QUARTERLY BEAT / OCTOBER 2023 ///
/// QUARTERLY BEAT / OCTOBER 2023
FEATURED STORY *Please note the opinions of this article are the expressed opinion of the author and not directly endorsed by VETgirl.
tissue trauma. When looking at the data, the national medical association cites that the rate of severe negative reaction is well below one per ten thousand injections. Even at one per ten thousand, this would equate to thirty-three thousand deaths versus six to ten million deaths. Vaccination remains a numbers game. This explains why the CDC recommends “annual influenza (flu) vaccination for everyone 6 months and older in the United States” but does not recommend anthrax, yellow fever, rabies, typhoid fever, or Haemophilus influenzae type B for civilians. In fact, only at-risk military personnel regularly receive these additional vaccines. Why? The risk outweighs the reward. Doctors provide vaccines to healthy individuals within at-risk populations. This, in turn, protects those individuals, and by extension, commonly known as herd health, to others. Here lies the dire situation for cats with their pandemic, technically a panzootic, known as the feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Should we worry about feline injection site sarcoma (FISS)? Yes, as with every injection we provide to a feline patient.
The balance of risk and reward is a dangerous task. What do the experts say? The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) recommends the FeLV vaccine as core for all kittens. Young felines should be boostered at one year and, thereafter, vaccination is based on lifestyle. Any cat who may encounter other cats of unknown FeLV status should be annually vaccinated… Translation: Cats who go outdoors or mingle with cats who go outside remain at risk for FeLV, regardless of age. The FISS rates mentioned above arise from a 2018 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) publication. Since the inception of medicine, doctors have had to balance all therapies and prophylactics with judicious use. Overuse of any aspect of medicine jeopardizes the lives we seek to protect. Similarly, underuse of them does the same. As veterinarians, we face difficult choices and balance risk daily. We make our best decisions in an imperfect world. Tomorrow, everything may change, but today, we must stay strong and make the best choice with what we know and have.
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FELINE INJECTION SITE SARCOMA (FISS) FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Available 10/6/23 READ THE BLOG
By Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
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weight loss, and various neurologic disorders. Persistent viral infections cause cancer in thirty percent of victims. Tragically, the most susceptible population is children. Despite this, adults remain susceptible, and no cure exists. Once exposure is high enough, anyone can be infected. Yet, a vaccine exists. Some companies boast a 100% preventable fraction at one year, and one is licensed for protection for two years. Still, some doctors are reluctant to vaccinate you over concerns about a severe negative reaction. However, this same reaction has been identified with other vaccines and injectable medications (antibiotics, steroids, fluids) that the same doctors readily administer and have even been associated with localizedd
In this VETgirl feature article sponsored* by Merck Animal Health, Dr. Christopher Lee, MPH, DACVPM discusses feline injection site sarcoma (FISS) in cats and understanding it from a different perspective (think COVID pandemic, anyone?). Read on to find out how veterinary professionals have to balance all therapies and prophylactics with judicious use to protect our feline patients!
CATS WHO GO OUTDOORS OR MINGLE WITH CATS WHO GO OUTSIDE REMAIN AT RISK FOR FELV, REGARDLESS OF AGE.
Imagine a new human pandemic consistently infecting two to three percent of the population. Within the US, this percentage equates to six to ten million infected people. Since the virus is excreted in saliva, nasal secretions, urine, and feces, close contact, shared use of bathrooms, and eating together readily transmits the infection. Once infected, your median survival time would be two and a half years - within 30 months, you will likely be dead. The road to death will not be pleasant and will be filled with fever, loss of appetite, lymphadenopathy, pain, diarrhea,
References
• Bureau, U. C. (2023, August 7). Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/ Population Clock (census.gov) • Burns, K. (2018, November 14). The continuing conundrum of feline injection-site sarcomas . American Veterinary Medical Association. https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2018-12-01/ continuing-conundrum-feline-injection-site-sarcomas • CDC. (2022a, January 24). Recommended vaccines by disease . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/vaccines-diseases.html#travel • CDC. (2022, August 25). Seasonal flu vaccines . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/flushot.htm • Cornell Feline Health Center. (2016, May). Feline leukemia virus . Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/ cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-leukemia-virus
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VETGIRL BEAT EMAGAZINE | VETGIRLONTHERUN.COM
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