Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
TAIL VACCINATION IN CATS
BALANCING DISEASE PROTECTION AND CANCER TREATMENT
WHAT VACCINATION SITE IS USED MOST COMMONLY IN YOUR SHELTER?
A. Between the 33% 33% 33% shoulders B. In the legs C. All over
All over In the legs
Between the shoulders
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 10-13, 2013 1 Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
Feline injection site sarcoma
• FISS develops in 1-10 per 10,000 cats vaccinated • 8,000-10,000 cases annually • High post-operative local recurrence rate and mortality • Best outcomes with radical and disfiguring surgery • 5-cm margins • 2 tissue planes deep
Bladder à
Photos courtesy of Dr. Nick Bacon
Currently recommended vaccination sites Are these sites the best for cats and surgeons?
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 10-13, 2013 2 Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
First step: Ask the experts
• Online survey via radiation, surgical, and medical oncology listservs • Asked about preferred sites for feline vaccination considering only the issue of potential surgical treatment of injection-site sarcoma, not other issues such as ease of administration • Respondents: • 45 medical oncology • 37 surgical oncology • 12 radiation oncology
“This is an excellent site to vaccinate a cat”
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 10-13, 2013 3 Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
“What are your top 3 recommended sites for vaccination in cats?”
Spontaneous utterance from a survey respondent . . .
"Tail, Tail, Tail! I've been vaccinating my cats in their tails for years and, while I understand the initial hesitancy for practitioners to consider vaccinating in the tail of cats, it is definitely worthwhile from a surgical treatment and potential for cure perspective."
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 10-13, 2013 4 Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
Is tail vaccination a viable alternative?
Second step: Ask the cats
1. Will cats even allow injections in the tail? • Enrolled 60 socialized adult cats admitted to Operation Catnip for spay/ neuter • Each cat was examined, identified with microchip, had blood collected for serology • Randomized every other cat to receive vaccine injections either in the hind limbs or in the distal tail • Injected each cat twice (separate FVRCP and rabies vaccines) • Compared cat reactions to injections using a 6-point scale 2. Will cats have an adequate immune response to vaccination in the tail? • Compare serological responses to feline panleukopenia virus vaccine and rabies vaccine in tail vs. hind limbs • Blood collected prior to vaccinated and at recheck 1-2 months later • Antibody titers performed for FPV and rabies
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 10-13, 2013 5 Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
Cats examined and blood collected
Photographed and microchipped for follow-up
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 10-13, 2013 6 Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
Cats randomly assigned to traditional site (below the stifle) . . .
. . . or the new site (distal tail)
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Reaction to tail injection
Vaccination acceptance scores 60 cats = 120 vaccine injections Tail injection accepted more often than hind limb injection
Vaccine acceptanc e 87%
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Serological responses 100% response to FPV All but 1 response to rabies
Conclusions
• Experts tasked with treatment of injection- site sarcomas are interested in tail vaccination • Cat tolerance and serological responses are excellent for both tail and hind limb injections • The tail is a practical alternative vaccination site
No More Homeless Pets National Conference October 10-13, 2013 9 Vet to Vet: Real-World Solutions to Save More Pets – Dr. Julie Levy
WOULD YOU TRY TO VACCINATE CATS IN THE TAIL?
A. Yes – I can do it! 33% 33% 33% B. No way – people would laugh at me C. No way – cats would hate me
Yes – I can do it!
No way – people wouldNo way ... – cats would hat...
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