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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
   
| I do, learned from my Ex who actually helped me practice on one - (poor pincushion). I think it is VERY vital to know in the event of a colic episode where time matters. One tip is when you remove the needle, slide it back out gently - don't yank (which is what I did the first time). |
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 "Drank the Kool Aid"
Posts: 5496
Location: Iowa, LA | I pretty much taught myself...watched the vets do it everytime and then had friends give me advice as well as the vets. Now, it's pretty much a piece of cake. I don't like doing babies, or horses that aren't used to getting shots, but I manage. I just learned how to IV lasix to my dog because he had congestive heart failure and had a bad attack two days ago. Yesterday morning I had to IV him and it is much tougher than horses! LOL His vein was rolling on me and making it tough to hit. I finally got it and he improved drastically afterwards.
One tip that I do remember my vet telling me is to inject in the upper 1/3 of the neck. I like to get the skin/hair pretty wet with alcohol if it's a difficult horse....seems it helps me see the vein better. My mare that has PSSM used to be a total pain in the butt to inject IV or IM, but once I got her muscles feeling better, she became soooo much easier and better behaved. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 170
Location: up to my waist in you know what | Yall have scared me enough to never try the IV. Yikes, to close to take a chance for me. IM I can do and that still scares me enough to wonder if I'm doing it correctly.  |
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 Bit O Holic
Posts: 6448
Location: hot, humid and dry...Gulf coast East of Houston.. | CYA Ranch - 2014-01-09 11:13 AM Murphy - 2014-01-09 10:21 AM I'll be honest....I'll give an IM shot all day, but an IV freaks me out. I don't feel comfortable doing it, so I let my vet do it. I'm the same way Murph
Me too!!!! I hate muscle shots!! I would rather IV anytime. |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| shellyh1971 - 2014-01-09 11:27 AM CYA Ranch - 2014-01-09 11:13 AM Murphy - 2014-01-09 10:21 AM I'll be honest....I'll give an IM shot all day, but an IV freaks me out. I don't feel comfortable doing it, so I let my vet do it. I'm the same way Murph
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Bit O Holic
Posts: 6448
Location: hot, humid and dry...Gulf coast East of Houston.. | Whiteboy - 2014-01-09 11:49 AM shellyh1971 - 2014-01-09 11:27 AM CYA Ranch - 2014-01-09 11:13 AM Murphy - 2014-01-09 10:21 AM I'll be honest....I'll give an IM shot all day, but an IV freaks me out. I don't feel comfortable doing it, so I let my vet do it. I'm the same way Murph
LOL... oops.. I quoted the wrong one.. |
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Bit O Holic
Posts: 6448
Location: hot, humid and dry...Gulf coast East of Houston.. | KylaKris - 2014-01-09 10:33 AM Murphy - 2014-01-09 9:21 AM I'll be honest....I'll give an IM shot all day, but an IV freaks me out. I don't feel comfortable doing it, so I let my vet do it. This may be weird, but I am the opposite. I could do IV without a hitch, but I struggle to do IM. I don't know why. Had to give dex to a colt this summer, I tried the first day and it took be about 10 minutes to gain the courage to get the needle in. Hubby had to do the next 10 days for me.
this was the one I meant to quote... LOL |
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Location: las vegas nv | fatchance - 2014-01-09 8:36 PM LRQHS - 2014-01-09 8:30 AM Injecting some medicine into an artery can kill a horse. Not all and it will probably be fine, but it is possible. Also, you can tear the artery if you don't know what you are doing and cause a lot of bleeding into the neck, especially when it is hot outside. An arterial puncture should have direct pressure applied for at least 10 minutes. If you inject into the Carotid artery, your going to know it dam fast. Most horses will died.
As others have said, have your vet teach you or their tec. Most are very happy to do so.
I always tell newbies to unseat the needle, meaning not attached to the syring. IF you get a strong spewing of bright red blood your in the carotid artery, when you hit the jugular, it's a drip drip.
IMHO this should be a hands on lesson. But you have gotten some very spot on advice.
Saved me some typing ,this is a great post !! |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | when giving an IV shot try to stay in the upper 1/3 of the neck . like the picture shows, there is a muscle (omohyoideus) that goes in-between the carotid artery and the jugular vein. The farther down the neck you go, the thinner the muscle becomes before it curves away.
When I was 17? maybe.. I hit the carotid on one of my horses giving a banamine shot. Since you're giving a bolus of drug to the brain, it hits them fast. Thankfully I stopped and only gave half the shot before I realized something was wrong. Had I been better trained as a kid I would have known IMMEDIATELY I hit the carotid. They will get a huge hematoma almost immediately, not to mention they start to seize right away. He was fine but lesson learned. Glad I did it then and not in vet school.. oops. |
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 Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | I've been doing so long I forgot how I learned. A friend at the track probably showed me.  |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 653
Location: Quinlan, TX | shellyh1971 - 2014-01-09 11:22 AM KylaKris - 2014-01-09 10:33 AM Murphy - 2014-01-09 9:21 AM I'll be honest....I'll give an IM shot all day, but an IV freaks me out. I don't feel comfortable doing it, so I let my vet do it. This may be weird, but I am the opposite. I could do IV without a hitch, but I struggle to do IM. I don't know why. Had to give dex to a colt this summer, I tried the first day and it took be about 10 minutes to gain the courage to get the needle in. Hubby had to do the next 10 days for me.
I agree.....I have a horrible time giving an IM shot.....but I can give an IV shot without a hitch. And it has been a blessing a few times when I have had one colic and needed to give banamine.....I have seen the effects that could happen by giving banamine IM. |
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Location: Mendenhall, Ms | I never use over 1" needle for IV injections. Most people that hit an artery are using a longer needle. I like 1 1/2 " needles for intramuscular injections. Great topic. |
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"Drank the Kool Aid"
Posts: 5496
Location: Iowa, LA | Clardy - 2014-01-09 1:12 PM I never use over 1" needle for IV injections. Most people that hit an artery are using a longer needle. I like 1 1/2 " needles for intramuscular injections. Great topic.
Great point! I do the same. |
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Regular
Posts: 56
| I'm a vet tech so I've learned how to do it.
The first time I tried though I was 15 and had to wing it to give meds to a horse with colic. That was back when I was fearless so I felt comfortable trying. I did it several times that night. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 702
| You have gotten some good points, just going to add few. All needles are serrated for reason. When you drop cathetars the serrated side should be facing you. You will find it is much easier this way. In addition, slighty turn the needle (keeping it in place) when pulling out, this closes off the vein; still apply pressure as well. Horses that hate shots, heres one of my tricks. Always have someone hold or tie a horse when giving IV shots. When giving, I use my thumb of left hand to hold off the vein and wrap my fingers around the other side. For those horses leery of ivs, I wil pinch the opposite side with my ring/pinky fingers, this keeps them occupied on the other side. Practice will blood draws as mentioned. Just go slow, be gently, look at the serrated side.Wanted to add, if you do blow up a vein (get edema/swelling) use dmso on the area. If it is unknown if the horse is allergic/reactive to dmso, test a sm spot on the other side of neck. Dmso reaction is ugly, but dmso is great at edema reduction.
Edited by txaggiegal 2014-01-10 9:31 AM
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Who Wants to Trade?
Posts: 4692
| I have no idea when I learned. I've been doing it a long time though. I also prefer IV to IM. |
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