Cat Lovers...No More Needles!

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Star Date: 2/15/2007 This is just like from a Star Trek episode. No we haven't learned how to transport beings from one place to another and we can't seem to grasp traveling at worp speed. What we can do now is give a cat or kitten a vaccine without a needle. Just like they do on Star Trek. Pet vaccinations help prevent death and the spreading of deseases. However, there are many down falls from using a needle. Besides hurting, there is usually soreness at the injection site and animals act slightly lethargic after a shot. In rare cases, hypersensitivity reactions occur, leading to facial swelling, difficulty breathing, vomiting and extreme discomfort. Local inflammation at the injection site or reaction to the vaccine's components can create an abscess or even worse, a tumor. Merial, an animal health company has developed an alternative of administering vaccines which may help relieve some worry of traditional vsccinations administered by syringes and needle. Called a transdermal vaccine, this system uses air pressure to push the vaccine into the skin and muscle of the cat/kitten. This needle free system injects a small amount of vaccine into the animal in .2 seconds. It is very fast. . Pros 1) No needle! 2) Rapid injection time...(.2 seconds compared to 2 to 3 seconds) 3) Smaller volume of vaccine given...(0.25ml per dose compared to 1.0ml) 4) Wider dispersion pattern, exposing more cells to the vaccine. 5) Does not contain adjuvant, resulting in fewer reactions. . Cons 1) Increased cost 2) Noise may startle animal. 3) Not available at all veterinarian clinics. . There is a price increase for the new technology. You will find about a $10 increase over a syringe and needle system. For a much safer alternative, I believe it is well worth the increase in price. At this time only the feline leukemia virus vaccination is formulated for the transdermal vaccine system. Cats/kittens usually don't react at all when given the transdermal injection, which makes everyone in the exam room happier including the pet, owner and vet. Soon you may find it hard to find a needle in a veterinarian office as hard as finding one in a hay stack. . What do you think about the transdermal system? Do you feel it is worth the extra cost? . I think the extra money is well worth not having the worries of a shot with a needle.