When we take our healthy foster animals back to the shelter, they are bombarded with airborne disease, primarily upper respiratory disease (URI).  In order to better protect them from catching these diseases, we have a new more effective way to deliver upper respiratory vaccine.  This INTRANASAL VACCINE is given in addition to the injectable FVRCP we have always given them at 6 and 9 weeks.  Ideally, this vaccine is given to our foster animals two days before they are to be returned to the shelter.

 

Detailed directions are given below. This feline vaccine is equivalent to Bordatella for canines which is also given intranasal but Bordatella is administered at 6 weeks for pups and upon arrival at the shelter for dogs.

 

If you read this and think you can not or would rather not administer this intranasal vaccine, please take your foster animals to the shelter (call first) two days before they are due to go back or call Judy to see if you can take them to her house or she can come to your house to administer the intranasal vaccine.

 

If you read this and feel confident that you are able to administer this intranasal vaccine, please pick it up when you pick up your foster animals.  Keep it in the refrigerator until two days before you are scheduled to return your fosters and then administer it.  No one will blame you if you are unsuccessful, so please, if you were unsuccessful, just get some more vaccine from the shelter or from Judy and try again.

 

If you would like one-on-one training, Judy will be glad to show you how to do this.

 

HOW TO PREPARE INTRANASAL VACCINE

KEEP VILES REFRIGERATED UNTIL TIME TO ADMINISTER.

 

 

Knowing how to “scruff” a cat or kitten is your most important skill when it comes to handling felines.  Whether it is to medicate them, clip their nails or restrain them for many other reasons, scruffing is always the best way to deal with a cat that is not in the mood to cooperate.  Scruffing does not hurt them.  Scruffing immobilizes them.

 

Grab a handful of the loose skin on the back of their neck and squeeze hard.  If you have long fingernails, try to roll your fingers under so that your nails don’t dig into the cat’s skin.  The cat will relax and seem to go into a trance. 

 

Use the dosing tool to suck all the liquid out of the vile.

Now draw all of the vaccine back into the dosing tool.  You are ready to administer the vaccine.

 

Vaccine MUST be administered within 10 minutes of mixing.

HOW TO ADMINISTER INTRANASAL VACCINE

Intranasal means into the nose (nose drops)

Each dose for one cat/kitten comes in two viles.  One vile has liquid in it and the other has a powder in it.  You will also receive a dosing tool for each cat/kitten. 

 

To open the viles: 1. peal off the plastic lid but not all the way.  2. The plastic lid will be attached to an aluminum wrapper.  3. Put your thumb on the aluminum where it is attached to the plastic lid and pull off the wrapper.  4. Remove the gray plug.

 

 

Squeeze all the liquid out of the tool into the vile containing the powder.  Mix the liquid and the powder until the powder is dissolved by swirling the bottle.  Don’t cap the vile with your finger and shake it. Mix it with a swirling motion while the contents are on the bottom of the vile.  It mixes easily.

With the scruffed skin, you can tip his head back so that you can drip the vaccine into his nostrils.  Don’t put the dosing tool in his nose.  Hold it close to the nostril and squeeze ½ its contents into one side of the nose.  Then drip the remaining vaccine into the other nostril.

 

This procedure is much easier if you have a helper, one to hold and scruff the cat/kitten and the other to administer the vaccine.

 

Cat/kittens may have mild symptoms of upper respiratory infection for about two days after vaccination.