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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
  
Location: North Dakota | This is very tough for me to post.
Those of you giving IV drugs to your horses need to be EXTREMELY cautious. Learn from an old trained gal that has lots of experience.
My daughters horse hurt himself late last week, went to the vet for observation, had acupuncture treatment and was told to give banamine and antibiotics daily.
I am a vet tech by schooling, worked in one of the biggest mixed animal practices in the state for 5 years, I have a lot of experience medicating horses.
IF YOU GIVE IV DRUGS, DO IT RIGHT EVERY TIME!
Back to the story, horse is getting better, daughter rode horse last night, seemed to be improving, should be able to compete this weekend! (yay)
I am treating horse like the vet says, go to give the IV banamine and ****, I hit the artery, go to reposition the needle and horse is tipping over. For what seemed like an eternity, I begged GOD to let the horse die. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life, nor do I plan on ever seeing it again. Thank God horse didn't run into anything, he's very beat up but is up and eating this morning.
The point, if you give an IV drug, place the needle ONLY first, if blood shoots out, stop, reposition. If the blood comes slowly seeping out, you are in the correct spot. DO NOT IV with the same needle you pulled the drug from the bottle. I really am not sure if I pushed any banamine into the artery or just the residue hit his brain and caused the seizure.
This was the most horrific 5 minutes of my life-absolutely nothing will leave a more lasting impression.
Please bash me if you choose, I'm trained, I know that doing this kind of thing is not to be taken lightly, but if my stupid mistake can help someone else from never seeing this or another horse from experiencing this, I've done something right. DO NOT EVER become complacent in what you're doing! Remember, I've been around horses for 30 years, have seen and performed thousands of IV sticks, I have NEVER experienced this.
I will still IV horses, but I will be much more cautious.
Now I wait to see if there is any banamine under the skin or in the muscle that could possibly kill him.
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Expert
Posts: 2685
 
| So sorry. It truly is a crazy thing. I work at an equine hospital and we had a vet inject xylazine into the artery on accident. Mare lived, with a blind eye from hitting the ground, but lived. Anyone can do it. I'm glad he's doing ok. Eating and such. Prayers he stays that way. |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | We did this once to my mare scared the bejesus out of us I thought I never main line again. She recovered thank goodness. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| I've had a vet kill a colt this way. I was holding another horse and when I looked up my horses was on the ground having seizures and then was gone.
It happens sometimes when your not careful. I've also seen ppl do what you did and the horse be absolutely fine after the initial seizures.
Prayers yours will be fine. Also, some banamine under the skin or muscle will most likely be ok (yes i know all the dangers and have seen the horrible fb pics of reactions and such) if it was bute I would be freaking out but with banamine I think you'll come out fine.
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | If my horse would have stayed down it would have been better. Thank God he wasn't in his stall or he would have killed both of us. Absolutely horrific. I'm glad to know I'm not the only incompetent individual in the world-feeling pretty terrible about it....thanks for the prayers. |
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 Buttered Noodles Snacker
Posts: 4377
Location: NC | I had this happen to my horse before. Except we were injectiong antibiotics IM. I wasn't injection so not sure if they didn't pull back first or what. but like 5 seconds after shot horse lunged, reared, rolled, ect all over the yard before finally getting up and taking off. ran through several fences. Found her later on an old back road banged up but ok. Like you I prayed she would die before she kept suffering or ran out into the rd and got hit and killed someone..... Scariest thing ever. Horses are not for the faint of heart, when things go bad, THEY GO BAD! Glad your boy is doing better. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | So sorry you and the horse went through that!
We would always counsel clients to be sure to go higher up on the neck since at that point the jugular vein and the common carotid artery are farther apart separated by muscle. The other thing is to be sure not to use a longer needle than you need. 1 1/2 inch needle is good and keep it parallel in line with the vein. And...like you suggested...insert the needle without the syringe first.
But...accidents can happen to anyone no matter the skill or experience. I hope your horse makes a quick full recovery...and that the process didn't take too many years off of your life! |
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| Most people are not aware of how close the artery is to the jugular vein ...
at the chosen injection site ... the artery is directly behind the vein ..
This article is a good pictoral of vein and artery placement in the neck ...
(do not start howling over the size of the needle ...lol )
http://www.r-vets.org/IV-Injections.html
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| No bashing here! Things can go south so quickly, especially with horses. Hugs and prayers everything turns out ok.  |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | If anyone bashes you, they are obviously not a horse person. I've never met a wise and competent horse person that hasn't made mistakes before. Thank you for the PSA, it may help to save a lot of horses in the future. I'm glad he is doing ok! |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| Yup. Lots of people have been there. Keep it shallow, if you go deep you will hit it wrong. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | No bashing....I hate giving IV shots for this reason. Thank you for being brave enough to post a reminder to everyone to be extremely careful. Glad it sounds like everything is going to turn out ok. I saw a horse go down in the warm up pen of a barrel race from banamine getting in the wrong place, it was one of the most awful things I've ever seen....he did get up and was fine later....but geeezzzz, it tramatized me. |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | To the OP, I also am a liscensed RVT. While working in an equine hospital, I too, hit the artery. I went sprinting from the barn, through the exam room, into the lab to get the epinephrine. The doctor that was in the exam room, with a client, knew I was out doing treatments, so he automatically knew what I had done. As I came sprinting back through the exam room to the barn, he followed. He gave some epi and we watched as the horse finally realaxed and came back around. I was scared to death.. just knew the horse would die and I would be fired. He calmly told me the horse would be fine, and I will never forget what he said next. He said "if you do this job for any amount of time, you are going to hit the artery. It has happened to us all, and will happen at least once to everyone.". It wasn't that you were not paying attention, or that you did something wrong, it just happens sometimes. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| I use a 1" needle 20gauge for IV shots. You have to really push on the vein for it to pop out but the 1" virtually eliminates this risk unless you go straight in and not parallel. But no judgement here! It takes so much to keep these performance horses on the road its no wonder it doesnt happen more often. |
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 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
Thank you for sharing your experience. Good to know!!
I'm happy the horse is going to be OK.
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | FLITASTIC - 2015-05-20 10:42 AM I use a 1" needle 20gauge for IV shots. You have to really push on the vein for it to pop out but the 1" virtually eliminates this risk unless you go straight in and not parallel. But no judgement here! It takes so much to keep these performance horses on the road its no wonder it doesnt happen more often.
I bet it does happen more offten we just dont hear about the ones that this happen to. I know two horses that did die from their owners IV'ing them. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | And OP thanks for sharing your story with us I know it had to be so so hard to tell the board this, but it did open eyes to what IV'ing can do even with experience. I have seen what it can do and thats why I never learned to IV just was to scared to hit wrong. I just leave it up to my go to Vet, I'm a chicken to even try, I have had a few that wanted to teach me.
So glad that your horse is going to be ok |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | Glad the horse is alive and doing better. praying for no banamine under the skin or muscle for you. Praying for a healthy horse and peace for you. Everyone who does IV shots consistently have done it once. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Oh dear LORD.....sounds absolutely horrific. Appreciate you writing this....I never would have thought about using the needle that was in the medicine...I don't know how to give IV shots and am not ready to either. I have yet to conquer the muscle shot! Hope your boy gets better and that your mind can quiet down....I can't even imagine. :( |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| How terrifying, so glad he is ok. |
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