Protecting You best friend is one of the most vital things you can do to give your cat a long and healthy life, and to ensure that he or she is vaccinated against common feline diseases. Your cat's mother gave her kitten the immunity he or she needed from the disease for the first few weeks of their life by providing disease-fighting antibodies in her milk. After that period in your kitten's life, the care is yours with the help and advice of Dr. Klima and the staff and Klima Small Animal Clinic.

The immunity that your kitten has at birth begins to weaken after 9 weeks of age. This is the time to begin the initial vaccinations, with the booster following at 3-4 weeks later. After which, your cat will require repeat vaccinations for continual protection  for the remainder of his or her life.

At Klima Small Animal Clinic we believe that your pet should be protected against diseases which are the most common, highly contagious and which may cause the most serious illnesses. Such diseases could include Feline Panleukopenia, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus, Feline Chlamydophilia, Feline Leukemia and Rabies. Other vaccinations may be recommended, based on Dr. Klima's evaluation of the risks posed by such factors as your cat's' heredity, environment and lifestyle. After the evaluation Dr. Klima may also recommend vaccinations against other infectious diseases.

Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis: Like the human common cold, this virus causes upper respiratory-tract infection, which is easily transmitted from one cat to another, so vaccination is very imperative if your pet comes in contact with other cats. The symptoms may be: moderate fever, loss of appetite, sneezing, eye and nasal discharges and coughing. Kittens are particularly affected, and in an unprotected cat the disease can be dangerous, as treatment once contracted is limited. Even if the cat recovers it may remain a carrier of the disease.

Feline Calicivirus: This is another major virus which also causes upper-respiratory tract infections in cats. It is widespread and highly contagious. Its symptoms are fever, ulcers, and blisters on the tongue and pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) which can range from mild to sever, depending on the strain. Even if the cat recovers it may remain a carrier of the disease as well as retaining the symptoms of chronic sneezing, runny eyes and severe gum disease. Vaccination is very important.

Feline Panleukopenia: This disease is sometimes known as Feline Distemper and is caused by a virus which is so resistant it can actually survive one year outside of the cat's body. Infection rates can run from 90% to 100% in unprotected cats. Most cats will be exposed to it during their lifetime and vaccination against this potentially fatal disease is absolutely essential. Symptoms can include listlessness, diarrhea, vomiting, severe dehydration and fever. Although the vaccination is very effective, most treatments are not as easy. The recovery time can extend over a long period of time and once the cat is infected they an spread the disease to other unvaccinated animals.

Feline Leukemia (FeLV): Infection with the Feline Leukemia Virus can result in a multitude of serious health issues for your cat. These may include cancerous conditions such as leukemia to other secondary infections which are also caused by the destruction of the immune system. After the initial exposure of the virus, a cat may not show any symptoms for months, if not years, during which time they are infecting others. Testing is available, and vaccination against this highly contagious disease is highly recommended.

Feline Chlamyia: This is a bacterial disease that is responsible for 5% of all feline respiratory diseases. It is extremely contagious, especially in young kittens and the infection rate is very high. It causes a infection of the mucus membranes of the eyes, but can also be seen in the lungs. It can be transmitted to humans by direct contact. Vaccination is preferred.

Rabies: This is an incurable disease that affects the central nervous system of almost all mammals, including humans. It is spread through contact with the saliva of infected animals (which can include skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats) mainly through bites or any break in the skin. Vaccination will provide your pet with a much greater resistance to rabies if he or she is exposed to the disease. However, there is no cure for this disease once it has occurred. Consequently, many municipalities absolutely require that all cats receive rabies vaccinations on a regular basis. A current rabies verification is required for cat owners if they travel with their pets within and outside of the United States.