Vet was worried that the lump WAS the sarcoma related directly to the FeLV virus.

Poor Kira (and her brother) had cat flu when I bought them. The owner hadn't bothered having her animals innoculated and they nearly died. I have always had my cats (and horses) vaccinated against everything that I can. However, I am very disappointed that my Vet/Vets have never given me the information associated with the risks and the alternatives.

I will probably continue with the vaccinations, but will be having a very lengthy chat with my Vet first.




Elaine