What is fvrcpc

This vaccination for cats is similar to the DA2PP vaccination in dogs in the sense that it is a critical vaccination, especially for kittens. It should be started at 8 weeks when possible then repeated every 4 weeks until kittens are at least 16 weeks of age. After completing the kitten series and coming back the following year for this vaccination, it is given every 3 years.

Adult cats without a known history of vaccinations need two vaccines approximately one year apart then they can also receive it on a 3 year basis. Feline viral rhinotracheitis FVR is caused by a herpesvirus which infects the upper respiratory system nose and trachea and the eyes of cats. Therefore, we have compiled a brief description of each vaccine we offer, including their reported side effects. Any medication carries a small risk of allergic reaction.

In addition, there are rare cats who are prone to tumors at injection sites. Our doctors will discuss individual vaccination schedules with you, taking into account the age of your cat s , outdoor exposure and presence of other diseases. FVRCP is designed to minimize or prevent upper respiratory tract infections.

All kittens and cats with unknown history should receive injectable FVRCP vaccines in a series of boosters every 3—4 weeks until they are 4 months plus a 1-year booster. Cats that have completed the initial series would then receive an intranasal drops in the nose vaccine that is given every 3 years. You toss it aside as you sort through the rest of the mail, but it still nags at you.

Is this something important? This disease can lead to a severe upper respiratory tract disease including rhinitis , sneezing and conjunctivitis. Other less common symptoms include oral ulceration and primary pneumonia.

Similar to people with cold sores, the virus can lay dormant in cats until they are stressed, which causes a flare-up of symptoms. Similar to FHV-1, feline calicivirus typically causes upper respiratory tract disease and oral ulceration. It can also cause chronic stomatitis , pneumonia, systemic disease or lameness. Occasionally, a more severe strain—virulent systemic feline calicivirus VS-FCV —can travel through a population, which can result in more debilitating symptoms as well as infection of the internal organs.

This more severe strain is frequently fatal. FPV is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. It causes anorexia, vomiting, fever and severe diarrhea. Upholstered furniture may be decontaminated with upholstery shampoo, although in most cases furniture only serves as a source of virus for a short period of time after being contaminated by an infected cat.

After touching an infected cat, hands can be sanitized by washing with soap and water making sure to clean under the fingernails with a nail brush , followed by application of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

All cats can become infected with FVR infections, but infection tends to be more severe in young animals or animals that have another chronic disease. Kittens born to a cat that is carrying a latent FVR infection may become infected after birth.

In these kittens, symptoms usually develop several weeks after birth, and the infection can be very serious. The typical symptoms of FVR involve the nose, throat and eyes, and include sneezing, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis inflammation of the tissues that line the eyelids and surround the eyes , excessive blinking, and discharges from the eyes and nose that range from clear and watery to thick and purulent containing pus. The virus may also cause keratitis, or inflammation and infection of the cornea, leading to corneal ulcers see illustration.

Other non-specific symptoms may include fever, lethargy, anorexia or poor appetite, and enlarged lymph nodes. Several different infectious agents can cause upper respiratory disease in cats see our handout on Feline Upper Respiratory Infections , with subtle differences in examination findings between the different diseases. Corneal staining with fluorescein dye is often performed to look for any ulcers that may have developed, and a Schirmer tear test to assess tear production may be supportive of a diagnosis of FVR, since decreased tear production has been associated with FVR conjunctivitis,.

Specific identification of FVR virus particles may be made by collecting samples of cells and discharges from the nose, eyes or back of the throat. Unfortunately, if the virus is in a latent state the patient is not showing clinical signs , diagnostic testing is usually not rewarding. Cats with an uncomplicated infection caused by feline viral rhinotracheitis will usually be treated symptomatically. Treatment will be determined by the specific clinical signs and problems that your cat is showing.

Conjunctivitis and keratitis may be treated with topical eye medications. It is extremely important to treat corneal ulcers aggressively in order to prevent permanent damage to the eyes. Cats with recurrent FVR conjunctivitis infections will often require treatment with antiviral ophthalmic drops see our handout on Conjunctivitis — Feline Herpes Viral.

Some cats may respond to supplementation with L-lysine, an amino acid that may help prevent the replication of the FVR virus, thus decreasing the amount of viral particles that are shed during an infection. Although viral infections like FVR are not directly treated by the use of antibacterial drugs, broad spectrum antibacterial drugs are often prescribed in an effort to prevent secondary bacterial infections from complicating the disease, particularly in kittens.