Cat owners sometimes encounter a disease in their pets called ringworm. This is a type of dermatomycosis, a sign of which is the appearance of bald spots on the cat’s body, causing a lot of anxiety to the animal and the owner. The disease is also dangerous because it is transmitted to humans. To cure ringworm and prevent the disease, veterinarians prescribe the Polivac-TM vaccine.
- 2 When and how to use the vaccine for cats
2.1 Table: selection of the dose of Polivak-TM - 2.2 Important points about vaccination
- 3.1 Analogues of Polivak-TM
3.1.1 Table: comparative characteristics of the Vakderm and Microderm vaccines
- 4.1 Combination with other drugs
Content
1. General description 2. Composition and action 3. Purpose 4. Dosage 5. Application features 6. Limitations and side effects 7. Analogues 8. Reviews
Among domestic animals, diseases caused by pathogenic fungi are quite common. Many of them, for example, ringworm, are dangerous to humans. One of the medicines that can resist infection with dermatomycosis is Polivak-TM for dogs. This is a vaccine developed by domestic scientists.
Side effects when using the Polivak-TM vaccine
If the cat is healthy before vaccination, then there should be no serious changes in its health. There may be slight swelling and even inflammation at the site of the vaccine injection. The swelling disappears on its own after a few days without outside intervention.
Combination with other drugs
The vaccine can be used in the complex treatment of infectious skin diseases, in particular ringworm, together with tablets and ointments. Mixing Polivak-TM with other injection drugs is unacceptable. Before using the vaccine in complex treatment, consult your doctor.
Composition and action
The vaccine, containing eight types of fungi, was developed by Russian scientists and is aimed at creating immunity against various types of dermatomycosis. At the veterinary pharmacy, the vaccine is sold in vials containing one dose. For sustained immunity to fungi of the Trichophyton (ringworm) and Microsporum types, two doses are required, administered at intervals of 20-30 days.
Many dog owners believe that pets that spend most of their time indoors or only walk near their owner are not susceptible to infections. However, fungal spores can be carried on people’s clothes and shoes; they remain on plants that an animal may inadvertently touch. No dog is immune from diseases spread by pathogenic fungi, but the body's susceptibility to them can be increased through vaccination.
Polivac TM has already proven its effectiveness against various types of fungi. Dermatomycosis is a skin disease. They are carried by pathogenic microorganisms - fungi Trichophyton and Microsporum. Pathogens are transmitted from an infected animal to a healthy one through direct contact or through objects. Most often, animals become infected with the fungus while walking, and for this it is not necessary to come into contact with street animals - spores can be on the grass, bushes, etc.
Until recently, dermatomycosis was treated mainly through the use of ointments with fungistatic and fungicidal properties. Despite their effectiveness, they have many disadvantages:
- it is necessary to treat fungal-affected skin areas daily for 30 days or more;
- it is impossible to identify all affected areas, since they have different locations on the body and vary in size;
- there is a risk of poisoning by toxic drugs when licked (both the sick dog and other animals in the room and in contact with it can be poisoned);
- recurrent disease and the risk of its spread cannot be excluded.
Pills are no less dangerous:
- they need to be taken for a long time, at the same hours, without skipping or changing the dose;
- medications have a toxic effect;
- It is necessary to monitor the general health of the pet, since antifungal drugs can cause side effects.
However, Polivac TM allows not only to treat the disease when it has already manifested itself with characteristic symptoms, but also to avoid infection. To produce the vaccine, strains that have stable biological properties were used.
Important! The Polivac TM vaccine is non-toxic, safe for people and animals, and highly effective.
Polivac TM works in two directions - it has a pronounced therapeutic and preventive effect. Vaccine therapy allows you to stop the spread of skin lesions in an animal in a short time. Without treatment, lichen or other skin fungal diseases can become chronic, and this negatively affects the overall health of the pet.
When to use
Numerous studies have shown that every animal, including dogs, is susceptible to many different diseases. Fungal infections often occur as a result of improper maintenance or unbalanced nutrition of a pet. It will be difficult to cope with a fungal disease if treatment is not started in a timely manner.
