Injections Overview

IV Injection Location: Horse

Jugular Vein; recommended to be done by a vet or w/ vet supervision; identify the jugular vein in the middle portion of the neck; place finger/hand firmly @ the lower portion of the neck over the jugular vein; watch & feel for swelling in the vein above the constriction; place needle into the vein, when you hit it blood should begin filling the syringe; then inject into the vein in a steady but no rapid motion

IV Injection Location: Pigs

Jugular vein; a lot deeper b/c of more tissue; not able to palpate vein; however, w/ their head tilted up you're able to find a groove & you go in @ a 90 degree angle @ the groove

Horse IM Injection Location: Gluteal/Hip Region

generally only used when the horse is receiving prolonged treatment & is sore in other injection sites; has very poor drainage if abscess develops @ the injection site

Horse IM Injection Location: Chest/Pectoral Region

generally only used when the horse is receiving prolonged treatment & is sore in other injection sites; prone to development of abscesses

ID Injection Location: Horse

given directly into the skin of the neck; typically done for allergy testing; the hair should be clipped to aid in observing reaction

ID Injection Location: Cattle

given directly into the skin; Caudal-Fold Tuberculin Test=Bovine Tuberculosis are administered this way

SubQ Injection Location: Sheep & Goats

given just beneath the skin; typically given @ neck or behind the elbow; skin 'teething' technique is commonly used

SubQ Injection Location: Horse

given just beneath the skin; typically given @ neck; skin 'tenting' technique is commonly used

SubQ Injection Location: Cattle

given just beneath the skin; typically given @ neck; skin 'tenting' technique is commonly used; SubQ=recommended method

Livestock IM Injection Location: Neck

to reduce carcass damage avoid the rear quarters whenever possible; choose muscle tissue of lesser value to consumers; give IM injections deep into a muscle=use needle long enough to penetrate skin, SubQ tissue, & fat to reach the muscle; check that the needle is not in a blood vessel by pulling back on the plunger & observing for blood flow in the tip of the syringe

Horse IM Injection Location: Neck

triangle; defined by the nuchal ligaments & the cervical vertebra; too high=risk hitting nuchal ligaments; too low=risk hitting the cervical vertebra & blood vessels

Horse IM Injection Location: Hind Leg/Hamstring Area

~1 in below the joint of the buttocks; inject anywhere in the large muscle mass along the back of the leg; preferred injection site for foals b/c its one of the larger muscles on a foal's body

What are the things one should Check on an Injection's Label?

1. Dosage 2. Timing 3. Route of Administration 4. Warnings/Indications 5. Withdrawal Times 6. Storage 7. Disposal 8. Expiration Date

What are the 6 Key Guidelines for Using Animal Health Products?

1. Follow the label & know the product you're using 2. Give in appropriate location for the species 3. Never mix products into 1 injection 4. Use multiple sites: injection sites should be @ least 4 finger widths away from each other; never give more than 10cc of product in 1 injection site unless specified so on the label 5. Use sterile needles to draw contents: use new sterile needle for every 10-15 animals; don't use alcohol to disinfect needles when using MLV vax (b/c it kills it=now=killed vax) 6. Keep records

What are the Consequences of Poor Injection Techniques?

1. Treatment failure if product absorption is delayed or blocked 2. Drug residues in meat/milk if the drug cannot be absorbed & metabolized in a timely manner 3. Animal suffering & incapacitation due to nerve damage/swelling from tissue reactions 4. Excessive trim @ slaughter due to abscesses, scarring, or broken needles 5. Shock/Death of animal being treated, if medicaments unintentionally enter the bloodstream 6. Accidental Human Injection

What is the recommended injection limit per injection site?

10 cc

IV Injection Location: Cattle

2 primary sites: jugular vein & tail vein recommend to be done by a vet or w/ vet supervision; there are many medication that could kill or do serious damage if injected into a vein & run in too quickly; IV Calcium Solution

Flunixamine

Extra-Label product; label says its for Horses to treat pain relief But its commonly used for Cattle to treat fever caused by BRD **It's an anti-inflammatory

What is the needle gauge size range for oils, serums, aspirating, etc.?

Gauges: 22-18 Length: 1"-1 1/2"

What is the needle gauge size range for general use?

Gauges: 27-23 Length: 1/2"-3/4"

What are the injection types?

Intramuscular= I M Subcutaneous = SubQ Intradermal = I D Intravenous = I V

What are the locations of injections?

Neck Region, Hind Leg/Hamstring Area; Chest/Pectoral Region; Gluteal/Hip Region; & Behind the elbow

Extra-Label Use

Products used in any manner other than what is recommended on the label can only be used if prescribed by a vet; includes over the counter products & those products' dose, route of administration, condition, or species

Withdrawal Time

amount of time necessary for the product concentration level in the tissues to decrease to a safe, acceptable level; usually between 0-60 days **Follow to avoid drug residues in meat/milk/animal products

Micotil

antibiotic that if a human gets injected by it, they will die; even if its only a drop

Intradermal (ID)

injection given between the layers of skin; typically used for conducting skin allergy tests & testing antibody formation

Intravenous (IV)

injection given directly into the vein; medication reaches parts of the body much faster than other methods of injection; allows medicament to reach the heart quickly & circulate through the body extremely fast

Subcutaneous (SubQ)

injection given in the fatty layer of tissue just under the skin; are given b/c there is little blood flow to fatty tissue; & the injected medication is generally absorbed more slowly

Intramuscular (IM)

injection given into a muscle; the medicine needs to be faster acting than SubQ

With needles as the gage number gets smaller the length gets __________

longer & the width gets wider