injections- doing it yourself!!!

[Alex_kate]

joey has to have penicillin injections for 3 days the vet showed mum how to do it, but it is sooo horrific! she did it today but jabbed him a bit and he jumped out his skin! was horrible. anyone got any tips/advice to make this less horrific for us all!

 

[rema]

We always used to hold the needle between the thumb and forefinger facing into the palm the lightly tap/punch the point where you are aiming then on the third or fourth tap insert the needle.The horse will be getting used to you tapping then wham the needles in!!.Not a nice job to do though!!.Good luck!.

 

[Super_Kat]

Don't pussyfoot around, just get it done, the horse will appreaciate it alot more

 

[runaway]

Where you injecting into? Presume rump or chest as neck can be tricky!

Suggest same as other poster o sorry didn't note name before hit reply button!) disconnect needle from syringe, less likely to use so much force then! Hold needle firmly between finger and thumb and make a fist . Firmly and in quick succession tap area to take jab with edge of fist. On third tap insert needle instead of tapping with fist, once needle is in place horse shouldn't be too bothered, so then attach syringe and away you go.
Have a practise using a cushion (obviously without injecting fluid

hee hee) to get the hang of it. The needles are razor sharpe so unless your neddy has rhino skin they'll go in like a knife through melted butter so don't need too much force.

 

[GTs]

not practice on a cushion unless you have spare needles - not only does it get the needle dirty it will make it blunt (and more painful).

Personally I am not a fan of owners giving their horses injections, as 90% of them who claim they have been taught, and know what they are doing have no idea! I have seen horses having penicillin injected into ligaments.

 

[runaway]

[ QUOTE ]
not practice on a cushion unless you have spare needles - not only does it get the needle dirty it will make it blunt (and more painful).

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes thank you for adding that GTs.

 

[Happy Horse]

It's not a big deal - despite what GTS says in the four years I worked at a large equine hospital we may have treated two or three horses for problems caused by IM injections out of the hundreds that were prescribed it. Just make sure you are getting the softest part of the rump, hold the needle between the thumb and middle finger, use the back of your hand to firmly tap the rump two or three times and the next time turn the hand over and put the needle straight in at 90 degrees to the skin. Most importantly draw back to make sure you don't get any blood.

 

[Alex_kate]

we are doing it into his neck

 

[Skhosu]

interesting about injecting the rump/chest.
How do all you people do it w/out getting kicked?
Mine goes dolally at injections, we had to do a home course (turned out not to be necessary) and couldn't get it in because he was being a pig. we were told neck.
As for getting it in an easy horse, we were instructed imagine neck as triangle. Aim for middle. Take a gypsy grip and put needle in behind that. Have also heard the tapping version etc.
What did your vet tell you? How is it horrific?

 

[Tia]

Don't worry too much about it. So long as you follow the directions from the posters above, you'll be fine. Word of caution - make sure you know where to inject in the neck. It's actually quite easy and there are rarely desperate mistakes made.

 

[Happy Horse]

In my experience the neck is the most difficult place to inject - if you can I would discuss with your vet injecting into the rump instead - it's much easier!

 

[flyingfeet]

Oh if you want a good story one of mine got penicillin 'boobies' from me injecting in the chest!

 

[GTs]

In my 1 day a week for 6 months, I remember 4 horses vividly that were having complications from injections, and countless others who were injecting into the wrong place.

Ofcourse all the people claimed they knew what they were doing, had been taught, etc. One of them was giving her horse IV injections 3-4 times a day - great way to get a thrombosed vein.

 

[Happy Horse]

I can't think of any answer for that other than maybe USA vets are not good at explaining it or USA owners are not good at following instructions or perhaps prescribing injections is much less restricted. We had a client base of thousands and saw barely any problems - certainly not enough to try and put people off. I have to ask why someone had posession of the drugs to IV inject their horse 3-4 times a day?

 

[Bess]

I know I'm stating the obvious here but its not been said so I'm going to include it, is to vary the injection site, neck, chest or rump, both sides.

The only time I've needed to do it I was a wimp and my YO did it for me, but I kept a note of where he had done it and made sure he varied the site.

