Vakderm vaccine for cats and dogs. Application, side effects and price of Vakderm

Ringworm in dogs is a dangerous skin disease. It quickly spreads throughout the body, is difficult and takes a long time to treat, is quickly transmitted to other animals and people, and fungal spores persist indoors and on clothing from several months to a couple of years. Therefore, the chance of re-infestation is high.

For the treatment and prevention of lichen, the Vakderm vaccine was developed. Manufacturers claim that just 2-3 injections will relieve the dog of the disease and form a strong immunity to fungal infections.

In this review, we’ll look at: does Vakderm for dogs help get rid of lichen and prevent infection with it, how it is used, what possible side effects, and whether there are better analogues . At the end of the article you will find answers to your questions, reviews from the owners and find out my opinion about vaccinations against fungal pathologies.

Release form and composition

The Vakderm vaccine is produced by Moscow in two forms:

• dry – porous suspension of light brown color;
• liquid - a homogeneous solution of yellowish tints.

Regardless of the type, each 1 ml ampoule contains 30-50 million/cm3 of fungal elements. It is made from 3 cultures of dermatophytes:

• Microsporum canis;
• Microsporum gypseum;
• Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

A bottle (one immunizing dose) costs from 100 to 120 rubles. Add a surcharge for veterinary services: the exact price varies by region.

Precautionary measures

"Vakderm" for dogs is considered a safe drug if the rules of injection and storage are observed. The vaccine should not be used in the following cases:

• the expiration date has expired;
• the liquid in the ampoule has become cloudy or sediment has formed;
• the ampoule was opened but not used for more than 30 minutes.

In these cases, it is necessary to dispose of the product and purchase a new ampoule.

Precautionary measures also apply to the injection process itself. It is imperative to adhere to the rules of asepsis and antiseptics: wash your hands with soap before the procedure, wear protective gloves, treat your pet’s skin with a special antiseptic solution.

If the medicinal substance gets on your or your dog’s mucous membrane, you need to rinse it with running water and monitor the further condition (if an allergic reaction occurs, you need to seek medical help).

How it works

Vakderm develops immunity against dermatophytoses for 12 months. To do this, the vaccine is administered twice with an interval of 10-14 days.

Vaccination during the incubation period (when infection has already occurred, but there are no clinical signs yet) accelerates the course of the disease: mycotic foci appear on the animal’s body. In this case, vaccinations are given 3-4 times with a break of 1.5-2 weeks.

Sick pets begin to recover 15-20 days after double vaccination. Their itching goes away, wounds heal, scabs fall off and new hair grows on the affected areas.

What is dermatophysis f

Dermatophys f is a skin fungus in cats and dogs
caused by the pathogen Microsporum canis. It is often transmitted both from rodents and other animals infected with it. It can also be found in the soil on which an animal infected with the fungus had previously been located for some time. This pathogen also loves large crowds of cats, as this helps it spread much faster.

From observations of cats, it turned out that this fungus is more common in young cats.

. Due to the incubation period varying from a week to three months, it is very difficult to timely track the fact that your pet needs treatment. Sometimes an animal can suffer the disease in a latent form (that is, asymptomatic), but sometimes this can lead to the fact that the dermatophysis f can subsequently give complications that are very diverse in their manifestation and it will be difficult to distinguish it from other skin diseases.

Instructions for use and dosage

Vakderm is placed from 2 months of age. The injections are given twice, with a break of 10-14 days. The first injection is administered into the left or right thigh, the second into the opposite limb. Before use, the area is treated with alcohol, and the serum is warmed in the hand to room temperature.

Dosages depend on weight:

• for dogs up to 5 kg – 0.5 ml;
• for dogs weighing more than 5 kg – 1 ml.

Before administration, check the serum: it is important that the ampoule is not damaged, and that the solution is free of sediment and not cloudy. Store the drug in the refrigerator. After opening the bottle, use the medication within half an hour.

Features of vaccination

Vakderm

- This is a preventive vaccination, therefore, before use, you should comply with all the usual requirements for preparation for vaccination - deworming 7-10 days before. Before manipulation, you should consult a veterinarian. He will examine the dog for diseases, including latent ones.

The injections are given twice. The interval between them must be strictly observed, as this affects the effectiveness of the vaccination.

