[lolakitty23]

I have two questions:

1. I read that if I don't want Skeeter's secondary sexual characteristics to start developing, we should get him neutered early. I want to get him fixed at 5 months, but is it safe to do before he turns 6 months old?

2. Is it okay if I wait a few weeks past when it was recommened that I get his second round of shots? I'd rather get his shots done when we take him to get neutered--less vet visits.

I really can't find any information on the second topic, so any advice would be great! Thank you!

 

[AddFran]

Yes, it is okay to get him neutered at 5 months.
No, it's not okay to put off his next round of shots. If you hadn't started yet you could have gotten away with it, but if you don't go back for next round within the timeframe they give you I've been told that you have to start all over again.

 

[AngelZoo]

lola:

Getting vacs is very tough on cats, specially the younger or older ones.
I don't know if you remember how getting just one vac at a time, or your sister or brother was sometimes hard enough. It really hammers at the cats immune system.
So to get vacs while you are also getting him neutered makes it harder for his little body to respond and heal appropriately. Personally this isn't a risk I want to take, it can lead to illness, amoung other problems. You will also find that most doctors who know anything will also not recommend this.

For me, with most breeds of cats 5 months is the LATEST I want them neutered, often times males will reach full maturity before or at this time.

If these are his first vacs your are getting him for his kitten hood, no it's not ok to skip 2 weeks after they should have been done. Do them first, and then get him neutered. If you wait too long after getting him vaccinated when he should be, you'll just have to do ALL of the vacciences all over again. The immune system is designed in a specific way for dealing with these things.

Good luck.

 

[kim]

well, depending on how old he is, what type of vaccines he is getting, and when he got them, would determine HOW long past the recommended 3-4 weeks between series he could possibly go without losing any immunity.
In short, its better just to get it done when it is scheduled - you won't be saving MUCH money, maybe just the cost of an exam.

in terms of vaccinating at the neuter, be forewarned that most vets will NOT perform surgery on an animal that has been recently vaccinated. Additionally, an animal can normally be fairly safely vaccinated soon after surgery.

If you are in doubt about how long you can go and financial concerns, I would addres the concerns with your vet.

 

[lolakitty23]

Thank you all for your advice! I've scheduled Skeeter's shots for tomorrow, so we're all set to go. I know I'm going to be crying while we're there...I hate for him to have to go through that, but it's to keep him healthy and happy. You've all been so helpful. I'd be lost without the support I get from everyone here! I'll keep you updated on how his visit goes.

 

[drjean]

Make sure he doesn't get any unnecessary vaccines! Ask your vet about each one, why it's necessary for *him* (given his lifestyle, e.g., indoor/outdoor, multiple cats, etc.), and what the potential side effects are. Rabies, Leukemia and FIV vaccines all carry a risk of cancer. For an indoor cat, I recommend *only* the distemper/upper respiratory series and the rabies as required by law.

Waiting a couple of extra weeks between shots is *not* a problem, unless the kitten is exposed to disease in the meantime, for instance by being allowed outside or having foster kittens of unknown disease status in the home. The immunity will be just as good after the second shot no matter when the first one was given.

We have some good info on vaccines in our CatsWalk newsletter archives; I think April, May and June issues:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=nlarchive

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[lolakitty23]

Thanks for your help, drjean!! When I called to make his appt. the woman on the phone started naming off all of these shots and diseases...I didn't know what to think! I was going to do some research tonight and I happened to check the forum first. You've calmed my mind A LOT! Yes, Skeeter is just an indoor kitten, so I will take your advice to only get the distemper and upper resp. shots. Thank you, also, for the link for further information. I will check that out as soon as I'm done typing here. I hope this info. helps other parents who need to get their kittens vaccinated. Goodness knows I was in the dark!