How To Give A Horse A Shot Of Penicillin

Video How to inject penicillin for horses

How to inject IM

Why do this? There are many drugs that can be injected into the muscle in horses. Injections have the advantage of more reliable dosing and absorption than oral drugs, without the increased risks and challenges of the intravenous approach. Medications commonly given IM include: Read: how to give penicillin to horses

Anti-inflammatory drugs
Tranquillizers
Antibiotics
Vitamin
Arthritis treatments, such as Anoughan

There are many medications that are not suitable for IM use due to extensive tissue irritation, so administer only under the guidance of a veterinarian. Be sure to follow storage instructions and shake well any suspensions that may settle. Materials You will need the following items:

Medicine
Suitable syringe size. A 1.5-inch 20-gauge needle is standard for thinner drugs, an 18-gauge needle is needed for thicker drugs like penicillin. If in doubt, choose a larger needle
Horse helper

How to Attach the needle to the syringe and withdraw the appropriate amount of medication. You may need to pump an equal amount of air to reduce the vacuum that forms in the glass bottle with the thicker medicine. Read more: how to say have a good day in French There are several areas that can be used on horses. The most common include the triangle of the neck just before the shoulder blades (Figure 1), the glutes (buttock; Figure 2), the biceps (hamstrings; Figure 3), the chest (chest; Figure 4), and the triceps. You may see some edema between the front legs if using a bra. Beginners should start with the neck, but move around to different locations if a series of injections is required. Make sure the area is fairly clean and that you can use rubbing alcohol to clean it. The injector must stand on the same side as the injector. Remove the needle from the syringe and clamp the tinsel firmly to the thumb and first two fingers. On the neck, pinch a fold in the skin (Figure 5), and with the needle perpendicular to the skin, push it straight into the syringe. . Practice on the orange first if you need to, it will be more comfortable for the horse if you are quick and decisive when inserting the needle. On thick skin like pimples, touch the area with your fist a few times, then “punch” the needle through the center (Figure 6). Slow needle puncture attempts often result in bent needles and an angry horse. If injecting into the hamstring, stand on your hips and reach over to inject the opposite side, as most horses will kick out the side of the needle. Continue with the usual injection technique.Read more: how to lock images in word | Top Q&A Attach the syringe and pull out the plunger slightly. If any red color appears at the tip of the needle, remove the needle and reinsert it a few centimeters away. This is important with penicillin, as horses can react violently if it is dropped in the flask. Most other medicines won’t cause a problem if a few drops get into a small vessel, but you may get a clot at the injection site. If all is clear, inject the drug at a rate of about 5ml (cc) per second. Only a maximum of 15 mls should be used per site. If a larger injection is being given, inject 15 mls, withdraw the needle until the skin is almost gone, push the needle to a much different angle, check for blood, then complete the injection. This will deliver the injection to multiple sites but your horse only gets one shot. When done, pull out the needle and rub the area briefly. Don’t worry if blood stains appear on the spot. Horses receiving multiple injections may experience muscle pain. Applying heat to the injection site can ease discomfort, and talk to your vet about anti-inflammatory medication if they are very uncomfortable and are afraid to eat due to neck pain. Call your veterinarian immediately if you notice a “crunchy rice” sensation on a previous injection site. This could indicate the onset of a rare condition involving dormant bacterial spores in the muscle that reactivate and cause a type of gas gangrene. Much of the “reaction to penicillin” is actually due to procaine, a carrier and anesthetic agent for the antibiotic. Usually, the horse begins to snort, squeal, and run as if it were blind. Procaine in blood vessels causes a severe panic reaction. Get out of the stall and close the door, the episode will settle in 5-10 minutes. It is not an allergic reaction. Fortunately, penicillin-induced anaphylaxis is VERY rare and often fatal. Remember to report the incident to your veterinarian and do not inject any further.