Annual Vaccinations

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Hi all

I am taking my two boys for their annual boosters on Monday. Is there anything I should know or be asking when I take them in? My main concern is potential reactions. I have their record from the breeder which of course I will take with me (and the vet already has a copy of) and I'm hoping they provide the same shots at my vet (ie manufacturer and type) as I'm assuming these sat okay with them.

They are booked in for the morning and I have taken the day off work in case there is any sort of reaction to the injections - or can there be delayed reactions as well?

I will be asking these questions at the vet as well, but like to be prepared!

Many thanks,

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

Hi Clare, haven't got any advice but just wanted to wish you all good luck! I am sure they will be absolutely fine but you can't help but worry can you!

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

n00dle · **Posted:** Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:18 pm

Watch for pinkness around the ears or face, scratching the face or around the site. Max had a reaction the last time and required injections of benadryl twice a day for a week since we didn't recognize how bad it was going to get for about 36 hours... He wouldn't take the oral meds. Other than that, my boys have been okay. They're going to remove whichever one they suspected caused the reaction from his series this year.

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Well, my boys have been for their boosters and health check. Hendrix cried all the way there and all the way back, stressing out both me and Jagger, who now keeps hissing at Hendrix!

I've been told I need to put them on a diet. Hendrix is 5.6kg and Jagger 5.9kg. Hendrix is the same weight as when we took him in September about his recurring limp and I was told he was fine then. I guess some of it is a matter of opinion. Jagger has always been a stocky boy and Hendrix lanky, but I'll cut down on treats and a pouch per day and see how that works out. I think the target of 5kg may be ambitious as I think that will make them underweight. I'm always checking them against the body shape charts and they look okay to me!

Just waiting for them to settle down now and stop hissing at each other so I can pop out to do some food shopping.

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Hi all

Well Saturday morning I noticed Hendrix had a lump in the vicinity of the injection site (doesn't seem to be bothering him though). Is it normal for this to happen a few days after the injection as opposed to an immediate reaction? Jagger doesn't have a lump. I think I would have noticed a lump if it had come up before then as Hendrix likes a lot of fuss!

It seems to have gone down a bit today but Saturday night it was quite big and felt warm to touch.

Having googled it any lump should have gone down within two weeks - is that everyone else's understanding or should I get him checked out by the vet sooner?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

Hi Clare, I don't have any experience of this but I know when I get an injection I usually have a lump develop afterwards!

Hope everything is ok.

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Hi Debbie

Thanks - they've both reacted so differently - Jagger was really subdued for a couple of days after the injection, Hendrix you wouldn't have thought even had it! I spoke to the vets surgery yesterday to be on the safe side and they want to see him if it hasn't gone down by the end of the week. Sounds like they want to check it isn't infected or becoming an abscess. Had a look today and I can't see any redness but he definitely doesn't like me looking at it.

Hendrix is always in the wars though, he's not as robust as Jagger at all. This last weekend, we had the lump appear and then he started limping on his front paw. He was feeling very sorry for himself indeed by the end of Saturday and was extremely quiet on Sunday. Fortunately I had anti-inflammatory left over from his on-going knee problem so gave him some of that Sunday and kept him indoors (he slept nearly all day) and Monday you would think nothing had happened. I think he may have sprained/grazed it as the dew claw looked a bit of a mess and the pad felt grazed.

When he finally stirred on Sunday he managed to get it stuck in the cat flap again when he tried to come in from the conservatory just to completely fray my nerves!

He's back to his normal rambunctious self now which is such a relief! Just need the lump to go away now!

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

Glad Hendrix is feeling better and hope the lump goes away so you don't have to bother with a vet visit. I hate going to the vets with Dexter as they are always running late and he gets stressed. I always worry about them picking something up from the vets too or getting ill with the stress of it all.

Funny you should say about the paw because when Dexter had his vaccinations (the first time round) he had a limp paw afterwards, was shaking and very quiet. I almost called the vet as I was so worried but about 4 hours later he was jumping about like nothing had happened. Just wondering if Hendrix had a similar reaction.

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Yes I'm praying the lump goes away as any vet visit with Hendrix is stressful - he doesn't stop wailing in the car! I'm lucky at our vets though as I've always been seen on time and even early so far - it does make a dent in the pocket though!

I was googling again today as my gut feel was the lump and the limp came hand in hand, and I found this:

Lameness in kittens after the calicivirus (FCV) vaccination:
Feline calicivirus is well known as a cause of 'cat flu' symptoms - sneezing, eye discharges, nasal discharges and mouth and tongue ulcers. Less commonly, the virus also affects the bones and joints of the kitten, causing joint swelling, joint pain, muscle soreness and fever. They often limp and they resent having the limbs handled or palpated. The symptoms generally resolve in 2-4 days without any medication. The reason that this information has been placed in the vaccination side effects section is that, sometimes, the live feline calicivirus vaccine can induce the same self-limiting 'limping kitten' signs generally within 1-3 weeks after vaccination.

He certainly didn't want me looking at his paw, but that seems okay now and the lump hasn't gone... it does say kittens but he is only just out of kitten-hood so maybe this was what happened.

His reaction was pretty extreme though as he was really limping badly, I thought he'd broken it again!

Fingers crossed the lump disappears!

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

Hi Clare, that's what I found as when Dexter was limping (he was sort of holding his paw like he couldn't walk on it but I knew he hadn't hurt it and we had just got back from the vets) as I looked it up and found the same information you did which put my mind at ease a bit.

Wish I would have told you this now but with Hendrix having a booster and not the full vaccinations I didn't think it would have the same affect it did with Dexter.

It definitely sounds the same reaction they've both had doesn't it. Never had a cat that reacted this way to a vaccine although I know some do.

I know what you mean about the vet bills. Our flaming vet just gets you coming back all the time to get more money out of you!

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Well the good news is, I think the lump is going down... the bad news is he's limping again! So I don't think the limp is to do with the vaccination after all. I know what has kicked it off again though. We've been doing hard play with Jagger in the evenings with their Flying Frenzy toy and Hendrix hadn't played for a while for obvious reasons but went completely berserk with it last night, he was leaping around and flying up and down the cat tree like a total lunatic. The limp is nowhere near as bad as at the weekend though which is something so it was obviously just a bit early for him to do energetic play.

Hopefully another day of rest indoors and the Flying Frenzy has been locked away for at least a week now... It is a pain as we need to wear Jagger out in the evenings or he is a pest with going behind us on the sofa and then trying to break the blinds until you pull them up... and when they are pulled up he goes off! But once he is worn out, he settles down and lets us watch a bit of TV in peace.

Jagger will be trying to break into the wardrobe tonight to get at it, so we'll be in for a fun packed night lol

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

Jagger sounds like a right little monkey :mrgreen:

Dexter gets like this too in the evening usually just about when I'm thinking of going to bed so I have to stay up for another half an hour to play with him!

Good to hear that Hendrix's lump is going down.

Annual Vaccinations

Who is online