Kidney problems in cats linked to..

16 years ago

I have read A LOT and learned A LOT this past year with one of our cats suffering from kidney issues, and losing another one to cancer just 3 months ago.

Besides last spring's tainted food scare, food quality has a huge impact on kidneys. Obviously, chemicals, pesticides, drugs (please stay away from METACAM) are also huge risks. But this is not the point of this post.

I picked up the magazine "Animal Wellness" (Feb/MArch issue) because of an article "Kitties and Kidney disease".

I quote: (p. 82) There appears to be some correlation between vaccines and kidney disease. Studies done at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine etc... to support this connection.

"My experience has shown that the vast majority of CRF cases are triggered by vaccines, chemicals and drugs," says veterinarian Dr. Blake. "Vaccines historically target the reproductive and urinary systems of animals. If the animal is susceptible, the vaccines cause an inflammatory response in the kidneys, resulting in loss of function".

WEll, it just happened that my 13 year-old cat started showing signs of extra drinking/urinating very soon after his rabies shot (end of '05). I will make it short. We always had healthy cats, so we did not know any better. We relocated in 2006, and..started seeing a new vet. At his first visit, he received 2 more vaccines (the combo FELEUK, FVRCP). Sure enough, his drinking/urinating worsened. This is when I started going through all the 10 years of records of our previous vet (which I had copied before passing on to the new vet). BUN/Cr. had just gone over the normal threshold 6 months after the Rabies shot. On the first page of his records was clearly stated "possible negative reaction to Rabies vaccine). Had I just known then how to read all of this, I would not have let the new vet vaccine him again. He is now dying of CRF and cancer.

When it was time for our other 13 year old cat to go for his check-up, he also received the combo vaccine and ..a booster. That, I will never understand why, as he was current with his shots (suppose the vet did not check his old records to realize he was good for 3 years..). I was concerned, yet, did not dare question the vet. I feel so responsible! Well he started losing interest in what was happening around him. Had some partial blood work done. 4 months later he died of cancer.

Well, I know it might be just coincidental. Yet, through all the reading I have done recently, over-vaccinations keeps coming up again and again-linked to CRF and cancer. MANY sites agree with the risks of over vaccinations (just do a quick search on google). Basically, immunition lasts much longer than previously thought. Adult cats don't need vaccines any more, although getting around the 3-year rabies shot is probably impossible due to the legal requirements.

Well, enough ranting. Just thought this might save some cats... Do get informed before over-vaccinating. Please do not be afraid to discuss benefits of vaccination (which depend on your area and on whether your cat goes outside or not) with your vet. I thought I was protecting my cats... Not so.

Another big thing I learned.. ALways, always get a copy of any tests and learn how to read them!!

Anne-Marie

PS: just one of the many sites warning against over-vaccinations

Here is a link that might be useful: vaccinations for dogs and cats

Featured Answer

Meghane

16 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I agree that over-vaccination is a huge problem.

One of the reasons that some vaccines may induce kidney disease is that they are grown on feline kidney cells. In other words, you are purposely making a cat produce antibodies against their own kidneys. It is no wonder that this can cause kidney disease.

I don't have cats, but if I did it would be vaccinated as a kitten for FVRCP and as required by law for rabies. That's it. I don't vaccinate my dogs except for rabies either, but they are not exposed to other dogs very much.

Regarding the rabies vaccine, in some states veterinarians are allowed to write medical excuses for animals who are too ill to be vaccinated. NC where I live is not one of those states, but that may change soon. A veterinarian was sued when s/he vaccinated an elderly cat for rabies, which then died. The case was brought to the veterinary board, and the board asked if the cat was healthy enough to receive vaccines. The vet answered no, but s/he was legally bound to vaccinate.

Definitely talk to your vet about what diseases your pet could be exposed to and whether or not it needs to be vaccinated.

Here's a website for the current recommendations:

Here is a link that might be useful: UC Davis Vaccine Guidelines

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Comments (12)

silvergold
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You are correct that there is a possible link betweeen CRF and FVRCP vaccinations given by injection. The aafp guidelines for cats has changed so that vaccines are now only recommended every three years for all the core vaccines except rabies. But it is scarey that some vets still insist on yearly vaccines as they are afraid of loosing business. Also, my vet uses an intranasal vaccine for FVRCP - which as of this time has not been linked to CRF. I am not aware of any link to the rabies vaccine, but maybe the studies just haven't been published?

So sorry to hear of your kitties problems. That is so sad.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2004 - development of CRFK antibodies in cats after administration of injectable FVRCP vaccines
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silvergold
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
And another link on the possible link between CRF and the FVRCP given via injection. I believe they are referring to the same stud.

Here is a link that might be useful: Administration of FVRCP vaccines SQ to cats can induce antibody responses to
silvergold
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
oops - should have said 'same study'....
silvergold
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, and I guess another thought... There is a link between certain vaccines and Vaccine Area Sarcomas (cancer). So, another reason to use intranasal vaccines. I am amazed that so few vets seem to know anything about them, though. I do continue the FVRCP intranasal for my cats, but I have one that has herpes virus from time to time. The other cats have never been infected, and the herpes virus has always been pretty mild.

