Hi,
I would like to know if I were to give my six-year-old BeadyWhite all the cat vaccinations now, would she still be able to pass on the feline panleukopenia virus to any future kittens she might have? I mean, would they be born abnormal or something, and die soon, like her previous five luckless kittens?
I don't think we can have her spayed at this age especially since the vets here don't know the ABC about cats, so would giving her the vaccinations protect her future kittens until they are old enough to be vaccinated?
BeadyWhite
Re: BeadyWhite
Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question.
Did you talk to the canine vet in your area? Maybe he's not as bad as you think. Usually they have at least SOME experience with cats, and spaying is quite a simple and routine procedure. For the sake of BeadyWhite try to find out more. Maybe get references for him? Other cat owners who have used him? Longterm, BeadyWhite will be a healthier cat once she's spayed.
Frankly, with all the feral cats in India I think it's irresponsible from you to plan to add more cats. Rather, if you want to have more cats work towards finding a vet who cooperates with you and then start taking care of ferals.
Did you talk to the canine vet in your area? Maybe he's not as bad as you think. Usually they have at least SOME experience with cats, and spaying is quite a simple and routine procedure. For the sake of BeadyWhite try to find out more. Maybe get references for him? Other cat owners who have used him? Longterm, BeadyWhite will be a healthier cat once she's spayed.
Frankly, with all the feral cats in India I think it's irresponsible from you to plan to add more cats. Rather, if you want to have more cats work towards finding a vet who cooperates with you and then start taking care of ferals.
Re: BeadyWhite
You really need to take Ash's advice and have her spayed. I know you don't want to watch a litter of kittens suffer that way again. You need to realize that now your home is contaminated with the virus, and any young kittens who are unvaccinated are at high risk of catching the virus from the environment, so vaccinating your cat is not the only answer. This virus is hard to kill, and can live for a year (or I've heard longer) in an indoor environment. Any young kittens would be at risk of this horrible disease just be being in your home and surroundings. The time between weaning and vaccinating is the most dangerous time for the kittens, because the mother's milk can afford some protection, but it wears off. Beadywhite is most likely immune to the virus, but I would still vaccinate her.
A few weeks ago, I adopted two kittens, and within two days, one of them was showing some vomiting and lethargy. By the next day, he was drooling from being so nauseous (so pitiful), and he was taken to a 24 hour care facility. They determined it was panleuk. They had just been vaccinated with the first series, but it was too late. Because it's so contagious, I watched the other kitten, and sure enough, I had to take him in too. I was told they had a 25% chance of survival, and I had read that it kills 50-90%. They both made it, but only after extreme supportive measures (I/V fluids and strong I/V antibotics). If you do not have that kind of treatment available, there isn't too much hope that future kittens would survive. My house is now contaminated, and I need to stay away from young kittens myself because I most likely have some of it on my clothes.
Please don't put them at such a risk, and put yourself through such pain. Thank you for loving these cats so much to take care of them.
Good luck, kk
A few weeks ago, I adopted two kittens, and within two days, one of them was showing some vomiting and lethargy. By the next day, he was drooling from being so nauseous (so pitiful), and he was taken to a 24 hour care facility. They determined it was panleuk. They had just been vaccinated with the first series, but it was too late. Because it's so contagious, I watched the other kitten, and sure enough, I had to take him in too. I was told they had a 25% chance of survival, and I had read that it kills 50-90%. They both made it, but only after extreme supportive measures (I/V fluids and strong I/V antibotics). If you do not have that kind of treatment available, there isn't too much hope that future kittens would survive. My house is now contaminated, and I need to stay away from young kittens myself because I most likely have some of it on my clothes.
Please don't put them at such a risk, and put yourself through such pain. Thank you for loving these cats so much to take care of them.
Good luck, kk
Re: BeadyWhite
There is no hospital care here for animals. No 24h IV fluids supervised by a vet. If your pet gets seriously illl here, chances are very high you'll lose it. Prevention is the best course of action, here in India more so than in Western countries. And prevention means spaying, vaccinating and keeping them indoors. And even all that is easier said than done here ...kk wrote: They both made it, but only after extreme supportive measures (I/V fluids and strong I/V antibotics). If you do not have that kind of treatment available, there isn't too much hope that future kittens would survive.
Most vets here work alone. They have office hours like any other business. Many switch their phone off in the night ... I heard in Mumbai more advanced clinics have started to emerge but neiher Nan nor I live there.
Okay, end rant.
Re: BeadyWhite
Nan, you need to talk to both vets or any other vets available to you about BeadyWhite's spaying. After talking to them, you should know more about their experience with spaying cats.
It is not only distemper transmission you need to be concerned about, but BeadyWhite's health as well. I mentioned to you before, that for every heat cycle and litter you allow her to have, she is at increased risk for mammary cancer, uterine cancer, pyometra, increased urinary tract infections, mastitis...these are very serious health conditions, and cancer is NOT a condition you want her to suffer, it is painful, agressive, debilitating and it is not curable.
