Cat flu advice please

[maddiemostmerry]

I have four cats they are all vaccinated against cat flu but two seem to be showing signs of having it. One is sneezing and the other has been sneezing and has a runny eye.

Is it possible for vaccinated cats to get flu?

Thank you.

maddie, i would pop them along to your vets.

It is possible for vaccinated cats to get cat flu. The good news is that IF they have cat flu, chances are they will not get it so bad because their immune response will be set up and ready to go. It is probably worth getting them checked out though, it may not be cat flu but your vet is the best person to advise.

I think beautifulgirls is a vet, she may well have more advice if she is around.

Thanks lucyellensmum, three of them are due for boosters at the end of month so will get them in a bit sooner to be looked at.

Yes it is possible for them to get it even if they are vaccinated It depends how they are in themselves really as to whether there is anything to be done at the vets or not. If they are still eating and not too unwell in themselves then we usually don't give any medication as it is a viral problem. Those that are not eating may need to be hospitalised to give supportive care - iv fluids etc. Some cats may benefit from antibiotics if they are showing signs of secondary bacterial infections, but these will not cure the viral bit, just help them along to fight some of the bacterial side of things and allow themselves to fight the virus. The concern in cats that have flu is that they can become long term carriers. We usually only use a killed vaccine in cats that have had flu or come from a "carrier" household - most vets will otherwise use a live flu vaccine so check that with the vet. Carriers may have no symptoms and just shed virus and infect other cats, or they may at times show symptoms themselves, usually in cold weather or times of stress (like going into the cattery). A few individuals will go on to develop a problem with their mouth where they get an out of control level of inflammation occurring (gingivo-stomatits). It can be controlled, but treatment may need to be quite drastic with all the teeth being removed to help control the bacteria levels in the mouth. Anyhow, that is the worst sorts of cases and thankfully not the majority of them. Many of these cases are just sneezy, runny eyes and snotty noses - they do ok and maybe get a flare up now and again.
Hope that helps. I'll check back probably tomorrow afternoon if you have any more questions. If in doubt see the vet though and get them checked. It can not harm if you are worried.

thats interesting about the vaccines, i didnt know that - learn something every day That is good advice to know.

My cat caught cat flu, despite being vaccinated. Just like human flu, only the most common strains are vaccinated again.
If your cat is sneezing lots, lethargic and not eating you must take him to the vets - my cat was very ill and had to have an IV, if I hadn't have taken him he may have died. He made a full recovery after about a week.