Are you a do-it-yourself sort of person? Veterinarians are often asked if owners can administer vaccinations at home. But this is usually not a good idea.
For one thing, the written instructions that come with over-the-counter vaccines may not be enough to educate an owner on the proper way to administer an injection. At the cats-only boarding facility, I was trained to prepare and give certain vaccines and supervised until the vet techs were confident that I could do it correctly. I don’t think I could have figured it out just from reading instructions! (The same with giving insulin injections to my grandmother — we had a nurse train the family on how to prepare and give the shots.)
The other problem with not having formal training is the possibility of injury to yourself and others. If you don’t know how to handle the syringe, you could hurt yourself or your pet. If you don’t know how to restrain an animal while giving a shot, you could get bitten or clawed. And that needle is hazardous medical waste — do you know how to safely dispose of it? It shouldn’t just go in the garbage.
After administering the vaccine, you may need to watch for signs of an allergic reaction. Would you know what to do if your pet had a life-threatening reaction to a vaccine?
All in all, it’s usually best to leave the vaccinations to the trained professionals. Your veterinarian’s office can monitor things like whether or not a vaccine has been mishandled (and may not work for your pet). They also have safe disposal methods for needles and syringes.
Vaccination schedules are best developed individually — there are general guidelines for how often pets need shots, but your specific pet’s age, health, and location may require special consideration. For example, if your pet boards frequently, you may need to worry about upper respiratory diseases more than a person whose pets never leave the house.