Since we are assuming a distemper outbreak was the cause of the kittens' deaths, you need to inform your vet(s) immediately. It's CRUCIAL you do so to help prevent other cats in the area from contacting it. Also, when you do get BeadyWhite spayed, your vet needs to know about the probability of distemper so that BeadyWhite can be isolated from other cats at the time of the spay, since she could be harboring the virus and can transmit it to other kittens or cats. Distemper has the potential of becoming a serious epidemic in your area, and has the potential of hundreds of deaths as a result, do the responsible thing and get BeadyWhite spayed, and keep her Indoors ONLY!.
Again, you should NOT vaccinate her until your vet determines that she is in overall excellent health, since you just lost several kittens from distemper, she needs to be out of the incubation period before she is spayed. Do NOT bring any new cats into your home, and do NOT let any of your other cats outdoors. You also need to decontaminate your home thoroughly so that even YOU do not carry the virus on your clothes/shoes and risk transmitting it to other cats.
It is not only distemper transmission you need to be concerned about, but BeadyWhite's health as well. I mentioned to you before, that for every heat cycle and litter you allow her to have, she is at increased risk for mammary cancer, uterine cancer, pyometra, increased urinary tract infections, mastitis...these are very serious health conditions, and cancer is NOT a condition you want her to suffer, it is painful, agressive, debilitating and it is not curable.
Since we are assuming a distemper outbreak was the cause of the kittens' deaths, you need to inform your vet(s) immediately. It's CRUCIAL you do so to help prevent other cats in the area from contacting it. Also, when you do get BeadyWhite spayed, your vet needs to know about the probability of distemper so that BeadyWhite can be isolated from other cats at the time of the spay, since she could be harboring the virus and can transmit it to other kittens or cats. Distemper has the potential of becoming a serious epidemic in your area, and has the potential of hundreds of deaths as a result, do the responsible thing and get BeadyWhite spayed, and keep her Indoors ONLY!.
Again, you should NOT vaccinate her until your vet determines that she is in overall excellent health, since you just lost several kittens from distemper, she needs to be out of the incubation period before she is spayed. Do NOT bring any new cats into your home, and do NOT let any of your other cats outdoors. You also need to decontaminate your home thoroughly so that even YOU do not carry the virus on your clothes/shoes and risk transmitting it to other cats.
..........Traci
Re: BeadyWhite
Traci, I very much doubt vets would do anything here about it, like contact other vets, cat owners etc. It doesn't work that way here. If it would be a cattle disease, then yes, something might happen, but even then often only when it's already too late. But for cats? And ferals at that? I highly doubt it.Traci wrote: you need to inform your vet(s) immediately. It's CRUCIAL you do so to help prevent other cats in the area from contacting it.
Re: BeadyWhite
Ash, I will say it again, it's up to the pet OWNERS to get something done. If you are paying a vet to treat your animal, then you have the god-given right to demand optimal care and services. If that means seeing more than one vet, so be it, eventually, there will be a more experienced vet available for the demands. There *are* veterinary teaching universities in India, so pet owners can do much to convince and encourage their vets to followup on new advances in medicine, treatment, etc.
I understand the situation, don't get me wrong, but pet owners themselves need to take steps in order to get optimal care for their animals, every demand should influence the vets in your area to get further education and training for the demand.
I understand the situation, don't get me wrong, but pet owners themselves need to take steps in order to get optimal care for their animals, every demand should influence the vets in your area to get further education and training for the demand.
..........Traci
Re: BeadyWhite
But there is hardly any demand for cats, that's the problem. Main income for most vets is from cattle. In recent years, pedigree dogs have become pets more and more often, but not cats, so some vets have chosen to specialize in dogs. Cats are rarely kept as pets, and if then not often spayed and properly taken care of. In the bigger cities things start to change slowly, but where Nan lives not. Cats are viewed as being medically the same as dogs, just smaller, and as long as there is only one in 100 clients who brings a cat in, they won't make an effort to take additional courses, or as you suggested take care of a distemper outbreak. The vet Nan brought his cat to didn't even recognize it was distemper. How would he take care of the 100s of feral cats that are endangered in the vicinity? And more importantly who would pay him for that? Noone. And he certainly won't do it for free!
But yes, when I bring my cats to my vet and pay her I ask her to make an effort, to read up about cats, as I have done. But I don't know if she really does it. She didn't exactly seem enthusiastic about it. What can I do, I can't force her?
There is one vet here (I mentioned him before) who has been in Germany a couple of times to learn more. Strangely though he seems a real bad vet, he misdiagnoses, he's unorganized and sloppy, he's not thourough. He has never helped me in the year we had him, and I've heard horrific stories from others about him.