The injection is given intramuscularly, in the thigh. The second injection should be given in the other thigh, always with a sterile syringe. Before use, the powder is diluted with 1 ml of saline or water for injection, the temperature of which is not higher or lower than body temperature. The vaccine can be used only after complete dissolution.

Contraindications and side effects

The use of the Vakderm vaccine is safe and does not cause serious negative effects. But, like any serum, it cannot be administered to animals:

• with elevated temperature;
• suffering from infectious diseases;
• those recovering, after surgery or with serious pathologies;
• taking medications that suppress the immune system.

Complications are also possible:

• painful swelling or abscess at the injection site: usually occurs when cold serum is injected or unsterile needles are used;
• allergies.

Pets that have side effects are freed from exercise for 3-5 days. In case of an allergic reaction, symptomatic treatment is necessary. If a seal forms, cold or alcohol lotions are applied, and the abscess is lubricated with a 5% iodine solution.

When should the vaccine not be used?

There are a number of contraindications to vaccination. Among them:

• increased body temperature;
• presence of infection in the body;
• pregnancy;
• development of non-infectious pathologies.

Before immunization, you need to make sure that your pet is completely healthy. During the course of any disease, vaccination is prohibited.

Analogues of the drug

Vakderm has 3 analogue vaccines: they are similar in action, method of application and price. The drugs differ in composition and frequency of side effects.

Content

1. General description 2. Composition and action 3. Purpose 4. Application 5. Features of vaccination 6. Limitations and side effects 7. Prices and analogues 8. Video: 9. Reviews

Ringworm is a disease in dogs, which is dangerous because people can also become infected with it. Among the most popular and effective medicines against fungal diseases is Vakderm for dogs. The drug has long been successfully used for the prevention and treatment of ringworm in animals if the disease is in the incubation period and has not yet manifested itself.

Owner reviews

Olga: “After the second Vakderm vaccination, the dachshund lost his back leg. When introduced, the dog screamed and cried. Afterwards she limped all day, and the next day she became lethargic, only getting up to eat and go to the toilet. It does not rest on its paw, it hangs on its weight. But what’s most worrying is the huge lump that came out at the injection site.”

Yaroslava: “We learned about this vaccine when Margo (a cross between a mongrel and a Rottweiler) developed bald spots. The doctor said it was dermatophytosis and prescribed Vakderm. 2 weeks after the first injection the itching went away, and after the second the bald areas began to heal. Since then we have been using serum every year. Our beauty tolerates injections easily, but a huge lump always forms on her thigh: we don’t treat it with anything, and after a month it resolves on its own.”

Taya: “Our puppy Dzhulka got sick at the same time as the cats. We went to the clinic: all three of them were given Vakderm. The cats tolerated the injections well, but Dzhula immediately became ill. From the next day she stopped eating and playing. The doctor did not answer anything intelligibly, attributed it to worms, and did not prescribe treatment. And 5 days later the dog died.”

Dmitry: “My Gordey managed to catch dermatophytosis. After recovery, the doctor advised to vaccinate with Vakderm annually. The first time the serum was administered by a veterinarian, and then I got the hang of it myself. The vaccine worked for us: there were no side effects, and the dog never got shingles again.”

Treatment

Of course, you will be immediately offered treatment and advised on various ointments, shampoos or bath products

. The first thing to do is isolate your cat. If you have a long-haired breed, it would be advisable to cut your pet's hair. It would also be a good idea to trim the claws. Also try to treat the room where the cat is with disinfectants. For this, the best option would be to use chlorhexidine.

The best treatment is to use the Vakderm vaccine.

Vakderm

Your veterinary clinic should offer you the Vacderm vaccine. It is used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of dermatophyses
. Sometimes impatient owners may panic that no therapeutic effect is observed. However, this is not at all true. The vaccine is administered twice, and the effect occurs two to three weeks, immediately after the second vaccination. After this amount of time you will be able to see the result. The scabs will begin to flake off and fall off, and new hair and fur will grow.

You must be provided with instructions for using Vakderm.

If you use the vaccine for prophylaxis, you should take into account that immunity will not develop immediately

. First, the first vaccine is administered to a healthy animal intramuscularly in the thigh area, and after two weeks it is repeated in the second thigh. After about twenty-five days or a month, intense immunity is developed, which will last for a year.

