Non-Core Vaccinations

Non-Core Vaccines

All of the following non-core vaccines have low efficacy, meaning they are not guaranteed to actually prevent the disease.

Other reasons the AVMA characterizes these vaccines as non-core are elaborated below.  

The fact that these vaccines are considered non-core does not necessarily mean that you should not vaccinate your cat with them.  Do your own research, as well as discuss with your veterinarian whether your cat is considered at high risk for the disease, based on your household and location.  

Chlamydia

considered non-core because effects of the disease are mild; only affects 5-10% of cat population; very good prognosis if treated with tetracycline (an antibiotic)

symptoms mainly eye discharge due to inflammation of conjunctiva of eye, also may cause nasal discharge, sneezing, pneumonia

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) This disease is quite complicated.  Here is some background on the disease.  FIP is caused by a virus called Feline Coronavirus (FCoV), which can cause two types of disease: Feline Enteric Coronavirus (FECv), whose only symptom is a mild diarrhea.  However, FECv can mutate to cause FIP, which is a progressive disease that is almost always fatal.  

considered non-core because while 25-40% of cats and 95% of multi-cat households have FCoV, only 1/5000 cats in households with one or two cats, or 5% of cats in multi-cat households or catteries actually develop FIV.  So the incidence of this disease is very low.  

Ringworm

considered non-core because in healthy short-haired kittens and cats with small isolated lesions, ringworm infection will resolve without treatment in about four weeks; vaccine can be given after the fact to help cure infection; prognosis is good with antifungal creams and oral medications.

symptoms circular patches of hair loss, dry flaky skin, itching, dandruff, redness, onychomycosis (infection of claw and clawbed).  

Bordetella

considered non-core because there are many strains of bordetella, and the vaccine does not protect against many of them.  

Administration of the bordetella vaccine is suggested in multi-cat situations, such as if your cat is going to be boarded, or in catteries. 

This disease is usually mild and self-limiting in healthy cats.  However, it can be life-threatening in kittens or immune deficient cats, with the possibility of developing into pneumonia.  

treatment antibiotics i.e. tetracycline, doxycycline, amoxicillin; resistant to ampicillin and trimethoprim; some strains are resistant to tetracycline, and amoxicillin

**bordetella's resistance to ampicillin is important to note, since ampicillin is commonly used to treat upper respiratory infections in cats.

symptoms sneezing, coughing, fever, nasal discharge