Hi all! Very soon will I be welcoming a F5 Savannah into my home and life, and I am beyond excited!
I've been doing a ton of reading and lots of preparation in order to make it a very comfortable transition for him, and I'm very confident things will go smoothly so far.
However, I do have some concerns about vet care and vaccinations. It seems a hotly debated topic about 'killed' vaccines vs 'modified-live', and even on here I can't find a definitive answer -- and more importantly, the health contract I've signed stipulates "only killed vaccines, never modified or live".
I will say that most of my online research has shown a large number of Savannah owners who have had no issues with modern 'modified-live' vaccines. The biggest issue is that there just doesn't seem to be any actual scientific research or evidence backing any of the claims -- for or against. I will say off the bat, based on the reading I've done thus far, I would have no immediate qualms about using 'modified-live' vaccines.
My main issue is that, in doing prep, I've been looking for a vet clinic and I found one that I really, really liked -- they are a cat only clinic who already have several Savannah clientele. When I visited their location, they were exceptionally friendly and answered all of my questions. The problem arose when I brought up vaccinations: they don't offer any 'killed' vaccinations (though they did mention there were some avenues in which I might be able to provide them with a specific vaccination, but I need to follow up about that again). They did offer me exactly the types of vaccinations and brand/company they use -- and also explained to me that the vaccinations they use do not include any 'adjuvants', which in their experience and research, was the cause for concern with many 'modified-live' vaccines, in that there was a increased risk for site-injection sarcomas. (I am paraphrasing here and going off memory, so I might be a bit off with exactly what they said)
Anyhow, I'm basically looking for suggestions on what to do... I haven't yet brought this up to the breeder, and I know I need to, but I don't want to do so in a way that insults or upsets them. It is their kitten first and foremost right now and I did sign the contract agreeing to their terms. As such, I am more than willing to follow it to a T and provide only 'killed' vaccines, even if that means finding a different clinic or paying a premium to get the vaccine in this clinic's hands.
That said, I also want what is absolute best for my soon to be animal friend -- and my reading has me inclined to believe that 'modified-live' might be the better option without major risks. I honestly trust both the breeder and the vet at this point, and it just sucks to have them with conflicting requirements.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can bring this topic up with the breeder tactfully and respectfully? Does anyone have any general recommendations for vaccines?
Sorry that this post is so long, and I really appreciate anyone willing to read through it and provide any assistance. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. Thanks so much for your time!
I've been doing a ton of reading and lots of preparation in order to make it a very comfortable transition for him, and I'm very confident things will go smoothly so far.
However, I do have some concerns about vet care and vaccinations. It seems a hotly debated topic about 'killed' vaccines vs 'modified-live', and even on here I can't find a definitive answer -- and more importantly, the health contract I've signed stipulates "only killed vaccines, never modified or live".
I will say that most of my online research has shown a large number of Savannah owners who have had no issues with modern 'modified-live' vaccines. The biggest issue is that there just doesn't seem to be any actual scientific research or evidence backing any of the claims -- for or against. I will say off the bat, based on the reading I've done thus far, I would have no immediate qualms about using 'modified-live' vaccines.
My main issue is that, in doing prep, I've been looking for a vet clinic and I found one that I really, really liked -- they are a cat only clinic who already have several Savannah clientele. When I visited their location, they were exceptionally friendly and answered all of my questions. The problem arose when I brought up vaccinations: they don't offer any 'killed' vaccinations (though they did mention there were some avenues in which I might be able to provide them with a specific vaccination, but I need to follow up about that again). They did offer me exactly the types of vaccinations and brand/company they use -- and also explained to me that the vaccinations they use do not include any 'adjuvants', which in their experience and research, was the cause for concern with many 'modified-live' vaccines, in that there was a increased risk for site-injection sarcomas. (I am paraphrasing here and going off memory, so I might be a bit off with exactly what they said)
Anyhow, I'm basically looking for suggestions on what to do... I haven't yet brought this up to the breeder, and I know I need to, but I don't want to do so in a way that insults or upsets them. It is their kitten first and foremost right now and I did sign the contract agreeing to their terms. As such, I am more than willing to follow it to a T and provide only 'killed' vaccines, even if that means finding a different clinic or paying a premium to get the vaccine in this clinic's hands.
That said, I also want what is absolute best for my soon to be animal friend -- and my reading has me inclined to believe that 'modified-live' might be the better option without major risks. I honestly trust both the breeder and the vet at this point, and it just sucks to have them with conflicting requirements.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can bring this topic up with the breeder tactfully and respectfully? Does anyone have any general recommendations for vaccines?
Sorry that this post is so long, and I really appreciate anyone willing to read through it and provide any assistance. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. Thanks so much for your time!