When Do Kittens Need Distemper Shots

Distemper vaccination should occur after your cat has reached 3 months of age.

When do kittens need distemper shots. True immunity is uncertain until about 16 to 18 weeks of age or until all kitten boosters are completed. Kittens should receive this shot at 6 8 weeks because they are very vulnerable to calicivirus and distemper. There is no way to be certain if a kitten still has maternal antibodies so boosters are necessary. However to avoid over vaccination most veterinarians will recommend starting the vaccine at 8 weeks of age followed by boosters at 12 weeks and 16 weeks old.

Kittens are vaccinated once every three to four weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age or older. Here s everything you need to know about the distemper vaccine and why it s important. Rabies is the other core kitten vaccination. Begin as early as six weeks of age and then every three to four weeks until 16 weeks of age.

After that they ll only need annual boosters. Then they must be boostered a year latyer. Do cats and dogs need a distemper vaccine. A mother s colostrum or first milk may provide adequate immunization for the first 4 months of a kitten s life.

Adults or kittens older than 16 weeks of age vaccinated for the first time should receive two doses three to four weeks apart. A single dose is given one year following the last dose of the initial series and then every three years. Kitties need several immunizations during their first year to protect them against serious diseases. Avoid exposing your kitten to unknown animals until all vaccinations have been given.

Most vets recommend adult cats receive an annual fvrcp booster shot while others recommend the booster shot every 3 years. Because babies are so vulnerable to distemper your vet vaccinates your kitten with the fvrcp vaccine for the first time between the ages of 6 to 8 weeks with another shot every three to four weeks until your kitten is 4 months old. The first series of shots a kitten will usually get is a drcc fvrcp vaccination against feline distemper panleukopenia rhinotracheitis and calici virus. When kittens are nursing antibodies in their mother s milk help protect them from infections.

Kittens should start getting vaccinations when they are 6 to 8 weeks old until they are about 16 weeks old. Types of vaccines for kittens. The shots come in a series every 3 to 4.