好消息是,目前有許多疫苗可供選擇,其中不少都能幫助保護您的愛貓。
不過,也有一些需要注意的地方:某些疫苗對室內貓並非必要,而且可能價格不菲(甚至會引起令人不適的副作用)。
以下是您需要了解的幾種獸醫可能會建議施打的主要貓咪疫苗。
1) 貓卡里西病毒
貓咪感染貓卡里西病毒後,會出現疼痛的口腔潰瘍,常導致食慾下降及體重減輕。此外,您可能會發現貓咪打噴嚏、咳嗽,眼睛也會流出分泌物。許多情況下,卡里西病毒會造成永久性的呼吸道問題;少數貓咪更會在餘生持續受到卡里西病毒主要症狀的困擾。無論貓咪是室內飼養還是會外出活動,都建議接種此疫苗,它能保護您的愛貓免受幾種主要病毒株的感染。不過,仍有其他病毒株存在,因此即使已接種疫苗,也應隨時留意卡里西病毒的徵兆。
貓傳染性腸炎有時也稱為貓泛白血球減少症,或簡稱 FIE。您可能已經知道,這是一種極其危險的疾病,幾乎所有病例都會致命。更糟的是,這種疾病很容易在貓與貓之間傳播。症狀通常先從體溫升高開始,接著貓咪的消化系統很快會出現潰瘍。由於疾病會削弱免疫系統,貓咪也會容易受到其他病原體感染,病情迅速惡化。專家通常建議所有貓咪接種貓流感疫苗,而這項建議正讓貓流感病例逐年大幅減少。
3) 披衣菌
披衣菌是一種常見的細菌感染,會引起結膜炎症狀(例如眼睛發紅、疼痛),以及咳嗽、呼吸聲明顯等上呼吸道問題。這些症狀通常可透過一療程的強效抗生素緩解,而疾病主要在會外出活動的貓咪之間傳播。因此,如果您飼養的是室內貓(尤其是單獨飼養),多數獸醫會認為不一定需要接種此疫苗。
4) 貓皰疹病毒
貓皰疹病毒會讓您的貓咪看起來像得了流感:牠會打噴嚏、眼鼻出現分泌物,並發出聽起來令人不適的咳嗽聲。雖然這種疾病不一定致命,但會讓貓咪在日後更容易出現其他呼吸道問題,而大多數感染皰疹病毒的貓咪一生中也會反覆發生眼部感染。皰疹病毒疫苗效果非常好,建議所有貓咪接種。
5) 貓白血病病毒
貓白血病病毒(或 FLV)會嚴重降低貓咪對抗疾病的能力,也會增加愛貓罹患各類癌症的機率。一旦貓咪感染 FLV,可能會在三年內死亡,而且此病具有高度傳染性。它通常透過唾液傳播,因此貓咪可能因共用水源或互相舔毛而感染。如果您家中飼養多隻貓,或計畫讓愛貓外出,務必向獸醫詢問 FLV 疫苗。考量到這種疾病的嚴重性,您可能也會想讓室內貓接種疫苗;但您必須知道,部分病例在接種疫苗後會出現惡性腫瘤。
評論(3)
I never heard of most of these vaccinations. Here (New Mexico, USA) my vet only gives Rabies and Distemper vacs. annually to cats.
Here in Massachusetts, USA, we inoculate for everything. I've heard of all (5), but that's probably because I work in an animal shelter. We've seen, first-hand, the deadliness of #2. Kittens are especially susceptible to this deadly disease, since their immune system is not fully developed.
Even though we're a no-kill shelter, if a cat comes in with that disease and it's too late to treat, we are forced to humanely euthanize to protect the cats we already have.
#5 is very important also. Again, if a cat comes in with this one and it's too late, same scenario. If we didn't, it would decimate the entire shelter. This disease is highly contagious and passes between cats like wildfire.
The sad part is, most of these diseases could be either prevented or treated by having cats inoculated accordingly. Think of it as having to inoculate a baby, because really, our fur-kids depend on us for everything.
We do not, however, inoculate for FIV, which is the feline equivalent to HIV (not the same virus, but close enough). The reason we don't is because the shot itself gives a false positive.
As far as I know, most of these are given as a 4 in 1, so the names are usually given as letters. 4-in-1: FVRCP-C includes panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis and chlamydia.
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