Vitafel for cats - helps determine the correct dosage and duration of therapy. Treatment should begin only after familiarization with the rules for using the drug. Moreover, it is not recommended to use it without consulting a specialist.
The drug is used for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. The medicine increases the body's protective functions and strengthens the immune system.
Contraindications
The drug is one of those drugs that have no contraindications. Allowed for use by kittens, pregnant and lactating females. In this regard, the occurrence of side effects is minimized.
The exception is individual intolerance to the components. To identify it, it is recommended that cats prone to allergies undergo a test. Initially administer 0.25 ml of the drug. If there is no adverse reaction within 20 minutes, the remainder of the dose is administered.
How to determine allergies? Redness of the skin and rash occur. The general well-being of the animal worsens. A severe reaction provokes anaphylactic shock. It is recommended for such animals to use antihistamines in parallel with Vitafel.
Side effects include pain at the injection site and redness.
Precautions and special instructions
When working with the drug, there is no need to observe special safety measures, since the composition does not contain dangerous components. If the liquid accidentally gets on the skin or mucous membranes, it should be washed with running water.
Vitafel S should be stored at a temperature of 2 to 18˚C away from sunlight in a dry place. The drug should not be used for prevention or treatment in the following cases:
- the expiration date has expired;
- sediment or flakes have appeared in the liquid that do not dissolve when shaken;
- the medicine has become cloudy or changed color;
- mold has formed in the bottle;
- storage conditions were not observed;
- The integrity of the ampoule is compromised.
Note! If the medicine from an open ampoule has not been used during the day, it must be discarded. In this case, no special measures are required.
Instructions for use Vitafel
To prevent dangerous diseases, the drug is administered once.
The dosage is determined based on the total weight of the pet.
- Cats weighing less than 10 kg – 1 ampoule;
- Animals weighing more than 10 kg – 2 ampoules with an interval of 24 hours between injections.
For cats, Vitafel is injected subcutaneously in the withers area.
Preventive measures should be taken in the following cases:
- Contact with infected individuals;
- Finding cats in nurseries;
- Upcoming exhibition;
- Dangers of infection in young animals;
- Moving cats to another place of residence.
When treating cats, Vitafel is administered three times, 1 dose at an interval of up to 24 hours. Depends on the cat's well-being. Used in parallel with other medications to treat diseases.
When treating conjunctivitis, the instructions are slightly different.
For cats, Vitafel is given in the form of drops. For adult cats, drop 2 drops into the eye twice a day. Kittens 1 drop.
Similar use for rhinitis.
Drop 2 drops into each nostril 3 times a day. Kittens, respectively, 1 drop.
Rules for subcutaneous administration of the drug Vitafel:
- The bottle should be opened before use;
- Syringes must be sterile, with a capacity of 1 ml;
- The cat is placed on the floor or on a table; an assistant can hold it or interest it in a treat;
- The drug Vitafel is administered slowly, the animal feels pain, the cat should be held so that it does not twitch;
- Remove the needle also slowly, holding the skin;
- It is not necessary to treat the injection site with alcohol or any other antiseptic.
Vitafel dosage
Thanks to the precise dosage, overdose is avoided. You just need to pay attention to the weight of the animal.
Up to 10 kg, 1 ampoule with a dosage of 1 ml of medicine is used, above this weight - 2 ampoules, respectively, 2 ml. In this case, the interval between stakes should be at least 12 hours.
What you need to consider
Vitafel is not a panacea for all ills, as it may seem, and it is not even a cure for chlamydia, panleukopenia and other severe viral diseases! This is a complex of antibodies of different types and subtypes (M, G, etc.) whose task is to find the antigen of the virus, “stick” to it and destroy it.
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This “collection of antibodies” is called immunoglobulin serum. Such drugs are actively used in the treatment of viruses in young animals (kittens, puppies), which still have few or no antibodies of their own.
The most effective are Gixan, Vitakan and Vitafel.
Vitafel is rarely used for adult animals, although the instructions for its use do not prohibit this, but if there is a suspicion of a viral infection in an adult cat, the sooner immunoglobulin is used, the better.
At the initial stage of the disease, a couple of subcutaneous injections of Vitafel or Vitafel C, until the doctor makes a final diagnosis, can save the life of a tailed pet!
Some owners rely too much on the action of the serum, refusing vaccination, citing various and not always reasonably justified reasons.
The action of Vitafel inside the cat’s body does not provide 100% confidence in protection against the virus!
In addition, like all veterinary drugs, globulin serums have a number of side effects, some of which can be much more dangerous for the cat than the risk of contracting the virus - read the instructions!
“...use... for cats for prophylactic purposes... anaphylaxis...”
Anaphylaxis is a hyperacute reaction of the body to an allergen, accompanied by spasms, pain, swelling and suffocation, which can lead to the death of the animal.
To prevent this from happening or (in case of an allergic reaction) help arrives in time, the first dose of the drug should be administered under the supervision of a physician. Emergency additional administration of adrenaline or glucocorticoids may be necessary.
Antihistamines (sedatives) administered to the cat before Vitafel injection are in most cases ineffective after the onset of an anaphylactic reaction.