 

[GTs]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't think of any answer for that other than maybe USA vets are not good at explaining it or USA owners are not good at following instructions or perhaps prescribing injections is much less restricted. We had a client base of thousands and saw barely any problems - certainly not enough to try and put people off. I have to ask why someone had posession of the drugs to IV inject their horse 3-4 times a day?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think Americans are more gung-ho about taking medical care into their own hands. You can buy every vaccination over the counter here, and with large ranches there was always an abundance of left over medicine. It seems odd, as a lot of what people injected could be bought as oral medicine.

And even the people that get away with it, and have no problems are regularly injecting into he wrong areas, the ligament on the neck, on the top of the rump, etc.

 

[Tia]

I never really enjoy injecting my horses, funnily enough I am perfectly fine doing it to other people's horses, but after my stallion broke his neck and had to be injected daily for months, I did sort of get rid of that icky feeling. I still don't care much for it, but it really is a necessary evil and the more you do it, the less icky it becomes.

Here, I found a site which shows you exactly how to find the correct injecting sites. Hope this helps you:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_medications.htm

 

[Tia]

Neither can I to be honest. I just cannot ever imagine a person injecting a horse at the very top of the neck. Seems most unbelievable to me.....I would have thought that even if someone were that simple, that the needle would go straight through the neck at this point and the penicillin would shoot on out the other side

.

 

[vicijp]

I know a girl that injected into the spine (silly girl though the spine went along the top of the neck), that side of the neck blew up to about 4 times the size it should be. Horse was probably a millimetre from death.
I wouldnt inject in the neck unless your vet has shown you where. I wouldnt inject in the chest unless you are skilled at injections previously.

 

[Happy Horse]

Sounds like it but then I suppose the distances between farms and vets are greater so the temptation would be to self treat I guess. Our vets certainly prescribed vastly more oral a/b's than injectable.

 

[judymoon]

GTs - with you, i was vet nurse in US for 5 years and the vets there are so much more down to earth and respectful of cients, they just dont talk to them like little children and work with the client, unlike UK.

Injecting is very easy but mostly about confidence, keep things clean do not reuse needles, they get blunt so easy, and with penicillin inject VERY slowly as there is a lot of fluid to absorb and injecting to quickly not only gives them bumps but makes them very sore. Alternate sides, long term penicillin we used to go from left rump, right rump left neck right neck but in all honesty neck is fine.

Hard to go wrong with IM, most problems result from dirt related infection or injecting to quick.

Agree with super_kat dont pussy foot around, take charge and get it done!

 

[aran]

vary your injection site, swift stab with the needle (and stand back - just in case) attach the syringe, pull back to check no blood, syringe 1/2, pull back again (just in case!), syringe the rest and then massage the area to aid spread and reduce swelling!
dont get to nervous about it - its not the nicest thing but your need to do it!

 

[samp]

Do it slowly, regularly pull back syringe to make sure you have not hit a blood vessle and vary the injection site. Be confident, I personally prefer the rump and am often called upon at the yard to inject horses. Normal if you stand far enough forward you are unlikely to be kicked - though never say never.

 

[barkinghorse]

I have to give William 3 injections a week, as he is allergic to all things horsey!!!
Don't know where you are injecting, but i assume with penicillin it's in the bum!
Be positive and don't hesitate, put the needle in first and then attach the syringe.
If it's in the neck, as Williams are, it's much easier as if you bend the neck towards you slightly, you get a better crease line to inject into.
Hope this helps
Jo

 

[Happy Horse]

[ QUOTE ]
they just dont talk to them like little children and work with the client, unlike UK.


[/ QUOTE ]

Not my experience at all, I don't know where you worked in the UK!

 

[GTs]

Oh I just remembered another one - a foal who was vaccinated (in the neck) at a couple hours old!!

 

[Dougie]

must confess i have never seen any adverse effects to owners injecting thier horses....one or two are trusted to do I/V's

 

[GTs]

[ QUOTE ]
one or two are trusted to do I/V's

[/ QUOTE ]

The former drug users?

 

[Dougie]

lol...no

 

[the watcher]

I favour into the chest (being careful to draw the syringe back before injecting as there are more blood vessls in this area). It is never nice but you do get used to it, and less nervous you are the calmer the horse will be, especially if you do a couple of distraction taps first