Hi

I'm really worried, and I hope someone with a bit of knowledge can reassure me....

I took our 2 new rescue cats to a local vet 2 weeks ago, for 2nd set of vaccinations (they'd had the 1st set at the shelter) and microchipping. To cut a long story short, I wasn't very impressed, and probably won't go back, but came away £130 or so lighter, having had 2 cats vaccinated, only 1 cat chipped, and taking away 2 sets of Advocate.

I didn't do the Advocate treatment until today, because I wanted them protected for when I start letting them outside this weekend. It was only when I wrote the date of treatment into their booklets that I realised that their vaccination labels for the 2nd set were different- strange, so I googled them.

It turns out that the labels for Ziggy's vacs correspond to CANINE DISTEMPER and LEPTOSPIROSIS (also a canine disease). Winston got the correct shots, thank god.

Ziggy isn't showing any ill-effects at the moment, but I wondered if anyone knew if there were likely to be any long term issues? Obviously I will be speaking to the vet about this, but I think you will understand if I don't have much confidence in his word!

I don't know if they'll do any harm but they are obviously no use in protecting your cat against calici virus, herpes virus and enteritis - a measles jab doesn't protect a baby against whooping cough! I'd be kicking up one helluva stink.

Obviously as a minimum I will expect them to get him the proper vaccinations - although I might ask them to pay another vet to do it!

But my other worry is that introducing these cross-species bacteria into his system might have harmed him in some way.

You don't have to worry on two counts: neither canine distemper or leptospirosis is caused by a bacterium. Canine distemper is caused by a virus and leptospirosis by a microorganism called a spirochaete. Secondly, vaccines are not made of bacteria, or at least not of any live microorganisms. They are usually prepared either from weakened or killled microorganisms such as viruses (for viral infections), or from products the microorganism usually produces, eg. a safe form of the toxin some bacteria produce.

I would think it unlikely that receiving these vaccines would have done your cat any harm but it is worth following up with a vet to be sure.

Thanks, that was the kind of info I was hoping for! I can sleep easier tonight!