I work for a veterinary clinic, albeit I am the practice manager so I am a fan of the paperwork. However, you would think I would know a thing or two about giving injections. Lets just say "NOT" especially when it came to my goats. I dreaded each time I needed to give them an injection and I would sit for 30 minutes afterwards-making sure I had not killed them! LOL!! But seriously it is intimidating to shoot a chemical into an animal and to KNOW you would be responsible for any unfavorable outcomes.
I stumbled along for the 1st few months and lived in fear of the day I would be forced to give penicilian sub q. Well the day came when I was staring twice a day, penicillin injections right in the eye. Not just any goat...but my prized, bottle fed buckling!! I needed to get good at this--and I needed to get good in a hurry!
This buck and I suffered through the first penicillin injection and it was evident I needed to head right to the computer and do some on-line research to find an easier way. I did and .....found a method for sub-q delivery that is sooooo easy!! Never will I be frighted of any sub-q injection again!
Sub-Q: You simply grasp the extra skin, at the torso, behind the right or left front leg. With the skin tented (hold it between your pointer figer and your thumb) slowly insert the needle (20 gauge needle is best for goats). When the needle is under the skin-slowly pull back on the plunger to be sure there is no blood in the syringe. If there is blood-pull the needle out and start over. If there is no blood-depress the plunder and deliver the medication/vaccination under the skin. Whola you are done! Not one; not ever of my goats has ever been sore after getting an injection under the arm. The other nice thing about this injection site is that the chances of finding blood in your syringe, at this site, is extremely unlikely (but still...always check)
IM: I feel that IM is easy--just put the needle in the fatty part of the thigh muscle--I don't enter the muscle on the side of the body, I point the needle at the butt and pierce the thigh muscle from the backside. This causes very little discomfort and it is quick and easy. Best of all, if you have to give an injection alone, you can tie the goat up-stand over the body and quickly inject the meds in the back leg. Easy to do-even with only 1 person.
Here are some general guidelines to have on hand--feel free to print them off and use them in the barn.
IM
1. point the needle at the back of the thigh muscle
2. pierce the skin with the needle (a 20 gauge needle is good for goats)
3. push the needle in (but be sure not to encounter any bone)
4. use the pinky finger & the thumb-pull back on the plunger (once the
needle is inserted) to be sure there is no blood. If there is a blood
flash remove the needle and start over
5. depress the plunger and deliver the medicaiton
I stumbled along for the 1st few months and lived in fear of the day I would be forced to give penicilian sub q. Well the day came when I was staring twice a day, penicillin injections right in the eye. Not just any goat...but my prized, bottle fed buckling!! I needed to get good at this--and I needed to get good in a hurry!
This buck and I suffered through the first penicillin injection and it was evident I needed to head right to the computer and do some on-line research to find an easier way. I did and .....found a method for sub-q delivery that is sooooo easy!! Never will I be frighted of any sub-q injection again!
Sub-Q: You simply grasp the extra skin, at the torso, behind the right or left front leg. With the skin tented (hold it between your pointer figer and your thumb) slowly insert the needle (20 gauge needle is best for goats). When the needle is under the skin-slowly pull back on the plunger to be sure there is no blood in the syringe. If there is blood-pull the needle out and start over. If there is no blood-depress the plunder and deliver the medication/vaccination under the skin. Whola you are done! Not one; not ever of my goats has ever been sore after getting an injection under the arm. The other nice thing about this injection site is that the chances of finding blood in your syringe, at this site, is extremely unlikely (but still...always check)
IM: I feel that IM is easy--just put the needle in the fatty part of the thigh muscle--I don't enter the muscle on the side of the body, I point the needle at the butt and pierce the thigh muscle from the backside. This causes very little discomfort and it is quick and easy. Best of all, if you have to give an injection alone, you can tie the goat up-stand over the body and quickly inject the meds in the back leg. Easy to do-even with only 1 person.
Here are some general guidelines to have on hand--feel free to print them off and use them in the barn.
- Sub Q
1. grasp skin under the right or left front leg
2. lift the skin into a tent (grasp the skin between your index finger and
thumb)
3. insert the needle under the skin-into the tent (like you are parking a car
in the garage).
4. I run the needle horizontal to the body (so I don't feel like I could poke
anything)
5. make sure the needle is not "through the skin" (poking out the other side of
the skin)
6. use the pinky and thumb to pull back on the plunger (one the
needle is inserted) be sure there is no blood; if there is a blood
flash-remove the needle and start over.
7. depress the plunger and deliver the medication or vaccination.
IM
1. point the needle at the back of the thigh muscle
2. pierce the skin with the needle (a 20 gauge needle is good for goats)
3. push the needle in (but be sure not to encounter any bone)
4. use the pinky finger & the thumb-pull back on the plunger (once the
needle is inserted) to be sure there is no blood. If there is a blood
flash remove the needle and start over
5. depress the plunger and deliver the medicaiton