Horses sometimes need a range of injections, from annual vaccines to medications, and there may be times when you need to do them yourself rather than calling a vet. If you were to give your horse an injection, would you know what to do? Horses are large and strong animals, so you should always put your safety first. Do some research, get lots of advice, and find an experienced friend who can help you. Before you begin, however, you need to know the basics of how to give this animal an injection.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparing for the injection
Step 1. Ask someone who has experience with horses to help you out
If you're reading this, you're probably not very familiar with injections, so it's a good idea to have someone nearby who can help you, whether it's a horse expert or your vet. The first time you try an injection, you should definitely have an experienced professional beside you to supervise the work. If the veterinarian is not available, seek the help of an experienced breeder.
Step 2. See a professional if the horse is afraid of needles
Such a horse is able to understand what you are about to do, even if it cannot see the needle! He will move even before receiving the injection, because he knows what is going to happen and wants to prevent it in every way. He may start to rear, bite and kick, therefore, for the safety of everyone in this situation, it is best to have the injection performed by an experienced professional.
If you are inexperienced, you could harm the horse, even if you manage to avoid being injured yourself. Most likely the needle could bend, even still in the horse's skin, which could damage the horse's muscle or even require the needle to be removed with surgery
Step 3. Ask the vet about the necessary safety precautions
To stay calm and safe, you should know if the drug could be dangerous for you, in case you accidentally inject some into your body. For example, some horse tranquilizers can cause respiratory arrest in humans.
Step 4. Use a new needle for each injection
Even the simple act of inserting the needle into the cap of a drug vial makes the tip less sharp and, consequently, causes a more painful injection for the animal. The needle should be as sharp as possible to penetrate the skin quickly and easily. If your horse is afraid of the needle, the cause of this fear could be due to the pain it has experienced in the past caused by a blunt needle.
Step 5. Learn how to do an intramuscular injection (IM)
This is the most common method and involves passing the needle through the skin to enter the underlying muscle. Since the muscles have a good blood supply, the drug is easily absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Some drugs can burn a little when administered intramuscularly. The packaging of these medicines may be labeled against IM administration. In other cases, however, some IM medications contain preservatives that are not suitable for injection into blood vessels.
- Cases in which an intravenous injection is required are rare. Don't try to get one, though, if you're not a qualified veterinarian.
Step 6. Decide where on the horse's body to inject
The two most common sites are the neck and hind legs. Both zones are suitable, in fact most of the time it is purely a matter of personal preference. In any case, if the horse is particularly lively and active, it is better to give the injection in the neck, since you do not risk getting kicked from this position. However, the large muscles of the hind limbs are more suitable if you have to administer a large amount of the drug (10 ml or more).
Always ask your veterinarian for advice or follow the directions on the drug packaging, to get more information on the most suitable site for the injection
Step 7. Put yourself in a safe position
The person who helps you (the attendant or the trainer) should be on the same side as you, with respect to the horse, while the horse's head should be slightly turned towards your assistant. This reduces the chances of someone being run over or stepped on if the horse reacts badly while administering the drug.
It is better not to tie the animal. If he reacts violently or abruptly, he could injure himself or injure the assistant, not to mention the damage it could cause to the equipment
Step 8. Calm the horse
The trainer should speak softly to him, while you find the right position to perform the injection. If the horse maintains a restless demeanor, try using a nose clip to hold him still as you proceed with the injection. While it may seem unpleasant and painful, the nose wrench is perfectly safe, not at all inhumane, and is frequently used to relieve stress in horses. The most common type of this device is a rope loop attached to a stick.
- Insert the horse's upper lip into the rope ring.
- Tighten the ring by rotating the pole several times.
- This gentle squeeze of the upper lip has a calming effect, like when a mother cat grabs a kitten by the scruff of the scruff.
- It is recommended that you be your helper in handling the nose wrench, so that you have your hands free to give the injection.
Part 2 of 4: Establishing Where to Inject the Neck
Step 1. Know why many people prefer to have an injection in the neck
One of the main concerns when giving a horse an injection must be the safety of all those involved. If you do it around the neck, you are in a fairly safe position next to the animal's shoulder and therefore away from possible kicks with the hooves of the hind legs. In this way you also have greater control of the animal, since you are close to its head. All in all, therefore, the injection in the neck offers a safer environment than the hind leg and is a good solution.
Step 2. Learn about the anatomy of the injection site
Identify the triangle between the tip of the animal's shoulder and the inclination of the shoulder blade. The upper side of the figured triangle is the "nuchal ligament", the arch of the muscle along the top of the neck. The underside of this triangle is formed by the neck bones that continue upward from the shoulder in an "S" shape.
- To find this triangle, place the palm of your hand on the front of the horse's shoulder, approximately one-third the length of the neck.
