Vaccination of domestic cats has long become a routine procedure, the necessity of which is not questioned. Rabies remains one of the most dangerous infections common to humans and animals. The virus that causes this disease naturally persists in populations of wild predators (mainly foxes, wolves, jackals and badgers), as well as stray dogs and cats. About a third of animals bitten by a sick dog become infected and die. Treatment for rabies has not been developed, and sick animals must be destroyed in accordance with current veterinary legislation. Therefore, if you want to protect not only your pet, but also your family, you will not wonder whether your cat needs a rabies vaccination.
Every responsible cat and dog owner needs to know when to get the first rabies vaccination, how long immunity lasts, and how often to revaccinate. We will try to answer all these questions in detail, and also tell you a little about the disease itself.
How is rabies transmitted?
The virus is contained in large quantities in the salivary glands of a sick animal. It has been established that the virus appears in the saliva of sick dogs 10 days before the first symptoms of the disease. When saliva gets into a bite wound or simply onto damaged skin, the rabies virus enters the body and travels along nerve fibers to the spinal cord and brain. The shorter this distance, the faster the signs of rabies develop in an infected animal or person. Therefore, bites to the head or neck are most dangerous.
Almost one hundred percent of cats with rabies die . People who are bitten are given preventive vaccination, the principle of which is based on the fact that the vaccine virus spreads throughout the body faster than the “wild” one and the immune system has time to develop protection. You should know that once the first symptoms of the disease appear, vaccination is useless.
Why do you need a rabies vaccination?
As has already become clear, vaccinating cats against rabies is the only reliable way to prevent infection of pets and family members. In cities, cats and dogs are reservoirs of the virus, and in disadvantaged areas, of which, by the way, there are many in Russia today, vaccination of cats and dogs against rabies is mandatory.
Does a domestic cat need to be vaccinated against rabies? There is an opinion that an animal that lives exclusively in the house does not need disease prevention. This is not true, because vaccination may be necessary, for example, in the following cases:
- the cat accidentally ran out into the street;
- the animal will be exported abroad;
- the apartment contains other cats and dogs walking outside;
- rodents enter the house and can be carriers of the virus.
In addition, vaccination is required for animals participating in exhibitions and breeding or left in foster care. Also, for the safety of staff, some veterinary clinics refuse to deal with animals that have not been vaccinated against rabies.
About the composition: using the example of the most common product
As you can find out from the statistics of veterinary clinics, most often animal owners opt for the domestic drug “Rabizin”. This vaccine is made from a culture fluid obtained from cells infected with a dangerous virus. Betapropiolactone is used for inactivation. Aluminum hydroxide and physiological solution are introduced into the preparation. The strain of the G-52 virus was recognized as optimal for vaccine production.
The vaccine is an opalescent liquid. Normally it has no color. During storage, a sediment may appear, which quickly disappears if you shake the ampoule.
In what cases is it necessary to get vaccinated?
We list the cases when vaccination against rabies is mandatory.
- Cat show. The veterinarian will not allow the animal to attend the event if there is no vaccination stamp in the passport.
- Breeding.
- The animal lives in a city or town that is officially declared free from rabies.
- Taking a cat abroad.
In all cases, a vaccination note is placed in the animal’s passport and must be confirmed by the signature and seal of a veterinarian. They also indicate the information about the vaccine administered or paste the bottle label into the passport. Since immunity in a cat does not develop immediately, the animal must be vaccinated at least a month before the date of the event (exhibition, export abroad), but no more than 11 months. Quarantine after vaccination against rabies in cats is not necessary.
Vaccination dates
The timing of preventive vaccinations for cats has been determined for a long time and practically does not vary. When is the best time to vaccinate a cat against rabies, the veterinarian decides. The following scheme is usually practiced:
- mono-vaccine at the age of three months;
- further, annual revaccination.
Sometimes owners decide to wait with vaccination and vaccinate the kitten after the change of milk teeth (at 4-5 months) - this approach is also quite acceptable.
If the kitten was vaccinated against other feline diseases at 8–10 weeks, then at the age of three months he is usually given a comprehensive vaccine against these diseases (repeated vaccination) and rabies.
If for some reason the vaccine was administered before the age of three months, then the injection is repeated at 3 months.
