Tips for injections pls?

[arwenplusone]

I am currently injecting a friend's horse, every 4 days for a month.

I have done this loads of times so know what I am doing, (no, really)however, this particular medicine needs to be drawn up with a needle, not with a syringe (if that makes sense).

So my normal procedure would be needle in, then attach syringe to needle - check for blood and then voila - job done.

However, this time I have to attach syringe to needle, draw up medicine through the needle and then inject.

Still with me?
My problem is I can't seem to draw up the medicine effectively & make it stay there!

either a) the end of the syringe pops out & the syringe drains or b) I don't get all the darn stuff in and the pressure makes it drain.
I am filling the syringe with air first

I get it eventually but it is rather embarrassing fumbling about
Any tips?

 

[Bossanova]

Is the syringe big enough? You may be wise to try a bigger one.
When you say you fill the syringe with air first do you mean you then push this into the bottle before drawing up the liquid? This is a good thing to do but try filling with slightly less air than the volume of liquid you want to draw up so that the pressure isnt too high.

 

[connie1288]

I would have thought you didnt want to fill the syringe with air first?!
Plunger fully in, needle into bottle, upside down, then draw required quantity. If you are more confident putting needle in without syringe attached i think you can still do that then reattach once the needle is in place.

 

[arwenplusone]

I think the syringes are a bit small to be honest but they are the ones she's been given by vet.

Yeah - I am putting a bit of air into the bottle first. Will try less perhaps? The syringe is so full I can barely draw back to check for blood when it goes in.

Will see if we can get hold of a bigger one maybe? Thanks

 

[arwenplusone]

[ QUOTE ]
I would have thought you didnt want to fill the syringe with air first?!
Plunger fully in, needle into bottle, upside down, then draw required quantity. If you are more confident putting needle in without syringe attached i think you can still do that then reattach once the needle is in place.

[/ QUOTE ]


The bottle is such that I need to put the needle through the lid to draw up the liquid - so there is no way really I can do the needle in first - not without using more than one (if you see what I mean!) it does help to put a bit of air in syringe first.

 

[AmyMay]

Get a bigger needle for drawing up the medication.

Draw up medication. Take needle off - place smaller one in horses neck, and re-atach syringe.

Simples

 

[Hippona]

Tip the bottle so it is upside down....keep it that way....insert the needle throught the vacuum seal and draw back on the syringe keeping the end of the needle under the level of the liquid.

You are drawing in the 'vacuum', so when you release the syringe I bet the plunger goes back to its normal position in the barrell?

I'm a nurse

 

[Kenzo]

There is a knack to it, you need to pump a bit into the bottle (holding the bottle upside down, with the dispenser/syringe underneath (I presume it is rubber sealed where you spike the needle in) then draw back the plunger bit, then it will suck it in really easily.

etd. sorry forgot to add, then give the it a flick with your fingers.

 

[Hippona]

Possibly you are filling the syringe with too much air.....you need a little bit to replace the liquid, but if you use too much then the air pressure will push back at you when you go to draw the liquid out......

 

[GTs]

Fill the syringes with air, insert needle into the bottle, push all the air out, and it will then fill up with the medicine.

If there is no room to draw back the plunger to check for blood - take the needle off the syringe, insert the needle into the horse, if you hit anything blood will flow out the needle. If you see no blood attach and inject!

Do be warned going in and out of the bottle will dull the needle and make it more painful for the horse - I would have a separate needle for drawing.

I honestly think if you do not know your skills in injecting is rather minimal. I also do not think anyone should inject other people's horses (especially when they appear to not know what they are doing) - it is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Bossanova]

GTs it would appear that the OP does know exactly what she's doing as she's doing exactly what you have said to do.

I think a larger syringe is the way forward

 

[arwenplusone]

[ QUOTE ]
.

I honestly think if you do not know your skills in injecting is rather minimal. I also do not think anyone should inject other people's horses (especially when they appear to not know what they are doing) - it is a disaster waiting to happen.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excuse me but where did I say I do not know what I am doing? If you READ my post I have explained that I am doing exactly what you have just said.

I just am struggling with these particular syringes. Sheesh - you ask for tips and people think you are incompetent.

Thank you to the rest of you for helpful advice. Some good tips here.

 

[arwenplusone]

[ QUOTE ]
GTs it would appear that the OP does know exactly what she's doing as she's doing exactly what you have said to do.

I think a larger syringe is the way forward

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you Bossanova. Will try a larger syringe tomorrow and see how we go.

 

[GTs]

Well your post is not particularly clear - however if you did what I said you would not be having problems.

 

[emily12345]

I have to agree with GTs if your having problems, maybe you should leave it to the owner to do, or if there not able to, ask the vet.

 

[arwenplusone]

Ok - GTs I AM doing what you have said. Have you never had to ask for tips on following instructions? How many people would have 'got it right' straight off what you said there?

You know what, I am not surprised people don't like to ask for advice on here. I asked for a few tips as there is a bit of a knack doing it with the particular syringe I am using and guess what, I don't do this kind of thing every day. But in the last 10 years of injecting horses I have never had a problem before.

Perhaps you are right - I will mention it to the vet, who at least won't rudely assume that I am ignorant.

And yes, I am being defensive but I didn't ask HOW to inject I asked for tips doing it in this particular way. Different thing altogether.

 

[Hippona]

Mayflower...from what I've read you don't have a problem with actually doing the injecting and getting it into the horse, more a problem of drawing the stuff up and into the syringe in the first place.
Can be tricky...some doctors I know can't do this because they don't do it regularly.

If its any consolation.....I'd trust you to inject my horses bum any day.

 

[arwenplusone]

PMSL - that made me smile - thanks poppymoo

 

[GTs]

It is not the fact that you need instructions - if it was your horse I would have no objection to you asking for assistance. The thing is your friend is looking to you as a competent party to inject her horse and just by your post here you are not that.

Injecting other people's horses is a huge liability if anything goes wrong the amount of trouble you will be is immense. I have injected 1000s of horses, dogs,people etc and if you asked me to do it outside of work there is no way no chance I would.