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Vaccinations:
Friend
or
Foe
for
the
Family
Feline?!
By
Shawn
Messionier
DV
For
many
years,
annual
vaccinations
have
been
the
mainstay
of
veterinary
practice.
Each
year,
your
doctor
reminds
you
of
the
need
for
those
all
important
“shots.”
While
vaccines
have
been
instrumental
in
reducing
the
illness
and
death
from
common
infectious
diseases
like
panleukopenia
and
herpes
virus,
there
is
now
the
concern
that
for
some
cats,
too
many
vaccinations
can
spell
disaster.
Recently,
annual
vaccinations
have
come
under
suspicion
for
causing
a
usually
fatal
form
of
cancer
seen
in
cats.
Over
the
last
few
years,
some
doctors
have
reported
an
increased
incidence
of
fibrosarcoma
tumors
in
cats.
These
tumors
are
quite
aggressive
locally
and
almost
impossible
to
cure,
resulting
in
the
eventual
death
of
the
cat.
Microscopically,
the
tumors
contain
elements
that
resemble
some
of
the
components
of
vaccines.
Are
all
those
shots
really
needed?
Is
there
any
way
to
lessen
the
chance
of
causing
vaccine-associated
cancer
in
your
cat?
Before
panicking
or
making
an
irrational
decision,
here
are
some
of
the
facts.
First,
we
still
don't
know
the
true
cause
of
vaccine-induced
sarcomas.
Reportedly, they may be due to the size of the needle; or to rabies vaccine or leukemia vaccine; or to some of the components of the vaccine like preservatives and adjuvants; or they may be due to ANY injection your cat might receive!
Simply
put,
we
just
don't
have
all
the
facts.
Second,
depending
upon
the
source,
the
incidence
ranges
from
1
in
1000
to
1
in
10,000
cats
that
may
develop
the
tumors.
In
my
own
practice,
I
have
seen
one
cat
with
a
sarcoma
that
was
probably
related
to
a
vaccine
or
some
injection.
This
cat
was
middle
aged
with
no
other
health
problems,
and
was
negative
on
her
leukemia
and
immunodeficiency
virus
tests.
We
treated
her
quite
aggressively
with
a
combination
of
surgery,
radiation,
chemotherapy,
nutrition,
and
herbal
therapy.
She
lived
quite
comfortably
for
about
six
months
before
her
owner
requested
euthanasia.
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