FeLV Vaccination

Recently I received a notification from my vet that both Bell and Chance are due for their FeLV shot. With having recently moved and losing my health insurance due to my marriage money has been tight, so I wondered if this was a shot that I could skip. With the previous knowledge that this shot was used to prevent Feline Leukemia I decided to do some research. Originally we had both cats tested when our former room-mates brought home a stray that we were unsure if she carried the disease; all turned out negative for this disease. For me to make an informative decision I decided that first I would need to know how the disease itself is transmitted.

An article by Franny Syufy on About.com states that “The disease is transmitted through saliva and nasal secretions, by biting, sharing food dishes, and other close contact.” Also stated in the article was the importance of vaccinating when your cat is “at risk” or indoor-outdoor. The article also states that “People with entirely indoors cats may want to consider eliminating this vaccination, after discussing the pros and cons with their own veterinarian…” Wondering what VAS stood for I continued to read the article and discovered that this shot is given in the back left leg because if a VAS tumor forms the cat can live by losing a leg.

With the risk of this coming from the FeLV shot, and after doing some serious thought I have decided that as a furry parent it is not the right decision to continue the vaccination. With no outside exposure to the disease, it would be unnecessary for us to continue vaccinating them for something they don’t have access to catching.

How do you feel about FeLV vaccinations? Please note that I am not licensed to advise you making your decision; this was my personal decision and your decision should be based on your kitties and shared with your veterinarian!