Giving injections (to horses). A necessary skill?

If you got a goody bag with it what would you want in it

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PapaFrita

PapaFrita

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Personally, I think it is. My vet has taught me to do IV and IM for emergencies in case she (or she- I have 2 'regulars') is tied up somewhere else. I also have bute and ACP with my vets' blessing.
Obviously some people are such complete f***wits that they shouldn't be allowed near a horse with a hypodermic OR anything sharp at all, BUT assuming one is a responsible horseowner AND has the vet's approval, why shouldn't we learn how to inject?
Someone will no doubt say that this might encourage owners to medicate/dope their horses as THEY and not their vet sees fit, but that's where the RESPONSIBLE horseowner part comes in. Also I put it to you (all) that if someone is set on medicating/ doping their horse, they'll find a way to do it and in the case of ACP and bute this doesn't have to be via injection.
Ideas?

Also a little poll...
 
been taught by vet, but still dont like doing it!!! Definately not keen on the IV ones but IM aren't too bad once you get brave enough to bang the needle in!!
 
Can do IM, taught by mum/uncle with the ewes and lambs. At lambing time theres no time for you to faff around and ask someone to do it, you do it yourself. I really couldn't ever see my 'vet' showing me.
 
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Definately not keen on the IV ones but IM aren't too bad once you get brave enough to bang the needle in!!

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Dito, that is the hardest part!
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Yes I can do IV and IM injections however I hate doing IV so tend to use the vet to do them. I think it was a vet who showed me, can't really remember as it must have been about 30 years ago that I did my first injection. Was a bit older when I learned IV and that was taught to me by a vet.

Yes I think all owners should really know how to at least do IM injections.
 
its funny actually cause i prefer doing iv to im cause its that bit less shocking i think...even holding a horse for im i wince but i'm fine with iv and not at all squeamish!!
 
I do know what you mean Amage - IV is a far calmer method of injection. I still hate doing them though - mind you once I actually am underway I am fine with it, whereas with IM it is the opposite LOL!!
 
i think my probs with im stem from my appendicitis...had to get painkiller in my derriere and the dam doc gave injection as if she was trying to get through rhinocerous skin...ever sice i empathise a bit too much with them when getting ims!!!
 
My vet has taught me to do IM injections; I have only ever needed to administer a few courses of prescribed antibiotics- I don't like doing them but I manage fine.

Even if I was taught to do IV injections I really don't think I would feel comfortable or confident enough to carry them out. Would much rather pay for my vets expertise.
 
Hi new to all this have only recently joined ,I live in Southern Spain and find H&H a great way to keep in touch with whats going on .Regarding injections my vet showed me how to inject my horses -this was because sometimes its hard to get a vet here at short notice .I was a little nervous the first time but faced with colic and no available vet ! you just get on with it . Things a little different here in Spain most injections ect can be purchased from the local chemist .Love the forum Happy Christmas to everyone and fun riding in 2008
 
I'm answering this question with severely blinkered vision, but I dont think anyone other than a vet should inject a horse. Having had a horse die off the needle, neither myself nor my mum - who used to be a veterinary nurse and has injected her horses pretty much all her life - will ever inject again. Mickey was on a course of penicillin to treat a bandage sore on his leg; he had had three injections - all administered by mum - already. But the fourth one, for some reason, proved fatal; she injected him in the neck as usual, he was fine for about ten seconds, then started to cry out and stagger across the stable. He hit the ground within about thirty seconds and was dead before the vet arrived, 15 minutes later.
Now we never had a post mortem, but Mum gave herself a hell of a lot of grief at first, thinking she had 'killed' him, that she had hit a blood vessel, or something like that. The vet assured her that she was no way at fault; he said that the likelihood was that Mickey had an anaphylactic shock to the drug, or that, for some unknown reason, the injection had triggered a heart attack. He said it would have happened if he had been the one to inject him, and that it was 'just one of those things.' But the way I see it, if a vet is present when these things happen, there may be some kind of way of saving the horse. If you are alone, all you can do is watch helplessly whilst your horse dies in front of you.
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I am sorry you lost your horse, but that reaction is one that does occasionally happen with anti-biotics, my vet warned me to ensure I knew the risk I was taking.
I don't think just anyone should be allowed to inject their animals, although many vets allow clients to do it their professional body frowns upon it.
In our case we live 20 plus miles from the surgery. When something is ill as in Williams' case and needs daily injections it is totally impracticable to have the vet out daily to do it. A vet's visit is at least £30 before they give any injections, so a five day course would start at £150 before you add the cost of the medication.
As a commercial business that's madness, so we are capable of doing routine injections, and using intravenous drips. It also helps my cleaner is a full time qualified vet nurse who moonlights cleaning for me!
As medication should only be obtained through the vet, it is regulated by them what they give you and to whom..
As for anaphylictic shock I carry an epipen so if a horse was that desperate I'd probably administer an adrenilin injection, though I'd ring the vet first to check.
You can't base one experience of yours against years of experienced professionals giving anti biotics to numerous horses as a reason for stopping everybody doing it, it's a risk most of us already understand...
 
My vet showed me how to do IM many years ago, I have never done IV. I would learn if the vet was happy and I was somewhere very isolated but fortunately I am rarely more than 20 minutes from a local vet, even on call.
 
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You can't base one experience of yours against years of experienced professionals giving anti biotics to numerous horses as a reason for stopping everybody doing it, it's a risk most of us already understand...

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Maybe not, but I'm afraid I do feel very strongly about it; the fact of the matter is that if a vet had been present, my horse may still be with me today. Of course, it's only a 'may'; there may well have been nothing even the vet could have done for him. I dont condemn people who inject their own - after all we did it without mishap for years - but after Mickey I would have to say I think I would rather pay £150 for a course of antibiotics than risk losing another.
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I can do both IV and IM injections... I was taught by an experienced friend who owns and runs a large stud. I'd only inject a horse myself if it was absolutely neccessary, I much prefer to have my vet do it tbh.
 
A useful skill to have and have done many times but very scary when horse has allergic reaction as my old mare did once. I think vets are right to use discretion as to who they they dispense the drugs to
 
Do IM injections, vet is willing to give me drugs like antibiotics, bute, ACP over the phone but I have known him 20 years, never been taught IV injections and don't want to, they scare me slightly
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I feel as with anything in life if someone is sensible and happy enough to dish out injections then they should be taught correctly and be allowed to get on with it.

The worst thing is to lack in confidence. The moment I start to lose confidence in myself that is when I start to balls things up.

I think most people are well aware of what they are or are not capable of.
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