How to Give Pet Vaccinations at Home

Pet vaccinations can be given at home with proper education and practice.

Pet owners may want to save money and time by administering their pets' vaccinations at home. While this can be accomplished with proper training, pet owners must understand the proper methods and check with a veterinarian before trying this at home. Using the proper steps for safety, home pet vaccinations can be done easily.

Things You'll Need

• Pet vaccination vial
• Syringe
• Needle

Instructions

Giving Pet Vaccinations at Home

1. Order the required vaccinations and syringes, either online or from a veterinarian.

2. Cover the needle with the supplied cap, and tighten the needle onto the syringe as tightly as possible.

3. Remove the cap and insert the needle into the vaccination vial.

4. Withdraw all of the liquid from the vial into the syringe. If the vaccination is a double-dose, only withdraw 1 mL.

5. Inject the liquid into the second vial and shake to combine the substances, if the vaccination comes with a second vial containing a freeze-dried or powdered substance. Shake the vial to combine the substances, and withdraw the resulting liquid back into the syringe. If there is no second vial, skip this step.

6. Inject any air back into the vial before beginning to give the animal the vaccine. Make sure there are no air bubbles left in the syringe.

7. Inject the vaccination into the animal, in the proper spot as determined by the type of vaccination and type of animal. For dogs, vaccines can be injected into the skin over either shoulder. Lift the skin to inject the vaccine. For cats, the injection should be given into a specific area on the body depending on which type of vaccination is being given.

Tips & Warnings

• Vaccinations are administered easily and properly when given by a trained veterinarian.

• Always check with a veterinarian on the proper way to administer vaccinations to animals before trying it at home.

• Be sure of the exact area of the body to inject the vaccine.

• Giving vaccinations at home can be risky and cause serious side effects, and are always best performed by a vet.

• Pet owners should be sure that the needle is not in a blood vessel before giving the shot.

References

• Doctors Foster and Smith: Vaccinate your Dog at Home
• Doctors Foster and Smith: Vaccinate your Cat at Home