Hello everyone

i am currently in the midst of finding the right vet for my f1 (getting him within the month) and am noticing a lot controversy on which vaccines they should be getting as EGs. My understanding is that bengals (especially EGs) should be immune to feline leukaemia and that if they get the shot for it as per the vets recommendation in case, that it can be very life threatening to a kitten receiving the vaccines.
Also, i have been reading that there are also some issues with the rabies vaccine and bengals. My bengal will be an indoor cat but out on a harness daily. I believe Canada is considered rabies free but most of the vets i have talked to have said that he would need the rabies vac despite this.
I will be doing more research into this and speaking with my breeder on the matter but i wanted to hear what the experiences of this were with some of you out there with EGs aswell.

Thanks,
Emily

I'm not 100% sure but I think the ALC was thought to be immune but this immunity has not been passed down to Bengals. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

I'm pretty sure they are, the f1s at least. i spoke to my breeder just now (boy she responds fast!) and she said not to get either vaccines and that less is better. she says she only does the rabies vac because she has a daycare license and it is mandatory.

i think this is why it is so important to do research on which vet you go to-preferably a cat only one that works with EG bengals. I have spoken to many vets and they have all told me to get those vacs...

Maybe you're right as I said I was unsure.

I wouldn't get any of my indoor cats vaccinated against this anyway.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

Canada is definitely not rabies free. I lived there up until 2004 and we regularly encountered rabid skunks, squirrels, and bats.

Bengals are not immune to leukemia but my vet, here in Utah, does not vaccinate for it.

Definitely vaccinate for whatever is relevant for domestic cats in your region. You may not let your boy roam freely but you cannot guarantee he will not escape outdoors. Protect him for his own sake.

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~ Kyenta

All cats should get a rabies shot. Raiden gets a distemper and FeLV vaccine as well. The bengal is not immune to FeLV. Supposedly, the ALC has a natural immunity to the disease, but it does not appear to be carried down the generations. During Raiden's last trip to the vet, the vet said that FeLV can be passed from saliva from an infected cat. I walk Raiden and he's into every bush that we pass and I know other cats have been there as well. It can pass from nasal discharge, urine, feces and you never know what the cat may step on or get into on your walks. I've had Raiden licking the asphalt pavement for some reason.

Unless you have a vet that specializes in EGs, you are probably going to get conflicting opinions. However, since Luca will be outside -- even on a leash -- I think it's important to get the necessary vaccines. These days, you can get 3-year vaccines. I still do the annual ones as that makes sure I get Raiden for his annual checkup at least.

We ended up getting him the rabies one and he was fine. I can't remember if he has the felv one...they all sound the same. I'll have to look

The Rabies vaccine has been linked to causing  fibrosarcomas due to it being an intramuscular vaccine. A line of vaccines has been created to protect against that and they are called Pure Vax. They cost about $15 more than the regular vaccine but we'll worth it IMO. The only difference is the Adjuvants added in them which is what causes a reaction in cats has been taken out. I am also on the fence about leukemia vaccines but decided to go ahead and get Mochi's. He will get his boosters at a year old and after that I plan to check both of their titers annually. I am a little weird about vaccines I found them beneficial on one hand but harmful if over done.

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There is the same argument in vaccines for children! Pros and cons. But the diseases that vaccines prevent are far worse than any side effect one may get. And getting tumors from the vaccines is extremely rare. The last time I took Raiden to the vet, Dr. Coles told me that all the vaccines are given under the skin and not intramuscular. I've been going to the same vet clinic since 1993 and they have never tried to sell me on anything over and above why my cats have needed. I had a diabetic kitty who later went into kidney failure. She spent a lot of time at PetMed. Their charges were so reasonable and after we had to have her put to sleep, they sent their standard card, but everyone in the office had added their special note about Kitty. They currently take care of Raiden and I rely on their judgment because I'm not an expert in veterinary care.

I think the best thing for me to do is follow my breeders instructions. Get him everything he needs and not worry about the extras. I'll talk to my vet too...though sometimes I am not confident they are super knowledgable with the needs of bengals.

Sorry to hear your kitty got diabetes. My orange tabby (Oliver) that I had growing up ended up with diabetes and I had to give him insulin shots twice a day. I cried the first time I had to do it to him but he eventually didn't mind it because he knew it was helping. Eventually his surveyed got unmanageable and his quality of life just went down hill so he also had to be put down.

I gave my kitty two insulin shots a day as well as subq fluids for the kidney failure. The insulin needles are nothing compared to the huge ones for the fluid. Kitty took the needles well and she was able to be with us for quite a while longer.

I don't know any vet that specializes in bengals, especially EGs. However, Luca is still a cat! If he were going to be indoors at all times, then the other vaccinations might not matter, but taking a chance when he's outdoors -- that's another thing. You know better than anyone else if you have other cats in your area. I had one cat who had FIV and another one who got FeLV.