I better stop now, I could go on and on ...
But yes, when I bring my cats to my vet and pay her I ask her to make an effort, to read up about cats, as I have done. But I don't know if she really does it. She didn't exactly seem enthusiastic about it. What can I do, I can't force her?
There is one vet here (I mentioned him before) who has been in Germany a couple of times to learn more. Strangely though he seems a real bad vet, he misdiagnoses, he's unorganized and sloppy, he's not thourough. He has never helped me in the year we had him, and I've heard horrific stories from others about him.
I better stop now, I could go on and on ...
Re: BeadyWhite
Traci, I couldn't have put it better myself. I agree wholeheartedly with everything Ash said about vets here. In India, basically being a "cat lover" means sharing food and shelter with your cat, but it does not extend to healthcare benefits. I was surprised to read what KK said about taking the ill kittens to a 24-hour care center for IV antibiotics and observation. When there are no such facilities even for 60% of the people here, where do you expect them for animals, that too cats?
You will be shocked to know that the second vet I took my last cat to, who lives a few roads away, ALSO HAS A PET CAT, and he is on the verge of retirement but STILL COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE DISTEMPER AND IN FACT TOLD ME THAT A LOT OF CATS IN THIS AREA HAD DIED RECENTLY OF A "CONTAGIOUS VIRAL FEVER" and it was only after reading your replies that I put two and two together and understood what it was. And he refused to be paid for looking at my cat, probably because he could not diagnose the illness and doesn't know a thing about cat diseases.
So although I am concerned about BeadyWhite, I cannot keep her in the house because she is fiercely independent and only comes in when hungry and loves to roam outside and hunt and she would never adjust to not being in her favorite grass and sunshine and trees, all of which we have a lot of in our garden and which she loves to roam about in. Besides, we have the windows open 24 hours a day, so it would be impossible to keep her indoors anyway.
I was hoping to be able to vaccinate her at least so that the immunity may be passed on to any future kittens she might have. I understand the risk of passing on the virus to any outside kittens through our clothes and environment, so have decided not to bring in any fresh ones without first vaccinating them, but I am worried about BeadyWhite's future kittens.
You will be shocked to know that the second vet I took my last cat to, who lives a few roads away, ALSO HAS A PET CAT, and he is on the verge of retirement but STILL COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE DISTEMPER AND IN FACT TOLD ME THAT A LOT OF CATS IN THIS AREA HAD DIED RECENTLY OF A "CONTAGIOUS VIRAL FEVER" and it was only after reading your replies that I put two and two together and understood what it was. And he refused to be paid for looking at my cat, probably because he could not diagnose the illness and doesn't know a thing about cat diseases.
So although I am concerned about BeadyWhite, I cannot keep her in the house because she is fiercely independent and only comes in when hungry and loves to roam outside and hunt and she would never adjust to not being in her favorite grass and sunshine and trees, all of which we have a lot of in our garden and which she loves to roam about in. Besides, we have the windows open 24 hours a day, so it would be impossible to keep her indoors anyway.
I was hoping to be able to vaccinate her at least so that the immunity may be passed on to any future kittens she might have. I understand the risk of passing on the virus to any outside kittens through our clothes and environment, so have decided not to bring in any fresh ones without first vaccinating them, but I am worried about BeadyWhite's future kittens.
Re: BeadyWhite
Nan, please, do contact the canine vet and at least talk to him. If he's good with dogs that's at least a start. Don't give up. DON'T let BeadyWhite have any future kittens! As I said, spaying is a routine op. You can discuss things with that vet, asking him exactly what he plans to do, medication etc, and then use Internet sources as a confirmation for you that he really knows what he's doing. At least, that's how I do it. I think the chances that Beadywhite is getting pregnant again and produces another litter that miserably dies on you is much higher than her dying on the op table.
As for going outside. I know your problem. We used to live in a tiny house (one bedroom, one small living room, kitchen, bath) and we had four dogs and six cats (in the beginning). There was no way we could keep them all inside. And India means a lot of outdoor life and windows open almost 24/7. Nevertheless, if you have the money to spare can you put up a high wire fence around your garden or part of it? You now these chicken wire fences? If they are put up high enough and secured firmly into the ground with cement, BeadyWhite won't be able to climb over them and still can enjoy trees and sunshine.
What are you planning to do next time she goes into heat?
As for going outside. I know your problem. We used to live in a tiny house (one bedroom, one small living room, kitchen, bath) and we had four dogs and six cats (in the beginning). There was no way we could keep them all inside. And India means a lot of outdoor life and windows open almost 24/7. Nevertheless, if you have the money to spare can you put up a high wire fence around your garden or part of it? You now these chicken wire fences? If they are put up high enough and secured firmly into the ground with cement, BeadyWhite won't be able to climb over them and still can enjoy trees and sunshine.
What are you planning to do next time she goes into heat?