Catshots

• CatShots - Catshots was created by Jeff and Coleen Kremer to honor their cat, Sylvia.  CatShots is unchallenged as the most comprehensive web site available for information about Vaccine Associated Sarcoma.

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  Veterinary Resources

  The links below take you to some of the many veterinary resources available on the subject of vaccines and vaccine related cancers.  Much of the information below is included in the materials that we provide to the public at Cat Shows, flea markets, small group lectures and other events. 

   

  • Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force: Roundtable Discussion - This link will take you to a roundtable discussion by several members of the veterinary community who have been instrumental in the study of vaccine- and injection-site related cancers in cats.  It contains some very interesting points and confirms much of what we teach the public through our educational materials.

  • 2006 American Association of Feline Practitioners Feline Vaccine Advisory Panel Report - This printer friendly, comprehensive report was created and published in 1998, and was updated in 2000 and most recently, in 2006.  The members of the panel include distinguished veterinary professionals, specialists and researchers from across the country.  With the 1998 publication of this report, scruff shots were no longer recommended and veterinarians were urged to encourage cat owners to bring their cats to the vet for annual exams without using vaccines as a rationale for the vet visit.  In this report, vets are also urged to inform and educate clients about vaccines and their risks prior to administration of vaccines to cats.  The report contains information about reporting adverse vaccine reactions, signing a consent form and potential liability issues for veterinarians.  The recommendations in this report are considered by many to be the veterinary standard of care for administration of feline vaccines. 

  • The Vaccination Web Site for Dogs and Cats - This is the vaccination information web site of Dr. Richard B. Ford, DVM, MS, and Professor of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.  The site contains excellent information for both cat and dog owners, including NC State's protocols for vaccine administration, and a very good explanation of the pros and cons of the various types of vaccines.

  • American Association of Feline Practitioners Information Brief: In response to inquiries regarding Fel-O-Vax® FIV - This is a link to the September 2002 AAFP position statement regarding the FIV vaccine.  Your cat will will test positive for this infection as a result of this vaccine.  Should your cat be picked up by your local animal control and tested, the results will come back positive.  Because there is no way for an animal shelter  to know if your cat is infected with the virus or has been vaccinated, your cat may be euthanized if tested in a shelter environment. We believe that this is a significant drawback to this vaccine.  The AAFP recommends an in-depth discussion with your vet and testing of your for infection with this virus prior to consent for this vaccine.      

  • The Report of the Vaccine-Associated Sarcoma Task Force - This report was published in the March 1, 2001 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.  The Vaccine-associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force was created in 1996 after the veterinary profession recognized an alarming increase in an aggressive cancer at vaccine injection sites in the early 1990s.  The members of the task force are respected members of the veterinary profession.  This report is a summary of the task force's research efforts to 2001.     

  • The 2001 American Veterinary Medical Association Principles of Vaccination - Approved by the AVMA in April of 2001, these principles summarize the best available information on veterinary immunology and vaccinology as of 2001.  They also outline the need for "a customized approach to vaccination recommendations to best match the variation in the patients presented for immunization" and support veterinarians use of vaccines in a "discretionary manner".

  • C.A.R.E.S. - Critter Advocacy - Responsibility - Ethics - Science - This is the web site created by Dr. Bob Rogers of Texas, who has been instrumental in working with legislators in several states and localities to change outdated and unsafe rabies vaccine laws.  This web site contains information important to cat and dog owners, and we recommend this site to everyone.

  • The Courage to Change - Dr Bob Roger's open letter, encouraging Veterinarians to seek the answers from science with regard to vaccines and immunity. 

  • "New Vaccination Protocols" slide show.  Created by Dr. Bob Rogers, this link takes you to the Power Point presentation he uses to teach people about vaccines and vaccine safety.  It is very comprehensive and includes references to reputable veterinary researchers, experts and resources.

  • What are AVMA's recommendations for cat and dog vaccination? - From July 1, 2003, an update from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) regarding the organization's recommendations for vaccines for cats and dogs.  The information on this link reviews the report of the the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents (COBTA) with regard to animal vaccines and vaccinations.  To obtain a copy of COBTA's report on cat and dog vaccines, call (800) 248-2862, ext 6770. 

  • Vaccines and Sarcomas: A Concern for Cat Owners - This handout was prepared by the Vaccine Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force at Cornell Feline Health Center.  We hope that you can find this in a brochure format in your veterinarian's office!  Click here for printer friendly version  

  • Feline Vaccination Protocols - From the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) World Congress in 2002.  The topic was the 2000 Report of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and Academy of Feline Medicine Advisory Panel on Feline Vaccines (the first link in this list). 

  • Vaccine-Associated Sarcomas in the Cat - From the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) World Congress in 2001.  If you scroll down the the "Prevention" section,  what you will be reading is 100% consistent with the position of VAS Awareness.

  • Vaccines of the Present and Future - Also from WSAVA 2001, this provides very good information on both feline and canine vaccines. 

  • Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol -  A great step toward prevention, an increasing number of Veterinary Medical Colleges are adopting new vaccination protocols.  This is just one example.

  • Feline Postvaccinal Sarcoma: A 2003 Update - This link is from "Histovet", an organization that specializes in veterinary pathology.  This paper details an easily readable history and overview of what is known - and not known - about VAS up to 2003.  

  • Vaccine associated Sarcomas,  Soft tissue Sarcomas, Ongoing Research into Tumor Control, from "Notes from the Vet".  This link will take you to a somewhat technical overview of this cancer and all of the treatments options.  The author is the vet of one of our member's VAS cats.

This web page was prepared by VAS Awareness and the VAS Cat Show Group, Supporting Members of the Cornell Feline Health Center.  The information in this brochure may be reproduced only in its entirety.  All rights reserved, Copyright 2004.

 The information contained in this brochure is intended for general reference purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.  Veterinary medical information and treatment standards change rapidly and while we make efforts to obtain the most reliable, up-to-date information, some information may be out of date or even unreliable.  This information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.  Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified professional. (12/2003)