I do not advocate the handing over of vaccines to caregivers (clients of the vet clinic) for them to administer the vaccines to their wards (dogs and cats) – even in the most difficult of circumstances and for the most heart-rendering reasons. A caring client argued that it would be better for someone to pick up the vaccines at the Vet’s Clinic, place it in a correctly cooled container, and translocate via vehicles and aircraft to Morawhanna (Region # 1), and seek the assistance of a visiting Veterinarian or resident Medic to administer the vaccine by injection under the skin or in the muscles of the animal’s hind legs. The caregiver maintained that such an undertaking would be better for the animal, as against the risk of contracting one of the diseases (particularly Parvovirus, Canine Distemper or Leptospirosis).
I am always empathetic to loving, caring pet owners. In the case of vaccinations, however, with all good intentions and protocols in place for movement of the live vial(s) of vaccine, there are issues that cannot be ignored.
The transport logistics from Georgetown to Region 1 comprise several steps:
From the Veterinary Clinic to the Eugene Correira International Airport at Ogle (East Coast Demerara).
The cooler stays the airport for hours (checking in is hours before the flight).
The vaccine, being a “biological”, must be checked in as luggage. The law does not allow the passenger to take a “biological” on board as part of the passenger’s hand-carry. Of course, some leniency from officials may allow the vaccine to be carried on boards as hand-luggage.
If the cool-box with the vaccine is placed on the trailer – with the checked-in luggage – on the tarmac awaiting loading, I tend to think that the temperature in the cooler will not be maintained.
Then, off on air journey to (possibly) Matthews Ridge or Mabaruma, for off-loading.
Then via road to the Northwest Morawhanna and the homestead where the animal resides.
Assuming previous arrangements were made, the Medic/Nurse or the Vet/ Vet-tech should be at the residence when the vaccine arrives.
Do you think the quality of the vaccine would have been maintained throughout such a complicated series of events – from the Vet’s Clinic to the homestead where the dog/cat is? Too many ‘moving parts” are involved. And we have not even added the question: Can the Medic or, for that matter, the livestock trained Vet Tech carry out the function on an irascible, moving, uncooperative dog in his domain? Also, what if there is a massive reaction to the vaccine itself, or the application went into the pet’s lungs (or a blood vessel) instead of under the skin? Does the medical personnel have the necessary competence/medication to treat the animal that has reacted negatively to the vaccine?
I have painted a worst-case scenario associated with giving the caregiver or his/her agent the vaccine to carry into the reaches of our country. It is important for me to provide you with this information. In the event of an abnormal development, whereby the animal dies, the veterinarian, who allowed the procedure to begin in the first place, may be held responsible.
Allow me to relate a relevant story within this context of giving caregivers or their agents vaccines to administer to the pets not in the clinic. Many years ago, long before the relevant laws were introduced, a client beseeched me to give her the canine multivalent vaccine for her nurse friend at the Linden hospital to administer to her companion animal. Linden is far closer to Georgetown than Morawhanna. Within less than two hours of the pet owner’s departure from my Clinic, I received a call from the nurse. She had pulled up the liquid part of the multivalent vaccine from the one of the vials and injected the dog …… and was now asking what she must do with the second vial with the content of solids. Perhaps in her experience of administering vaccines, there was always only one vial involved – with the vaccine being the liquid medium. Her effort to vaccinate the dog was regrettably futile.
My cautionary advice is based on over 55 years of experience and on the realism of “Murphy’s Law”. If something can go wrong, it will.
Next week, I will deal with another common request of pet caregivers, relative to sedating the animal that is travelling to a distant place, because of concern that the animal will not fare well during the trip.
