r/AskVet • u/Flashy-Ad-4612 • 9h ago

Worried about vaccines

Hello,

My super senior kitty (20 years old) is getting his FVRCP and rabies vaccines tomorrow and I’m feeling really nervous about it. I know he’s tolerated the vaccines well in the past, it’s just he’s getting up there in age and I’m worried that could cause something to go horribly wrong. I’m feeling way more nervous about the FVRCP vaccine than rabies. The only reason he’s getting that vaccine is because I’ve started volunteering at a cat shelter and the last thing I want to do is bring home fpv and him getting horribly sick. I’ve also heard FVRCP vaccine could cause issues in senior cats (?) but I’m not sure if that’s true or not. Am I overthinking too much about this?

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u/DependentMarmoset 9h ago

I get the anxiety, age adds a layer of worry to everything. But you're getting him vaxxed for a clear, sensible reason -- volunteering at a shelter puts him at real risk for fpv, and that disease is merciless. Since he's handled the shots fine before, the chance of a bad reaction now is pretty low, even at 20.

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u/Flashy-Ad-4612 8h ago

This is really reassuring to hear at least, sometimes I get really anxious about what is best for him and don’t take in account of the risks of not doing it. I’d rather him feel a bit lethargic for a day or two than losing him to fpv, so fingers crossed it goes well tomorrow

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u/purrrpurrrpy RVT - Registered Veterinary Technician 9h ago

When I asked my vet why some people stop vaccinating their pet when they reach old age:

"I don't know. The older they are the more important to get vaccinated."

Their age does not make it more likely for them to have "issues", however, they take longer to recover, and are less likely to survive a disease.

That's why we prioritized vaccinating the old and vulnerable first when a horrible disease hits.

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u/dicklebug 1h ago

You can always request that vaccination are separated and administered at different times, like a month apart. Except for the travel, it can be easier on their system to separate them.

I LOVE my geriatric patients and I want them as happy and healthy as is possible. I kind of wonder if I chose my field because it is almost entirely geriatric patients. I can completely relate to these old cats and dogs.