Regarding rabies, there is a version that is supposed to be safer as well - but it is, as of now, an annual vaccine. There may be other brands, but the one my vet uses is the Merial Purevax Feline Rabies. It has less inflammation at the vaccine site (no adjuvants), so less risk of cancer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Information on VAS
Lily316
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My cats never get their annual shots. Years ago I would pile them all in the car as my vet gives discounts for more than three and get annual shots. I stopped going after an episode involving my cat Pumpkin who became violently ill after shots including rabies. I questioned the rabies since none of my cats EVER go outside but it's the state law. But not for farmers who may have barn cats..Go figure. That was the end. I feed them well, tend to their every need., and if one goes off his food or acts differently, off he goes to the vet, but I don't do routine shots except for initial kitty ones.It's like me getting all sorts of shots for overseas travel and I never leave my house. I presently don't have a dog. My greyhound did go every year for shots and three year rabies.
weed30 St. Louis
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Two of my dogs quit getting vaccines about 8 years ago. Taco died last year at 14 1/2, and Maggie will be 14 in April. They were rarely exposed to other dogs, and were only off leash if there were no other dogs around. (Not because I was worried about disease, but because I didn't want to annoy other dog walkers.) We do have the 3 year rabies law, but the chances of my dogs biting someone were zero, so I didn't worry about it.

Unfortunately, I have to vaccinate Daisy, at least for now. I board her occasionally, and they won't take her without them. I am working out arrangements for a dog sitter so I don't have to vaccinate her either. It just makes no sense why humans can get vaccinated once or twice and are immune for life, but dogs and cats can't.
Anne_Marie_Alb
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Relieved to see you are all keeping your pets protected!

I was already suspecting the impact of over-vaccinations when I took our '2nd boy' to our new vet back in June for his first check up with the new clinic. I was afraid to question this vet .. because of a very uncalled for, 'negative' reaction when I brought up the risk of metacam (on my other cat) just a little earlier. You simply can't imagine how I feel now, especially because we'll never know..
Learning the very hard way..
Anne-Marie
livvysmom
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That is interesting information.

My kitty was fully vaccinated when I got him at 4 mos old. He has not been back to the vet other than to be neutered (he is now almost 2 years old).

I will probably take him for periodic check-ups, especially as he gets older BUT NO VACCINES.

He is inside only, deathly afraid of the outdoors and never comes into contact with other animals.

I see no point in putting him (or me) through it. Unnecessary.
teeka
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My cat lived to be 20 and had crf for the last 2 years of
her life. I was never big on vaccinating even back then. She probably had shots 4 times during her life. She probably would've developed the kidney problems regardless.
I remember having an arguement with a vet about a rabies shot. I said the odds on an indoor cat getting rabies was a chance I was willing to take. He said I could bring it into my house on my shoes...
cat_mom
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I volunteer at an animal shelter once a week. There have been some cases of distemper in the past year or so. On the chance that I could carry it into my home (since it is an airborne disease), I take the precaution of having my cats vaccinated. I would probably do so anyway, even if I did not frequent the shelter. If my cats ever have to stay at the vet (because of illness) I want them protected in case another cat there is ill with distemper.

I realize there is a risk with any of these vaccines (we lost our Suki to fibrosarcoma after vaccinating her for years against Feline Leukemia, and she was an indoor-only cat), but with airborne diseases, we didn't want to take the chance of not vaccinating.
quasifish
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
This is very interesting. I appreciate you posting it. My previous cat (to the 2 we have now) was lost to a vaccination site sarcoma. Since that time I just about go into major anxiety mode when I have to get a pet vaccinated. Our cats have to be registered and rabies is obviously required, so there's no getting around that. Other than that I had them vaccinated every 3 years when we did the rabies booster, no more often than that. The last time I only had boy shot up for rabies though. He never goes anywhere and was routinely vaccinated until he was 10 or so. I feel in his senior years he doesn't need that stress on his body.

Since the girl kitty is sick with kidney disease and hyper-t, the vet wrote her a waiver, so no more vaccinations for her ever.

The thing is, it never dawned on me that her kidney disease might have been caused by the combo vaccine. Thinking back, it wasn't too long after she was vaccinated that her health started to dive a bit. She wasn't diagnosed for a little while after that. I think this is a very real possibility for the cause of her CRF. :(

I always tell my DH if I ever have another vaccination site sarcoma cat, it will be the last cat I ever own- it was so hard to deal with the first time. It's depressing to me to think that my current kitty's health problems may also be the result of vaccinating. Some days I think I should not own cats anymore. As much as I love them, I feel like I keep failing them.

Thanks again for the information. Education and information can only improve within the veterinary industry, I hope.

Kidney problems in cats linked to..

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