Cat Vaccination Guide: Why Choose Thonglor Pet Hospital

When any living being is newly born, whether human or animal, they still lack immunity against various diseases, especially those that can be fatal. For cats, there are dangerous diseases if they become infected, such as Feline Panleukopenia, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, and Feline Leukemia. The best way to build protection and lessen symptoms if your cat is exposed is through preventive cat vaccination.

So today, Thonglor Pet Hospital would like to talk about the importance of vaccination -- how necessary it is for cats, how many doses are needed, and which diseases it can prevent. We've prepared all the answers in this article, so if you're ready, read on!

Is Cat Vaccination Necessary?

When talking about the importance of cat vaccination, we need to look at the various diseases our cats could unknowingly be exposed to, whether from the owner or from contact with other cats. Some diseases have no current cure, and some can even spread to humans. For example:

• Rabies -- this disease can spread between cats, dogs, and humans. In cats, it can cause paralysis, an inability to move muscles or eat, and ultimately death.
• Feline Panleukopenia -- a gastrointestinal infectious disease, and one of the leading causes of death in kittens.
• Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) -- weakens the overall immune system, leading to many secondary conditions and complications.
• Feline Leukemia -- a commonly found cancer in cats, easily transmitted through fur, feces, or saliva.

That's why veterinarians recommend that newborn kittens receive the full combined vaccine series as recommended. Or if you've recently adopted a cat, especially a stray or one adopted from abroad, these cats need a thorough physical examination and an ongoing vaccination plan to build immunity against local diseases, and to prevent them from introducing germs to cats you already have at home.

How Many Doses of Cat Vaccine Are Needed?

For newborn kittens, veterinarians don't recommend immediate vaccination, since the nutrients in the mother's milk still provide immunity and support development well. The recommended age for the first vaccine dose is between 6-8 weeks.

Or in cases where you've adopted a kitten without a clear history or known age, owners should quarantine the kitten for about 1-2 weeks first. If no serious illness is found and the kitten is in strong, healthy condition, you can then bring them to the hospital for a physical checkup and to begin the vaccination process.

• Combined Cat Vaccine -- the first 3 doses are given at weeks 8, 12, and 16, followed by annual booster shots.
• Rabies Vaccine -- the first 2 doses are given between weeks 12-14 and 16-20, followed by annual booster shots.

As for optional vaccines, such as the Feline Leukemia vaccine or FIV vaccine, owners can choose to have these given to their cat as desired. But don't forget that vaccination isn't effective for your cat's entire lifetime -- you'll need to bring your cat back for booster shots regularly, according to the schedule and timing recommended by your veterinarian.

In addition, a good living environment is just as necessary if you want your cat to stay strong, cheerful, and have good immunity against various diseases.

What Happens If You Don't Bring Your Cat In for Vaccination?

This section discusses what could happen if your cat doesn't receive complete vaccination -- a question many people wonder about: why can stray or ownerless cats live normally despite not receiving good care, or even adequate vaccination?

Generally, cats that receive proper care as pets tend to live longer than typical stray cats. But since stray cats aren't properly spayed/neutered, they can reproduce rapidly once they reach breeding age, which is why we see such large stray cat populations that don't appear to get sick easily. However, besides prevention and extending your cat's life, vaccination also offers the following benefits:

1. Vaccination helps reduce future treatment costs -- if your cat becomes ill with a serious disease that isn't covered by vaccination, they may experience complications or more severe symptoms than a vaccinated cat with immunity, which can result in higher treatment costs.
2. Vaccines can help prevent disease transmission from cats to humans -- for certain diseases that can spread to humans, if your cat has been properly vaccinated, this can help suppress transmission from cat to human to a certain degree.
3. You can play with or touch your cat with peace of mind -- of course, besides cats potentially spreading disease to humans, humans can also bring outside germs to infect cats. So once your cat has been vaccinated, you can feel more confident that your cat will stay safe and healthy from outside germs.

How Much Does Each Vaccination Cost?

Prevention is certainly cheaper than treatment, so vaccination isn't very expensive when compared to the cost of treating a serious disease or a pet in critical condition. Thonglor Pet Hospital currently has a promotion for the combined cat vaccine at only 790 baht* per visit, which includes both the Feline Panleukopenia vaccine and the rabies vaccine given together.

Notes

• The price above includes medical service fees, hospital service fees, and VAT.
• For maximum vaccine effectiveness, pets should be examined for readiness by a veterinarian before vaccination.
• Giving 2 doses together is suitable for pets with no history of vaccine allergy.
• Consult and inquire for more information at any Thonglor Pet Hospital branch.

Why Bring Your Cat to Thonglor Pet Hospital for Vaccination?

As you can see, vaccination is one important tool that helps your beloved cat stay with you for a long, long time, as long as you take good care of them, bring them in for regular health checkups, and strictly follow your veterinarian's vaccination schedule. But if you're someone with a busy schedule, or looking for an experienced animal hospital that's dedicated to service, we recommend Thonglor Pet Hospital, a leading animal hospital open 24 hours a day.

We're ready to provide cat spaying/neutering services for pets of all sizes and breeds, with a team of specialist veterinarians, along with clean, sterile equipment and facilities of international quality, open to care for your pet 24 hours a day. Because we believe every illness deserves timely treatment, every problem your pet faces is our problem too. Trust us to care for your pet at Thonglor Pet Hospital.