Merial has published Give Them Just What they Need, a guide to the key considerations concerning the vaccination of cats.

The company says it produced the guide after conducting research in which 76% of small animal veterinary surgeons said they are not fully aware of the most recent feline vaccination guidelines, and 98% said they'd find a guide useful.

The survey¹, which was conducted amongst 114 UK small animal vets, also showed that whilst 82% of vets are aware of the existence of feline vaccination guidelines from organisations such as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), 58% don’t know the content well, and a further 18% were not aware of the guidelines at all.

In a concurrent survey of 1000 cat owners², 60% said they would have more confidence in their vet knowing that they were vaccinating according to the latest guidelines. The cat owner survey also found that 80% rely on their vet for information about vaccination, and 60% would like more information about vaccination.

Claire Edmunds, product manager at Merial, said: "Understanding that vets are busy people and using all of the insight that we have gathered from vets and owners to shape the content of the guide, we have condensed previously published vaccination recommendations from organisations such as WSAVA and ABCD into really useful, practical advice. The new guide and complementary support materials will hopefully prove to be really valuable resources for vets, giving them the information they need when reviewing their vaccination protocols, in a quick, easy-access format.

"By being better informed about the latest recommendations, we want vets to feel more confident in discussing all aspects of vaccination with their clients. With the majority of cat owners saying that they rely on their vet for vaccination information and nearly half stating that their vet clearly explaining the benefits of vaccination would increase their compliance in vaccinating their cat, this obviously will be beneficial to both the practice and pet cats."

Merial has also produced supporting materials for use alongside the guide, including a take-home leaflet for owners and digital assets for social media and newsletter use, designed to help vets start discussions about vaccination.

Give Them Just What they Need is available from your regional Merial Territory Manager or for download at https://goo.gl/7Uas3y

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