How to get vaccinated
How does a cat's rabies vaccination actually work? It is necessary to prepare for the event in advance. This is how you prepare to vaccinate your cat against rabies.
- Two weeks before going to the doctor, the animal is given anti-helminth medications - Drontal, Pirantel, Dekaris, Alben C and others.
- Get rid of fleas, bathe the kitten with pet shampoo.
- A few days before vaccination, the pet’s well-being and appetite are carefully monitored, and the body temperature is measured the day before.
There are contraindications for rabies vaccination in cats:
- increased body temperature;
- individual sensitivity to vaccine components;
- presence of infectious diseases;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases.
On the day of vaccination, the veterinarian is obliged to examine the animal, measure its temperature, and listen to the owner’s complaints about the pet’s well-being.
Where a cat is vaccinated against rabies depends on the type of vaccine used. Usually the drug is administered intramuscularly in the thigh area, less often subcutaneously in the scapula area. The volume of liquid administered for most vaccines is 1 ml, which corresponds to one dose.
All manufacturers do not recommend the simultaneous administration of vaccines from different companies. It is allowed to administer rabies vaccine and other drugs from the same company, but in different places from different syringes (for example, in the left and right thigh). There are also rabies vaccines that can be used as a diluent to others, for example, Nobivak Rabies in combination with Nobivak DHPPi, Nobivak DHP.
After introduction
The animal must be transported home from the veterinary office. For the next three days, contact with strangers is excluded. Immunity appears within an average of three weeks. During this period the animal is not allowed outside. The individual should not be bathed for the first four days after the injection; there is a risk of hypothermia and colds.
The drugs used for vaccination are potential allergens, so administration is strictly practiced in the clinic. There are risks of an anaphylactic reaction. After administration, the drugs remain in the clinic for a third of an hour, so that in the event of a sudden sharp response from the animal’s body, the doctor can provide timely assistance. If after 20 minutes the cat is in good health, they go home. To minimize the risk of allergies, antihistamines are given a day before the injection. For medium-sized individuals, a quarter of the Suprastin capsule is recommended. A large cat is given the same amount a few hours before the vaccine is administered.
How often to vaccinate a cat
How long does the rabies vaccination in cats last? All existing vaccines require annual administration. The exception is a Dutch drug called Nobivak Rabies. In cats and dogs, it forms immunity lasting up to three years. But there is one caveat. In any encounter with official veterinary services - for example, when exporting abroad - you will be required to undergo annual vaccination, despite the periods specified in the instructions for the drug.
How often to vaccinate a cat against rabies is up to the owner to decide. If “Nobivak Rabies” is installed “for yourself,” then once every three years is enough. Also, some veterinarians recommend using a similar gentle revaccination for old or chronically ill cats.
About veterinary products
When planning vaccination against rabies in cats, you need to navigate the variety of pharmaceutical products. There are several popular products. A Dutch company produces the popular product Nobivak. This is an inactivated product manufactured in the form of a suspension. Normally, the shade is close to yellow or pink, rather weak. It is sold in small bottles containing one dose of one milliliter. The drug is intended for one-time administration to the animal at the withers. The drug is injected under the skin. On average, immunity is formed by the end of the third week. The manufacturer assures that it lasts for three years. After this, you need to repeat the administration of the product.
An alternative vaccine against rabies in dogs and cats is produced by a domestic pharmaceutical plant specializing in veterinary products. It is sold under the name "Rabifel". The product is available in liquid form. The shade is close to pink or yellow, rather desaturated. The medication is packaged in 1 ml bottles. It is necessary to inject the cat once into the withers or muscles. Immunity appears after a couple of weeks. The duration of a cat's immune protection is three years.
Reactions to rabies vaccine
The cat's health after rabies vaccination usually remains good. Modern drugs are produced taking into account the characteristics of the cat's metabolism. But previously in our country they used a vaccine against rabies, the preservative of which was phenol, a compound extremely toxic to cats. Therefore, even now you can hear the opinion that vaccinating cats against rabies is an extremely dangerous procedure. Actually this is not true. The reaction to the rabies vaccination in cats is either completely absent or manifested by a slight inhibition of activity within 2-3 days after going to the doctor. When the drug is administered subcutaneously, a slight swelling may form, which will resolve on its own within one to two weeks.
