Feline Immunization Protocols
For board exams, you should not be expected to know the details of all of the different types of vaccines but you should know which diseases cats should be vaccinated for at various ages.
Key Points
- Core vaccines are FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia) and rabies
- Feline leukemia virus vaccine (FELV) is non-core but frequently recommended based on risk factors
Core Vaccines
These vaccines are recommended for all cats, regardless of their FELV/FIV status or risk factors
- Panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus-1 (feline viral rhinotracheitis) and feline calicivirus (injectable or intranasal vaccines)
- Kitten series: Given as early as 6 weeks of age, then every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks. If starting older than 16 weeks, give 2 doses, 3-4 weeks apart
- Booster:– Give 1 year after last dose of initial series, then every 3 years
- Rabies (injectable or transdermal)
- There are 1-year and 3-year vaccines
- Given once after 12 weeks of age, then 1 year later
- This is followed annually for 1-year vaccines or every 3 years for 3-year vaccines
- There are 1-year and 3-year vaccines
Non-core Vaccines
These vaccines should be administered to cats based on risk of exposure
- FELV– Feline leukemia virus
- Administered as early as 8 weeks, then repeated 3-4 weeks later, then at 1 year
- The vaccine does not cause a positive FELV test
- FIV- Feline immunodeficiency virus
- The vaccine results in production of antibodies that interfere with all FIV antibody based diagnostic tests
- Other non-core vaccines- You should be aware that these vaccines exist and that they are non-core. You should not worry about the administration details for board exam purposes.
- FCoV- Feline Coronavirus (also referred to as FIP vaccine)
- Chlamydophila felis
- Bordetella bronchiseptica
- Giardia lamblia
