Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline vaccination practices and protocols used by veterinarians in the United Kingdom.
- Journal:
- Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Dean, R S et al.
- Affiliation:
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science · United Kingdom
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Vaccination is crucial for keeping cats healthy by preventing diseases or making them less severe. In the UK, there has been some debate among veterinarians about which vaccines to give, how often to give them, and where on the cat's body to administer them. A study surveyed 431 veterinary practices about their vaccination practices from 2007 to 2008, and 72% of those practices responded. Most veterinarians reported giving the usual vaccines every year and administering them in the space between the shoulder blades. However, their practices did not fully align with the recommended vaccination guidelines available at that time.
Abstract
Vaccination is an important aspect of disease control in the feline population, as it prevents disease or reduces its severity in individual cats. However the types of antigens that should be administered to cats, the frequency of administration of certain antigens and the anatomical location at which vaccines should be administered are controversial. Various groups have developed guidelines to help veterinarians decide vaccine protocols for cats in their care. The aim of this study was to survey veterinarians in the United Kingdom about the vaccination protocols used in 2007-2008. A questionnaire about aspects of feline vaccination was distributed to a 431 veterinary practices taking part in a case-control study of feline injection site sarcomas. A response rate of 72% was achieved. The majority of veterinarians who responded administered the commonly used antigens annually (84-96% of practices). Most of the veterinarians administered most vaccines in the interscapular region (90-96% of practices depending on the antigen). The vaccination practices of the veterinarians were not consistent with the published vaccination guidelines at that time.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22483379/