BAD NEWS
 

I am trying so hard not to cry - I took my cat back to the vet today for the checkup/dental exam since they were busy yesterday and they did grooming. He is in good shape but his teeth are hurting him and they are going to clean it and I have to give him special food and help brush his teeth all which is about 400 dollars which i dont mind since he is the love of my life. but the worse part is what caused it, they did some testing when they gave him his vaccination shot...........He has AIDS/FIV, they think he was born with it or got it from a cat bite. I am so mad that my old vet never tested him for that or anything.. They said he can live for long time but i have to take good care, checkups couple of times a year, special food, etc. Also dental cleaning every two years since the FIV affects the teeth. It was so hard not to cry at the vet and just to sit there and understand what i need to do and everything. right now he is at the vet having his teeth cleaned - i am gonna pick him up in a few hours. but my heart is breaking, I hope so much that he lives at least ten more years.

BabyP I'm so sorry. :(

Baby P, I'm sorry. As a new "cat mommy" my heart goes out to you. I'd be devastated.

Also a really good reminder for me to go get the FIV immunization for my kitty.

WAIT!!!
 

PLEASE do more research before getting this vax for your cat!! Find out exactly how effective it is.

Talk to somone who has no vested (i.e., $$$) interest in your cat getting this vaccine. Same with the feline leukemia vaccine.

Keep your cats inside. It will DOUBLE their lifespan.

Re: WAIT!!!
 

Why shouldn't I vaccinate my cat? Even if the vacc is ineffective, as long as it doesn't harm her, I'd rather get it just to be on the safe side. And I do keep her indoors at all times. I don't even carry her when I go outside to get the mail.

an FYI on FIV
 

Here's a good site I found about FIV and there's also an article about the vaccination itself.

The rundown: if you have more than one cat and/or your cat is an outdoor kitty, then get it. If you have just one cat and it stays inside, it's pretty unlikely you'll need the vaccine.

http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fiv_in_cats.htm

Re: an FYI on FIV
 

Good for you!!! That is a great site with a lot of very good information. I use it for research myself.

A slight correction though... even if you have multiple cats, if they are ALL strictly indoor kitties, then none of them should need the FeLV vax. None of my 6 cats gets it.

Now to answer your prior question, yes there IS potential for harm to your kitty from vaccines. Vaccine related sarcoma is a form of cancer related to vaccinating (in cats only).

I have actually seen articles quoting a much lower rate of protection from the FeLV vaccine than 75%. I cannot remember where I saw it, so I won't quote the number. It is really important to be informed about the things that affect your pet's health, from food to medical care, vaccinations, indoor vs. outdoor, and even the litter you use.

God bless 'em, vets don't always know it all.