How to inject?

[Britestar]

Any suggestion how to get an IM injection into my bolshy, stroppy and now very wound up yearling?

Just spent an hour with the Vet trying to do an IV, and then realised we could give the drug IM.

He just barges forwards and then trys to crush you against the wall. He was fine last 2 days as he felt poorly, but today feels much better and is damned if we are getting it into him IV. Stupid thing is she could get a vein everytime, but then he starts leaping around and squishing you, so the needle moves and we are back to square one.

I'm going to try again at his 'bed-time', when he hopefully will have calmed down enough to let mum do it. Am now sporting a crushed hand, with rope burn - through my gloves!

We have created a needle shy horse - poop!

She tried injecting into his bum and he has had half the dose, but its too risky to try and be in the stable with him and inject his bum! We managed that half dose over the door, then he got wise to swinging his bum at the door.

What a muppet! and I've just realised shes left without giving me any bute for him. Will have to nip down 2 morrow and get some.

Anyway - any idea gratefully received.

 

[deicinmerlyn]

How odd and it seems rather frustrating for you now that the Vet didn't inject intramuscularly in the first place.

Try doing it in his neck, grab a lump of skin and inject next to it whilst someone holds him and feeds a treat at the same time. Otherwise the Vet could have left some ACP tablets to help keep him relaxed before you attempt it again.

 

[kerilli]

i prefer to do it in their chest, as they can't harden the muscles there - i've known them do that with their neck muscles and the needle bent when the vet tried to inject. treats, i slap chest a few times with back of hand holding needle (on its own, no syringe) sounds bizarre but stops them feeling the needle i think, put needle in, lots of fuss and rub near area to confuse pain receptors again, then more treats and calmly fix syringe into needle. (make sure needle is full of fluid first, to limit/eradicate air)

 

[star]

give large tasty feed, whack chest several times with back of hand then flick it round and shove needle in, carry on patting chest with one hand while other hand connects syringe to needle and squirts it in. That's my vaccine technique for my needle shy horse. If he gets wind of it he'll be on his back legs and then barge me against the wall, but this works well with him.

 

[Britestar]

I'll have a go at the chest, the only thing being he charges forward and has no worries about crashing into the door.

The neck seems to be a no-no now, either the slapping or pinching method, and treats aren't working either, they have just made him bitey.

He is a bit of an ar*e, and at 15.3hh at 19 months quite a lot of pony!

Thanks

 

[star]

neither of mine would let you in the neck and i dont like being near their bums with needles either! i took my old boy's temp one and he swung his arse sideways and knocked me flying!

 

[hairymolly]

Have you tried using a twitch?

 

[Britestar]

Yesterday he was sooo good. I held him, head over the door and fed him ginger biscuits and he couldn't have cared less. He got antib's, bute and domb/torb all IV and just stood.

Think he fooled us into thinking he would stay nice. Was very sore though, so didn't want to move much. Not helping having him box rested and he's all bouncy now.

I'm just a bit worried he'll shoot forward and squash the needle along with my hand, as I will be 'solo' at bedtime. Stupid thing is before the IV carry on, we got the depocillin in IM no prob, and Vet mad at herself, cos if she'd realised the Gentamicin could be given IM we have had it all done no bother!

 

[Britestar]

Oh yes, forgot to mention that, tried twitch - went mental and up into air, so we reired that idea quick smart!

 

[hairymolly]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh yes, forgot to mention that, tried twitch - went mental and up into air, so we reired that idea quick smart!

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry cant think of anything alse that has not already been suggested just wanted to say good luck. I had to inject my mare twice a day for three days and I was having panic attacks about it.

 

[SusieT]

Lunge line through a metal ring, attached to sturdy headcollar. One person hanging onto lunge line( with gloves) in a pulley like effect (careful not to get fingers trapped) and other injecting. Needs to just do it asap. you may find if you trick him however, i.e give him a good groom and don't 'aim' with the needle but do it sneakily, he may just stand for it.

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

cant you feed him antibiotics in his feed? and why is he on domosedan and torbogesic? can you not give him sedalin if in need of dope? if so bad in the need of injectactable antibiotics and dope surely the vet should be administering and monitoring progress? bezst of luck anyway!!!!!

 

[star]

[ QUOTE ]
cant you feed him antibiotics in his feed? and why is he on domosedan and torbogesic? can you not give him sedalin if in need of dope? if so bad in the need of injectactable antibiotics and dope surely the vet should be administering and monitoring progress? bezst of luck anyway!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

the domo and torb would have been a one off to sedate him to treat whatever he has wrong with him.

if you had to have the vet out to give injectable antibiotics it would cost a fortune. you cant always use the abs that go in the food - there's only 2 types horses can take orally and they're not always the suitable ones.

 

[_HP_]

I would practice without injecting...get him conditioned to being 'thumped' on his neck/chest and bum. Do it a hundred times a day if need be until he has no reaction to it. Make it part of your grooming routine. If he fidgets, untie him and let him run a circle round you. keep doing it until he stops pratting about...until you can do it without fuss. Then use the needle while 'thumping' him.
Ido it in the bum while pinching his neck to take his mind off what I'm doing. If you have them untied you can turn a sharp circle as the needle goes in and they can't strike out.
Maybe take him somewhere different to do it or ask someone else if they will do it for you...he may not be expecting it from someone else.

 

[Britestar]

Got it done. He got in in his butt in the end. Neck/ Chest no go areas. And we are even friends again - just!

Unfortunately, as a solo owner, there are limits to what I can do alone. Touching neck and bum at same time are not possible. He's 15.3 and I'm 5'2"!

Hopefully he'll get to oral meds soon - at least the bute is now oral.

Thanks for the input. Oh I just can't wait for tomorrow, when we have to do it all again