A disease such as dermatomycosis is dangerous not only because it affects large areas of the animal’s body, but can also be transmitted to humans. For this reason, upon noticing the first signs of any fungal disease in a pet, it is necessary to immediately begin a course of treatment.
According to experts, the best protection against the disease is timely vaccination. Dogs that frequently come into contact with other animals are recommended to be vaccinated against dermatomycosis annually as a preventive measure.
Thanks to the ideal price-quality ratio, it is optimal to vaccinate with Polivak-TM.
Purpose
The Polivac TM vaccine is prescribed for the treatment of dermatomycosis caused by fungi of the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum. When infected with pathogenic fungi, a pet exhibits the following symptoms:
- baldness of certain areas of the body;
- redness of bald areas;
- itching and peeling of the skin.
With lichen, lesions appear primarily on the dog's face, stomach and paws. It is worth contacting a veterinarian if your pet has broken hairs or bald areas on its body. The dog may scratch the skin in the affected areas, the skin will peel off, and the body temperature may increase. Changes in behavior are observed: apathy, decreased appetite or impaired eating habits.
Polivak TM and local antifungal medications should not be taken without a veterinarian's prescription. During the examination, the doctor takes a scraping from the skin to determine the type of pathogen, and only then draws up a treatment regimen.
Table: comparison with other shingles vaccines
Name | Compound | Indication | Contraindication | approximate price |
Vakderm-F | 1 ml of the drug contains 50–80 million fungi Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagropytes. | Liquid vaccine for the prevention and treatment of feline ringworm | It should not be given to kittens under 1 month of age, in the second half of pregnancy, or to patients with infectious and inflammatory diseases in the acute stage. |
|
Polyderm | 1 ml of the drug contains 10 million inactivated strains of fungi of the genus Trixophyton and Microsporum | Dry vaccine for the prevention and treatment of feline dermatomycosis | It is prohibited to vaccinate cats under 1 month of age, in the last weeks of pregnancy, or at elevated temperatures. | from 280 rub. per box of 4 ampoules of 1 ml. |
Dosage
Each bottle of Polivak TM contains 1 dose of vaccine – 0.6 ml. The veterinarian must correctly calculate the required amount of medicine. The dosage depends on the purpose of use and the age of the animal:
- for preventive purposes, both puppies and adult dogs are given a one-time dose of 0.3 ml of the vaccine (1/2 of the contents of the bottle), with a high risk of infecting other animals living in the same room - twice with an interval of 14 days;
- for treatment: puppies aged 1 to 10 months - 0.5 ml 2-3 times with an interval of 10-14 days, puppies over 10 months of age and adult dogs - 0.6 ml with the same interval.
Important! 20 days after a double dose of the vaccine, animals develop immunity to fungal diseases, which protects the animal for a year.
The number of injections depends on the symptoms of the disease, the degree of infection and the individual health characteristics of the animal.
Reviews about the treatment
Owners
Victoria, 32 years old, Moscow:
I breed pugs in which demodicosis is a common disease. I vaccinate dogs in all litters at one month of age with Polivac. The product copes well with skin pathologies. I recommend that the owners of my dogs also get vaccinated once every 12 months.
Evgeniy, 42 years old, St. Petersburg:
My Afghan Hound takes part in different dog shows every year. Its main advantage is its beautiful and thick coat. I use Polivak as a preventive measure. The animal tolerates vaccination well.
Anatoly, 40 years old, Novosibirsk:
I am the owner of a Great Dane. Every year I vaccinate my dog with the cheap Polivac vaccine. Immediately after the injection, the animal may itch for a short time, and sometimes irritation appears at the injection site. But all this goes away on its own within 2-3 days.
Veterinarians
Veronica, 34 years old, veterinarian, Volgograd:
Polivak is a safe, domestically produced drug. In practice, there were no cases of negative consequences. If the vaccine is administered to a sick animal, an exacerbation of the disease may occur.