- Where the palm rests is a safe place to inject.
Step 3. Find the ideal site
If you inject too high in the neck, the drug enters the nuchal ligaments that support the head. This is extremely painful for the horse and he will continue to have pain every time he moves his head. But, if you choose a point too low, the needle could hit the bones of the vertebrae in the neck, which is equally painful for the animal.
If you choose too low a point you also risk affecting the jugular vein and, if you are administering an unsuitable drug for intravenous use, the horse may even die
Part 3 of 4: Determining Where to Inject the Hind Leg
Step 1. Know the advantages and disadvantages of an injection in the hind leg
This site is certainly more effective than the neck, but also more dangerous, because you have to stay closer to the back of the animal, with the risk of receiving some kicks. However, this is the best place if you have to administer a large amount of medication (10ml or more) such as penicillin, which needs to be injected in large doses.
Step 2. Learn the anatomy of this area of the horse
The most suitable muscle for this type of injection is the "semitendinosus muscle", which is located behind the animal's rump. Imagine the horse sitting like a dog: the semitendinosus muscle is what it sits on. In foals this is one of the largest muscles in the body, making it one of the most recommended for an IM injection.
Step 3. Find the ideal site
Start by looking for the tip of the buttock (the extreme bony area of the pelvis). Draw an imaginary vertical line down to the ground along the back of the paw and inject into the swollen muscle along this line.
- Be cautious when injecting the drug into the muscle, do not insert the needle into the "hump" where the muscle connects to the next one.
- This "depression" has few blood vessels, and if you inject it here, the drug will not be absorbed well and will be less effective.
Step 4. Avoid puncturing the top of the rump
This upper site of the rump / buttocks is commonly considered a good option for injections, because it allows the operator to stay ahead of the animal's body, out of the reach of his kicks. However, keep in mind that the blood supply to this area is not very intense, therefore the drug is less effective if injected here. Furthermore, if an abscess forms at the needle site, it becomes more difficult to drain and eliminate it.
Choose the area at the top of the rump only if you have no other viable alternatives
Part 4 of 4: Give the injection
Step 1. Do not "tap" the horse on the injection site
Some people like to tap a couple of times where they plan to inject, but that's a bad idea. These taps are quick, like small punches given with the palm of the hand before the needle is inserted. Some believe they numb the skin, so the horse doesn't feel the needle. However, this behavior only lets the horse know that something is about to happen, especially if you have used the same technique before. The horse will be calmer if he doesn't know what's going to happen.
Step 2. Remove the needle from the syringe
The first time you insert the needle, you must do it without connecting the body of the syringe that contains the drug. This will allow you to "proceed with aspiration" and make sure you have inserted the needle accurately.
Step 3. Insert the needle at a 90 ° angle
Make sure you always use a sturdy, new and sterile needle for each injection, insert it into the muscle with a soft and safe motion. The needle should make a 90 ° angle with the muscle. Thread it all the way up to the coupling cone (the part where the metal needle joins the syringe).
Step 4. Perform the aspiration before each injection
Many drugs can be dangerous for the horse, if they enter the blood vessels, in the worst case they can even lead to death. To avoid this, always "suck a little" before the injection, to check if blood comes out. This simple action ensures that the needle is in the muscle and not in a blood vessel.
- Once the needle has been inserted into the identified site, pull the syringe plunger a little.
- If the needle is in a blood vessel, you will see blood enter the needle graft cone (the part of the needle that protrudes from the skin).
- Remove the needle and don't inject the drug yet.
- Use a new sharp needle to find the injection site again, then repeat the aspiration process until you are sure you have found the right spot.
Step 5. Connect the syringe to the needle
Pull back the plunger to check once more for the presence of blood. If it is clean, press in a steady motion on the plunger to inject. When the syringe is empty, pull it out along with the needle.
Step 6. Manage a possible blood spill
A drop of blood could form on the horse's skin in the hole of the needle. In this case, apply gentle pressure with a cotton ball for at least two minutes. At that point, the bleeding should stop, but if it doesn't, hold the cotton against the wound until it stops bleeding.
Step 7. Dispose of the needle and syringes carefully and responsibly
Once used, these tools are considered "hospital waste", which means that you don't just have to throw them in the normal garbage, but you have to find a suitable way to dispose of them.
- Put the used needles and syringes in a plastic container with a lid. An empty ice cream tub or similar container is just fine.
- Give the container to your vet for proper disposal.
- Be sure to keep the container out of the reach of children when the needles are still in your custody.
Advice
- Always stay calm when you are close to the horse. If you are nervous or afraid, the animal will be too.
- Never give him an injection if you are not sure how to act or have little experience and there is no supervisor with you.
- Always use a new needle when giving an injection.
