Feline vaccine sites

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Rob Davis — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 19:56:53 GMT

Fair enough

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Mark Frost — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 19:05:33 GMT

Sorry.. I wasn't advocating anyone change, just sharing my experience! Also was tired last night when posting, and meant proximal hindlimb, not distal, my mistake.. more lateral caudal dorsum than anything else.

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Rob Davis — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 18:45:24 GMT

[quote user="Mark Frost"]My choice of site for injection is not specifically for this reason though, as I said most of those I've seen were unvaccinated - I find in a relaxed cat the other sites I use get no reaction and require no restraint.[/quote]

I admit to having absolutely no experience of injecting cats in the distal hindlimb, but it seems extraordinary to me to think that they would not react or require restraint. I still think I'll stick to the scruff - no reaction here either so why change?

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Mark Frost — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 18:36:40 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]

[quote user="Mark Frost"] I have only seen four cases of 'injection site sarcoma' in nearly 10 years,[/quote]

That sounds a lot to me! I have seen 2-3 in nearly 20 years and at least one of those was in an unvaccinated cat. I have always vaccinated in the scruff, and would need some pretty compelling evidence to start using the other sites mentioned. Anywhere else surely relies on another competent person restraining the cat, and I find that not many owners are capable of this. Injection in the scruff is very quick, very easy and the cats rarely notice (in fact the owners often seem not to realise you've done it either!). I don't personally feel that the statistics for injection site sarcomas are significant enough to justify changing my current method. I am quite prepared to change my opinion if compelling evidence comes along...

[/quote]

I don't mean I've diagnosed four, I mean seen - a couple were colleagues cases.

My choice of site for injection is not specifically for this reason though, as I said most of those I've seen were unvaccinated - I find in a relaxed cat the other sites I use get no reaction and require no restraint.

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Alet Engelbrecht — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 13:03:55 GMT

Something that may go without saying but was mentioned as a factor by Michael Day at a CPD several years back - using the sharpest and the thinnest needle possible.

We routinely use a 25g needle for the vaccine. I mix the vaccines with a 23g needle, then use a new 25g needle for the injection.

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Rob Davis — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:42:03 GMT

[quote user="Mark Frost"] I have only seen four cases of 'injection site sarcoma' in nearly 10 years,[/quote]

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Alet Engelbrecht — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 07:15:38 GMT

In my previous practice we had a discussion about this. Although the incidence of ISS is very low in South Africa (probably due to low vaccination take up in part), we routinely vaccinate against flu+enteritis, FeLV (high risk here) and rabies, which lead to a minimum of 2 injections, some manufacturers even 3. We decided to have a 'revolving' system - either yearly site changes or 3 monthly site changes. Site 1 - as distal as possible RF, Site 2 - as distal as possible RH, Site 3 - as distal as possible RH, Site 4 - as distal as possible LH. Theoretically, the tail could be included, but has the bright spark suggesting that ever tried to consistently inject sc into the tail of a cat?

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Mark Frost — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 22:48:23 GMT

Wherever I can give comfortably sub cut, usually caudal flank or distal hind limb, occasionally scruff - rarely get any reaction at all, only objections are from those cats so tense/nervous/aggressive they would respond regardless and owners often comment they are better than usual - I try to vary it as I was under the impression that it was repeated trauma rather than vaccines specifically that were the issue with these sarcomas (with UK vaccs anyway). I have only seen four cases of 'injection site sarcoma' in nearly 10 years, all were between scapulae and three out of four were unvaccinated and not microchipped - semi feral types.

RE: Feline vaccine sites

emerald — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:45:58 GMT

I've been giving lateral thigh for vaccines, maybe I should be going more distal? Cats been tolerating fine.

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Christopher Saul — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 18:28:49 GMT

Just posting this to bring my survey to the top of the forum list. It'd be great if we could get some more replies

Chris

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Kate Richardson — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 14:23:12 GMT

R or L flank, scruff if not tolerant of that, but most are very accepting of it.

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Lucy Fleming — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:20:21 GMT

I put 'other' because I use two sites on this list - I try to go for lower thoracic limb (there is a little 'pocket' of loose skin just distal to the elbow that I aim for) but in fidgety or angry cats I will just go for over the scapula. Really really really angry cats I will still go for the scruff sometimes. I did recently have an ISS case in the interscapular region where the owner opted not to pursue surgery and she was PTS around 2-3 months after diagnosis (though I have always tried to vaccinate over limbs, this has made me think about trying even more to go distal)

Curious for others opinions...is the consensus that injections should go in the same site (so that if a mass develops it will only be at one site) or different sites to avoid repeatedly triggering chronic inflammation and risking neoplastic transformation?

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 09:57:52 GMT

I've started trying to give vaccines in the lower pelvic limb when I remember but sometimes when busy I forget about it and just go in the scruff. One of my colleagues recently had an injection site sarcoma (referred over to Chestergates actually Chris, the CT images are quite spectacular) in the scruff that had a radical excision performed which is probably why I'm trying to do it more.

I find cats react a little bit more, and I have had a couple where I've done a Trude because they've been wriggling - less control of movement I find, owners have to be involved a bit more with the handling and some don't like it.

RE: Feline vaccine sites

Stephanie Wellings — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 18:42:02 GMT

We use the right hand flank/back leg (I know ideally as low down as possible but most cats I find this is above the stifle), right hand side for vaccines and left hand side for all other injectables (the idea being if they do get a lump, if it's on the left we know it wasn't a vaccine!)

Most cats are fine, but it is less well tolerated than a scruff overall, and you don't have enough hands to have control over the head (most cats are facing the owner, so my worry is the owner is at the bitey end if they do kick off!)