Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Vaccine Protocol - Dr Jean Dodd's

dodds-cat-vaccination-protocol-2013-2014#.VvrKP0cSXwi

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

Considered one of the foremost experts in pet healthcare, Dr. Dodds focuses on vaccination protocols, thyroid issues and nutrition.
Visit Hemopet.org or Nutriscan.org for more information.

13th Nov 2013 | 5 notes

2013 and 2014 Feline Vaccination Protocol - W. Jean Dodds, DVM

Approximately seven years ago, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) sponsored and conducted a groundbreaking study on feline vaccines. The panel - which included Dr. Dodds’ colleague, Dr. Ron Schultz - divided the vaccines into core and non-core. Just this year, the AAFP published updated feline vaccination guidelines. Dr. Dodds agrees with the panel’s findings, with the exception of giving feline leukemia vaccine to kittens that will be kept strictly indoors. She also prefers a more minimal and delayed vaccination schedule to offset potential adverse vaccine reactions and feline vaccine injection site-associated sarcomas. Additionally, Dr. Dodds considers factors such as presence of maternal immunity, prevalence of viruses or other infectious agents in the region, number of reported occurrences of the viruses and other infectious agents, how these agents are spread, and the typical environmental conditions and exposure risk activities of companion animals.
2013-2014 Feline Vaccination Protocol
Note: The following vaccine protocol is offered for those cats where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable. The schedule is one Dr. Dodds recommends and should not interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory. It’s a matter of professional judgment and choice.
8-9 Weeks Old:
Panleukopenia (feline parvovirus), Calicivirus, Rhinopneumonitits Virus (feline herpesvirus-1)
(FVRCP)

12-13 Weeks Old:
Same as above

24 Weeks or Older (if required by law):
Rabies (e.g. Merial Purevax™, recombinant)

1 Year:
FVRCP booster (optional = titer)

1+ Year:
Rabies, same as above but separated by 2-3 weeks from FVRCP
Perform vaccine antibody titers for panleukopenia virus every three years thereafter, or more often, if desired. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian. In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request. Visit Rabies Challenge Fund.
W. Jean Dodds, DVM
Hemopet / NutriScan
11561 Salinaz Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92843

WINN Foundation and FIP Research

It is such a terrible disease. In the feline world, literally for decades, we didnt know why or how this disease appeared we just knew it did. Now it seems thank goodness there are some break thrus in research being made ! WINN FIP Update

Back to blog posts

Effect of anti-feline TNF-alpha antibody for FIP

Mar 29, 2016

Loki T, Takano T, et al. Therapeutic effect of anti-feline TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody for feline infectious peritonitis. Res Vet Sci. 2016 Feb; 104:17-23.

DryFIP copy

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a terrible and lethal disease of cats, most often young cats. The pathogenesis of this disease has not been completely elucidated, but feline coronavirus is known to play a role. In this disease, the virus infects a type of white blood cell, the monocyte/macrophage. As a consequence of this infection, a cellular protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is produced and contributes to the disease. These researchers prepared antibody to this protein and investigated its usefulness as a treatment for FIP, which is currently untreatable.
Progression to FIP was prevented in 2 out of 3 cats treated with this antibody, whereas all 3 cats developed FIP in the placebo control group. Plasma alpha1-glycoprotein, an important inflammatory mediator and vascular endothelial growth factor levels were improved by the administration of the antibody and the peripheral lymphocyte count also recovered. These results strongly suggested that the anti-TNF-alpha antibody is effective for the treatment of FIP. (MK)

See also:
Takano T, Katoh, Y, et al. Effect of chloroquine on feline infectious peritonitis virus infection in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res. 2013 Aug; 99(2):100-107.

HeartWorm in Cats

Found this info sheet on heartworm in cats - obviously the best advice is to prevent it with monthly preventative - but should you find yourself with a positive kitty - here's the facts.

Feline Heart Worm

What if My Cat Tests Positive for Heartworm?

While many pet owners think heartworm disease only happens to dogs, cats

are just as likely to be infected by mosquitoes. These infections are serious

—

and sometimes fatal

—

in both dogs and cats, but there are differences in

the nature of the disease and in how it’s diagnosed and managed.

Because a cat is not an ideal host for heartworms, some infections resolve on

their own, although these infections can leave cats with respiratory system

damage. Heartworms in the circulatory system also affect the cat’s immune

system and cause symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and difficulty

breathing. Heartworms in cats may even migrate to other parts of the body,

such as the brain, eye and spinal cord. Severe complications such as blood

clots in the lungs and lung inflammation can result when the adult worms die

in the cat’s body.

Diagnosing and managing heartworm disease in cats

While infected dogs may have 30 or more worms in their heart and lungs, cats usually have six or fewer

—

and

may have just one or two. But while the severity of heartworm disease in dogs is related to the number of worms,

in cats, just one or two worms can make a cat very ill. Diagnosis can be complicated, requiring a physical exam, an

X-ray, a complete blood count and several kinds of blood tests. An ultrasound may also be performed.

Unfortunately, there is no approved drug therapy for heartworm infection in cats, and the drug used to treat

infections in dogs is not safe for cats. Nevertheless, cats with heartworm disease can often be helped with good

veterinary care. The goal is to stabilize your cat and determine a long-term management plan.

Here’s the plan of action you should expect if your cat tests positive for heartworm:

Monitor your cat

Heartworm-positive cats may experience spontaneous clearing of heartworms. If your cat is not showing signs

of respiratory distress, but worms have been detected in the lungs, chest X-rays every six to twelve months may

be recommended. If mild symptoms are noted, small doses of prednisone may be administered to help reduce

inflammation.

Provide veterinary care

If the disease is severe, additional support may be necessary. Your veterinarian may recommend hospitalization

in order to provide therapy, such as intravenous fluids, drugs to treat lung and heart symptoms, antibiotics, and

general nursing care. In some cases, surgical removal of heartworms may be possible.

Maintain prevention

A cat that has developed heartworm disease has demonstrated that it is susceptible to heartworm infection, and

both outdoor and indoor cats are at risk. It’s important to give your cat monthly heartworm preventives, which are

available in both spot-on and pill form. Preventives keep new infections from developing if an infected mosquito

bites your cat again. As a bonus, some preventives also protect cats against other parasites that can affect their

health.

Heartworm disease is serious in cats, but many cases can be managed with good veterinary and home care.

Meanwhile, healthy cats should be kept healthy with year-round heartworm prevention.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

HCM Updates

In our continuing dedication to the health of our lines, we are pleased to announce 3 HCM scans.

CFA Ch Kender's AMerican Woman - blue patched mac tabby & white , her first scan , Normal/Neg

Pedigree : Spell Bound x Elsa

https://pawpeds.com/db/?a=p&ids=3:1211422;2:1245917&g=4&p=sib&date=iso&o=ajgrep

CFA Ch Kender's Tiger Lily - brown mac tabby

Pedigree: Hans x Vino

https://pawpeds.com/db/?a=p&id=1263404&g=4&p=sib&date=iso&o=ajgrep

And the most pleasing of all to us - is this lady's 3rd clear scan. She will be ELEVEN years of age this year with a heart scan comparable to her 5 year scan! So we can quite clearly, definitively and proudly say the Willowbrook's Zoyaovna of Kender is HCM Clear for LIFE!

https://pawpeds.com/db/?a=p&id=794490&g=4&p=sib&date=iso&o=ajgrep

Our continuing dedication to the health of our Siberian cats and true and clear pedigrees shows generation after generation.

Kender Siberians And The Siberian Cat Lady