The vaccine itself is a fraction of weakened dermatophyte spores. Once in the body, the immune system will begin to produce antibodies to the incoming antigen, and they will protect the body from the pathogen for another year, preventing it from manifesting itself. Ultimately, he will abort, and your cat will be healthy and feel almost nothing.

Contraindications and adverse reactions

Naturally, the vaccine also has contraindications for use.

, such as:

1. second half of pregnancy;
2. elevated cat body temperature;
3. acute poisoning;
4. presence of an infectious disease.

Adverse reactions are possible in the form of the development of a lump at the site of vaccine administration, but it will resolve after three to five days. Fatigue may also occur quickly, so do not give the animal heavy loads and carefully monitor your cat.

Release form and price

This vaccine is suitable for cats, dogs, rabbits and other fur-bearing animals.

It is produced in two forms:

• vaccine solution
• vaccine powder

The latter is diluted in a sterile solvent. The cost of a dose is approximately one hundred and ten Russian rubles. Different veterinary clinics set their own prices for the drug.

conclusions

I do not recommend using Vakderm and other vaccinations against lichen: neither for treatment nor for prevention.

Vaccinations are useless for treatment: lichen appears when the immune system is weakened, and “dropping” it even more with a vaccine is stupid. When infected, classical therapy is better: external and internal antifungal drugs. Repeated treatment of the room and things is also required: disinfection with vinegar, chlorhexidine, iodine, washing textiles at maximum temperatures and ironing.

Prevention with Vakderm is also questionable. If the dog has good immunity, it will not become infected. In addition, even vaccinated pets often developed dermatophytosis.

Add to this that the drug is painful; after administration, almost all dogs become lethargic for several days and abscesses often appear. The latter do not always go away on their own; they often have to be operated on. And vaccinated pets become carriers of fungal spores for a long period: they can infect people with weakened immune systems, children and the elderly.

The only time when the use of serums against lichen is justified: vaccination of show dogs. Owners of unvaccinated animals are required to provide a certificate of examination for microsporia before each canine event. This is troublesome and expensive: in this case, it is easier to administer Vakderm or a similar drug once a year.

Storage conditions

Storage rules comply with the federal law on the circulation of medicines. Vakderm can be stored in cabinets, on racks, shelves, and in refrigerators. Unpacked vials and ampoules should not be exposed to light.

Storage conditions and periods are indicated in the instructions accompanying the medicine. Typically, the temperature should not be lower than 2 °C, higher than 10 °C. The vaccine cannot be stored for longer than a year. Drugs that have expired or were stored in inappropriate conditions are destroyed.

Ringworm in cats: is immunity possible?

Ringworm is a skin condition caused by a fungus. How possible is natural protection against such diseases in principle?

The immune system is a complex mechanism for protecting the body from diseases, usually viral ones.

Antiviral immunity works like this.

A virus is introduced into the body. The first to react to it are leukocytes, which recognize the genome of everything that is found in the body, according to the “friend or foe” principle. The virus is definitely foreign to them, and the body receives a command to create antibodies - special proteins that can make the stranger safe. When enough of these proteins have been produced, the disease stops. And if the same pathogen enters the body again, data on which antibodies are needed against it will be stored in special lymphocytes, which are called “memory cells.”

That is, there is no need to recognize what kind of stranger is in front of us, we just need to restart the biochemical factory to produce weapons against him. In addition, antibodies remaining after previous contact with the virus circulate in the blood and are ready to help immediately.

Knowing these principles, it is easy to understand why cats are regularly vaccinated against viral diseases - panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and rabies. It is important that your pets have enough antibodies in their blood to resist the disease.

So, for immunity to appear according to this scheme, the pathogen must enter the blood. But ringworm is a fungus that lives in the hairs and surface layer of the skin. The contact of both the fungus and the mycelium with the skin is minimal, and it cannot end up in the blood.

In addition to general immunity, there are various types of local immunity. This includes skin immunity. The skin has its own leukocytes that can recognize antigens and produce antibodies to them. But this system has little connection with general immunity. However, the very fact of its existence led researchers to think that creating a vaccine against skin infections, for example, lichen, is possible.