Like the introduction of any biological product, vaccinating a cat against rabies can have a side effect, which will manifest itself as a serious allergic reaction of the body - anaphylactic shock. In this case, the veterinarian provides emergency assistance to the animal. Therefore, after any vaccination, it is recommended to wait 15–20 minutes and only after this time leave the clinic.
Can a vaccinated cat get rabies?
Not a single vaccine in the world gives a 100% guarantee that a vaccinated person or animal will not get sick when encountering an infection. However, rabies vaccinations provide reliable protection. However, sometimes vaccination turns out to be ineffective, as a result of which the animal, having encountered the virus, becomes ill. This occurs in cases where the administration of the drug did not cause the proper immune response.
Such cases are tracked using a serological test, which shows the level of antibodies against the virus in the blood. The analysis is taken no earlier than 14 days after the injection. Tests can be taken at a veterinary clinic. They cost 100-150 US dollars. But if there is a financial opportunity and there is a high risk of infection of the animal, it is better to carry out such a test. It may also be required for travel to a number of countries.
Now let’s talk about the reasons why there is no required level of antibodies after vaccination.
Age up to 2 months
Rabies is a rather difficult vaccination, which it is advisable to give to an adult animal. A small kitten may simply not develop immunity, not to mention the high risk of negative consequences.
Period of teeth change
During the period of teeth change (approximately 3-4 to 5-7 months), it is undesirable to inject the vaccine, because this period coincides with the period of reduced immunity of the animal, when it changes from childhood to adult. We will not go into complex terminology, which will seem incomprehensible to many, but will only note that during this period the vaccine may simply not lead to the development of immunity, or, on the contrary, it will lead to the immune system reacting too sharply, up to anaphylactic shock.
The animal is too old
Antigens that have not previously entered the body do not always produce an effective immune response in older animals. Therefore, older cats that are vaccinated against rabies for the first time often do not produce the required amount of antibodies (0.5 IU/ml).
Vaccination given to a sick animal
Vaccination will not stimulate the production of immunity in a sick or weakened animal. In addition, the immune system may respond with an unexpected reaction if it is currently fighting another illness.
Vaccination delivered at the wrong time
If the cat has already been bitten by a rabid animal and the virus has already entered the body, it can be vaccinated just in case. But it won't work. Cats should be vaccinated before they are bitten, not after. If an unvaccinated cat is bitten by a presumably rabid animal, it is quarantined. Rabies injections for cats that have already been bitten are only possible if they have previously been vaccinated. That is, in this way veterinarians try to further increase the level of antibodies in the blood. But no one will vaccinate a bitten cat from scratch. Moreover, private veterinary clinics should not accept animals with suspected rabies. This is done by state veterinarians. If you bring in an animal with symptoms of rabies, a private veterinarian has the right to slam the door in your face.
Wrong dose
The vaccine may not work if the wrong dose is given. But usually there are no problems with this, because... ampoules are designed for one administration.
Spoiled vaccine
Fake and spoiled vaccines don't work. If the vaccine is not kept refrigerated, it will deteriorate and become unusable. It also spoils when frozen.
Wrong combination
Vaccines that are not designed to be combined with each other should not be administered on the same day. If a vaccine is combined with another vaccine, the manufacturer indicates this in the instructions and specifies the name of the second vaccine.
According to a number of veterinarians, a vaccine administered on the same day, even with a compatible drug, can lead to the development of an insufficient level of antibodies. This is why it is recommended to administer the rabies vaccine 2 weeks after or 2 weeks before other vaccinations. True, this opinion is controversial: most doctors do not see a problem in this.
When the vaccine “breaks through”
There are so-called stories when the vaccine “breaks through.” That is, the vaccine was given, immunity was developed, but the animal still got sick when it came into contact with the virus. This is due to the fact that viruses mutate, and the strength of immunity after vaccination decreases over time. Some viruses mutate too quickly, and immunity against some infections disappears too quickly.
If the rabies vaccine fails, this means that immunity was not initially developed for one reason or another (to find out, a serological test had to be performed) or revaccination was not done on time - and the antibody level dropped significantly.