Diphenhydramine or Suprastin, administered twice over a short period of time, can actively manifest their side effects, which obviously will not benefit the cat’s health.
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Be attentive to the health and life of your pet! According to the instructions, it is enough for a cat to develop an allergy to Vitafel once for further use of this drug to become an absolute contraindication for this animal! Absolute!
Advantages
For cats, Vitafel is considered one of the best drugs for strengthening the immune system at risk of contracting dangerous infections.
Among the advantages of the drug are:
- Wide spectrum of action;
- Efficiency;
- Speed of action - the effect is felt immediately after 1 application;
- Possibility of parallel use of other drugs;
- No side effects or contraindications;
- Possibility of use for pregnant, lactating females, kittens, sick, weak animals;
- Vitafel does not contain any components that lead to the formation of toxins;
- It is even used in allergenic animals with the parallel use of antihistamines;
- Fast and effective course of treatment - maximum 3 injections;
- Can be used as drops for the nose and eyes.
How does it work and when to use?
Antibodies contained in the drug create passive immunity. It retains its effect for 2 weeks.
Note! The serum is only suitable for a temporary solution to the problem; in order to protect the animal for a long time from infectious diseases, it is necessary to vaccinate.
According to the instructions, Vitafel S is used in most cases to prevent dangerous infectious pathologies in cats:
- panleukopenia;
- infectious rhinotracheitis;
- chlamydia;
- calicivirus.
The use of a biological product is recommended in the following cases:
- under unfavorable conditions for keeping animals in the nursery, high risk of infection (epidemic);
- when transferring kittens or adult pets to live in another place;
- before mating;
- when visiting competitions, exhibitions and other events where healthy pets can come into contact with sick animals;
- before selling kittens.
The drug is also used for newborn kittens born from unvaccinated cats, and adult females lambed in unfavorable conditions (when the risk of infection increases).
The biological product can also be used to treat the above infectious pathologies. For maximum effectiveness, it is recommended to use it in the early stages of the disease.
Analogs
For cats, Vitafel is considered one of the best remedies, but not everyone can afford the purchase, especially if several pets have to be treated at once. It is not surprising that many are looking for analogues at a more reasonable price.
Among the drugs for cats with a similar effect are:
- Globfel. Immunomodulator for the treatment and prevention of many dangerous feline infections. Indications for use are similar. Available in serum form. It is administered subcutaneously using an injection. A single dose is 1 ml. During treatment, 3-4 injections are given with an interval of at least 12 hours. If the animal's weight is over 10 kg, the dose is doubled. Against the background of the main treatment, it is used in parallel with antibiotics, probiotics, and vitamin complexes. The package contains 10 ampoules. Each of them costs an average of 250 rubles. The drug is sold through veterinary pharmacies and the Internet at a lower price than Vitafel.
- Imunofan. It has a pronounced immunostimulating, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effect. Prevents tumor formation. Available in the form of an injection solution, suppository, nasal spray. For cats, a solution is used. Packaged in clear glass ampoules. The course of treatment is 4 doses, duration is 8 days. There are 5 ampoules in a package. The average price is 490 rubles, respectively, 1 ampoule costs 98 rubles.
- Fosprenil. An antiviral drug with pronounced immunomodulatory properties. Available in the form of an injection solution, packaged in plastic bottles. The drug is administered by injection or orally. The duration of treatment for a viral infection is about 7 days. A bottle with a capacity of 10 ml costs about 200 rubles.
Reviews about the drug
Angelica: “About 3 weeks ago, our pregnant woman started having conjunctivitis. We were very worried about Mashunya, because the animal had become part of our family and we were afraid of losing it. We read a lot of things on the Internet and decided to purchase several ampoules. Redness and tearing, apathy, fever and other side effects disappeared within 4 days. Now the babies have appeared, they seem to be healthy, we are thinking of vaccinating them right away.”
Alexander: “A new pet store recently opened near the house. The saleswoman was actively advertising vaccines, because spring was already around the corner, all the cats were gathered under the balconies =)) Well, I decided that even though the price was not cheap, it was better to take a drug with a minimum number of side effects. In principle, everything went as usual: Sausage struggled, but gave up =) The only negative is the price.”
Anna: “We have been carrying out prevention with this particular remedy for a long time. Over the past 6 years, not a single puncture. Thank you for the quality!”
Maxim: “An absolutely useless thing - the cat caught something after 2 years, it took about 10,000 rubles to save.”
Veterinarian's opinion
The drug Vitafel does not contain any components that have a negative effect on the animal’s body. High efficiency after just 1 injection makes the drug one of the most popular on the market for similar products. What do experts say about him, what reviews do veterinarians leave? Sergey Korolev, veterinarian:
“For cats, Vitafel is one of the best remedies that helps to quickly increase immunity and prevent the development of the disease. An important fact is that it can be used by kittens at any age and pregnant females. There are no side effects other than pain after the injection. Anaphylactic shock in an animal occurs exclusively during self-treatment, without consultation with a specialist. Very convenient administration, the dose is strictly regulated. The treatment is short-lived. Redness after injections goes away within just a week.”
