FELV vaccines and declaw disasters
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I heard you like to give feline leukemia vaccines to kittens even if they are going to be indoor cats. Is this true? Isn’t this overkill? Please answer my question as I am concerned about the negative effects of vaccines and I have a new kitten.
Kitty lover
Dear Kitty lover: I too am a kitten lover. And no I do not “like” to give any vaccines to pets that they do not need, or will not really benefit from. I feel strongly enough about this that I base many of my recommendations for cats on the AAFP guidelines. The American Association of Feline Practitioners and UC Davis highly recommend feline Leukemia vaccine be given to all kittens. There are many reasons for this, but the most significant is during the first year of life, many indoor kittens escape and can be exposed to the virus. Some kittens even transition to an indoor/outdoor lifestyle during their first year. No FELV/FIV blood test is 100 percent accurate, and some kittens who owners think were tested prior to attaining them never actually got the test. Since feline leukemia virus is easily transmitted casually from cat to cat, it is a good idea to know your kitten’s status and have them vaccinated when they are young. While I completely validate your concerns about vaccines and agree it is smart to be cautious, I think the new transdermal feline leukemia vaccine is safe and effective and would be a smart choice for you to select for your little kitten during her first year of life. Thanks for the question.
Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I had my cat declawed (all 4 feet) last year before I moved up here from San Diego. The problem was the anesthesia almost killed her during the operation. After the doctor was finished with her left front and left rear foot something went bad with my cat’s respiration count and she nearly went flat. Needless to say that was all they took care of; he stopped the surgery and woke her up. I’m just glad she is still around to tell the tale. Anyway, I never will let her get put under again, but what should I do about the nails on her right-side front and back feet? They are sharp like they were before the surgery.
Right-sided scratching post
Dear Scratching post: Too bad about this experience, so sorry you went through that! Why did you request a four legged declaw rather than the usual two front feet? Most veterinarians that do declaws (and there are not many) are not willing to declaw all four feet normally. It is good to know your veterinarian was able to save the pet’s life after something began to go wrong. This is a routine and elective procedure, so I’m wondering why your pet was having trouble with the anesthesia in the first place?
As for the remaining two feet which never got declawed, how about learning to do a nail trim and clipping them every couple of weeks to keep them under control? Or you could look into “soft paws” which are small covers which get glued over the sharp claws every month or so to reduce the damage your cat can do with its bare claws. The only other alternative is to wait for another required anesthetic procedure (such as a dental) and have the remaining feet declawed at the same time, but I would not recommend this — I think you and your previous veterinarian were warned by your cat that anesthesia is not something she favors.
Do you remember the old “All in the Family” episode where Archie and Meathead argue about how to put on shoes and socks in the event of a house-fire in the middle of the night if you need to jump out of bed to get dressed? Meathead’s method was to put a sock and a shoe on followed by another sock and a shoe, but Archie insisted that putting on both socks then shoes was better. I think it is clear here your San Diego veterinarian proved the left front left rear declaw procedure is an invitation to failure no matter what. I just hope the vet apologized and is using a better method today! Thanks for sharing a “tail” I could sink my claws into. Best of luck with your kitty cat.
Dr. F.