Arseny, 37 years old, veterinarian, Nizhny Novgorod:
Polivac is an affordable vaccine against fungus. There are no side effects after use, I have heard reviews several times about its low effectiveness. The result of vaccination depends on the general health of the dog.
Features of application
The medicine is administered intramuscularly - into the neck, under the shoulder blade, into the thigh on the hind leg. Before use, shake the bottle to evenly distribute the contents and sediment. If Polivak TM is used for the treatment of dermatomycosis, you can additionally use external agents that have a softening effect:
- petrolatum;
- lanolin;
- fish oil and others.
Important! When infected with helminths and ectoparasites, the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases. It is recommended to carry out deworming before vaccination.
Reviews from owners and veterinarians
Ekaterina Pavlovna, veterinarian, 15 years of experience: “I often prescribe Polivak for cats in the treatment of lichen. This product has a low price, but its effectiveness is comparable to more expensive drugs. Throughout my entire practice, I have not encountered any side effects or worsening of my condition.
The only thing that needs to be noted is that the symptoms of the disease may intensify at first. In addition to injections, I prescribe topical medications.”
Konstantin, cat owner:
“Every year I take my pet to the veterinarian for a lichen vaccination. The cat is a little over 3 years old. All previous vaccines used a different drug. This time there was no vaccine. Polivac was introduced.
The animal tolerated the procedure well and the following days - there were no side effects. But after 8 months, spots from lichen were discovered. This is taking into account that the vaccine should last for a year.”
Vika, owner of 3 cats: “One of the cats became infected with lichen. Bald patches appeared on the body. The doctor recommended the Polivac vaccine. Despite its high effectiveness, the price of the medicine turned out to be low. They injected three cats at once. One of them developed the same spots after that. They gave 3 injections per course.”
Limitations and side effects
Polivak TM has a number of contraindications. It cannot be used:
- for weakened, exhausted animals;
- at elevated temperatures;
- during the treatment of infectious diseases.
If a fungal infection has already occurred, but the symptoms are not yet clearly expressed, administering an injection can speed up their manifestation.
Adverse reactions after administration of the vaccine are extremely rare: local redness, swelling and swelling may occur where the injection was given. They do not require special therapy and disappear in a few days.
Main contraindications
According to the instructions for use, the drug "Polivak-TM" is prohibited for vaccination of dogs with high body temperature. Animals infected with infectious diseases are also at risk. Dogs that are exhausted as a result of illness and long-term treatment have a hard time withstanding vaccination.
It is not recommended to use an injection solution that was stored in inappropriate conditions or the original packaging of the ampoules was damaged.
Many dog breeders are interested in how this drug is tolerated by their pets and whether it causes side effects. "Polivak-TM" is a safe veterinary drug with virtually no side effects. In rare cases (if there is an individual intolerance to one of the components or the dog is prone to allergies), slight redness and swelling of the skin at the injection site may occur, which will spontaneously disappear after 3-4 days.
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Storage rules
You can and even need to store it in the refrigerator, since it is undesirable for the drug to be exposed to sunlight. Temperature limits for storing the drug are from 2 to 10 degrees. The shelf life of the drug is 1.5 years.
Carefully! Do not use Polivac after the expiration date.
Do not use the vaccine if:
- Packaging is broken
- There are no expiration dates and basic important information
- We saw that there was something else in the liquid.
Vials cannot be used. Leftover vaccine or entire vials of the drug should be boiled for 15 minutes before discarding.
Personal safety measures when using the vaccine
When working with Polivak for cats, you must follow safety precautions:
- all manipulations are carried out only in special clothing (rubber gloves, hat, trousers and robe);
- There is a first aid kit nearby;
- if the drug gets on the mucous membranes or skin, they are washed with running water;
- if Polivak is accidentally administered to a person, the injection site is treated with medical alcohol, and the victim is shown to a doctor;
- If the vaccine is spilled, the contaminated surface is treated with a 5% solution of chloramine or sodium hydroxide.
Polivac is an effective and safe vaccine for cats with preventive and therapeutic properties. It activates the development of stable immunity to dermatomycosis and accelerates the healing process.