Vaccinations are critical for a pet’s health and safety, but some pet parents may be hesitant to agree with your vaccine recommendations. Pet owners may have needle phobias, be concerned about over-vaccination, or remember past visits when their pets became fearful or stressed about vaccination. Unfortunately, these reservations can mean missed appointments and unprotected pets.

Fear Free Certified® Professionals now have a new tool in their arsenal to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) surrounding vaccination visits: highly purified, low-volume vaccines from Elanco’s TruCan™ and TruFel™ Ultra line. When vaccinations are more comfortable and less stressful for pets, pet parents are more likely to follow your recommendations and keep their pet’s vaccines up to date.

Fear Free® vaccination techniques

Vaccines are one of the most common services performed in veterinary clinics, which creates daily opportunities to improve the process. Since vaccines are given as subcutaneous injections, we can apply many standard Fear Free principles to reduce FAS. Considerate approach, gentle control, touch gradient, and—of course—a steady stream of treats are great ways to reduce the chances of your patient noticing or reacting to the injection. Allowing vaccines to warm to room temperature, using small-gauge needles, and always changing the needle after pulling up the vaccine are additional techniques you can use to reduce discomfort during injections.

Pets with long-standing needle sensitivities may require pre-visit pharmaceuticals (PVPs) or in-clinic sedation to update vital core vaccines when time is limited. Otherwise, implementing a desensitization and counterconditioning program at home can help pets experiencing fear learn to accept injections.

The Elanco Ultra vaccine technology

Once pets reach a point of vaccine acceptance and cooperation, the last thing you want to do is administer a painful injection that causes them to backslide. Choosing the right vaccines can significantly impact a pet’s reaction to the injection and the likelihood of a successful Fear Free visit. Elanco’s TruCan™ and TruFel™ Ultra vaccines were designed specifically to create a better vaccination experience.

The Ultra vaccine line provides a smaller vaccine volume (0.5 mL) and up to 75% fewer proteins, attributed to Elanco’s PureFil™ technology. Unique combinations, including FVRCP plus feline leukemia for cats (TruFel™ Ultra HC2P-FeLV) and DAP plus leptospirosis 4-way (TruCan™ Ultra DAP + L4) for dogs, ensure that pets are protected with fewer needle sticks and less stress.

Talking points for clients

Vaccine conversations can be sensitive. Vaccine hesitancy isn’t new, but a great deal of misinformation about vaccines during the pandemic may leave lingering doubts in some pet owners’ minds. Clients may also worry about vaccinating their pet too much, and causing pain, discomfort, or a negative reaction.

Elanco vaccines can help you compassionately address client concerns. When a client demonstrates vaccine hesitancy, use the following points to explain how your vaccines support a Fear Free visit and lifestyle.

• Possible reduced reaction risk — Ultra purification reduces proteins and debris, which may reduce the chance of a negative reaction.
• Comfortable injections — 0.5mL vaccines, which are often used in human medicine, are half the volume of traditional vaccines and allow for faster administration with a smaller needle.
• Fewer injections —  A variety of vaccine combinations reduces the number of injections required to achieve complete protection, which means fewer needle sticks.

Together with a Fear Free approach, Elanco Ultra vaccines can help transform the vaccination experience and reduce FAS for pets and their families. Learn more about Elanco’s innovative products here, or visit our Fear Free website to access our continuously updated member resources.

The label contains complete use information, including cautions and warnings. Always read, understand, and follow the label, and use directions.

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This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

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