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Expert: - 5/22/2011


Question
QUESTION: My cat got a feline leukemia shot and will get another in a month--thereafter yearly.  My question is, should I have had her tested for feline leukemia before getting the shot?  She is 3 yrs old and was tested once 4 years ago.  She had not been vaccinated for this before.  If I have her tested now, will the vaccine in her body possibly mask leukemia, in the rare event that she would have it?

ANSWER: The vaccination will not do anything for a cat with it already. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get her tested so you know where she stands, but a cat that has it will not get worse when vaccinated and the vaccine does not mask the virus.

I am curious however, how can your cat have been tested 4 yrs ago if she is only three? :-)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: lol!  my bad about the age/testing date!  She was born in May '07 and tested Nov. '07.  Oh, wow!  I guess that does make her 4 now!  

Anyway, I go to a "roaming" vet that comes to town on weekends to only give shots/tests for clients, operating out of a pet store, etc.  They recommend these tests.  For everything else, I go to a regular vet who does not recommend it.  So I guess I'm trying to get a third opinion as well as to the necessity of the test in the first place.  

A little history--"Sheba" is an indoor cat for the most part, however, at times will slip right out the door the moment I open it when coming home.  She's never gone for more than an hour but there are several strays in the area.

Answer
It only takes one cat to sneeze on her, or for her to drink from a puddle an infected cat drank from, or a cat to lick her or bite her to give it to her. Hence the idea of at least one test. Like I said, think of it as a base line. Then if she ever shows symptoms, you will know that she either had it all along or she picked it up along the way.

No vaccine is ever 100% at preventing disease.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

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I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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