Giving Intravenous Injections In Ruminants & Horses
4.8.5 Giving Intravenous Injections In Ruminants & Horses In general, the most commonly used medicines can be given in the mouth, SQ or IM. Occasionally, an AHA may have to give an intravenous injection (or IV) injection, although generally this is done by experienced technicians or veterinarians. The preferred site for IV injections is the jugular vein. This vein is quite large and easy to find in adult cattle, horses, goats and sheep.
| Prepare the syringe. Restrain the animal properly with the animal's head slightly lifted and away from you. Cattle that cannot stand up can be restrained by placing a halter or nose tongs on its head or nose and tying the free end of the rope to the back leg. Clean the site. Remove the needle from the syringe and grasp the needle firmly with your thumb and forefinger. | Prepare the syringe. Restrain the animal properly with the animal's head slightly lifted and away from you. Cattle that cannot stand up can be restrained by placing a halter or nose tongs on its head or nose and tying the free end of the rope to the back leg. Clean the site. Remove the needle from the syringe and grasp the needle firmly with your thumb and forefinger. | |||
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| Find the jugular vein by lifting and slightly turning the animal's head away from you and finding a groove in the animal's neck. Press your thumb into this groove. This will cause the jugular vein to bulge above your thumb and is called "holding off" the jugular vein. | Find the jugular vein by lifting and slightly turning the animal's head away from you and finding a groove in the animal's neck. Press your thumb into this groove. This will cause the jugular vein to bulge above your thumb and is called "holding off" the jugular vein. | Find the jugular vein by lifting and slightly turning the animal's head away from you and finding a groove in the animal's neck. Press your thumb into this groove. This will cause the jugular vein to bulge above your thumb and is called "holding off" the jugular vein. | ||
| Warn everyone around that you are going to place the needle and to stand back or be ready in case the animal reacts. | Warn everyone around that you are going to place the needle and to stand back or be ready in case the animal reacts. | Warn everyone around that you are going to place the needle and to stand back or be ready in case the animal reacts. | ||
| While still holding off the vein, quickly and boldly insert the needle through the skin and into the vein by directing the needle at an angle as it enters. You will feel the needle enter the vein and blood will trickle out the needle hub. Before administering any medicine, the needle should be “threaded” into the vein until the hub is touching the skin. Blood should drip from the properly threaded needle. | While still holding off the vein, quickly and boldly insert the needle through the skin and into the vein by directing the needle at an angle as it enters. You will feel the needle enter the vein and blood will trickle out the needle hub. Before administering any medicine, the needle should be “threaded” into the vein until the hub is touching the skin. Blood should drip from the properly threaded needle. | While still holding off the vein, quickly and boldly insert the needle through the skin and into the vein by directing the needle at an angle as it enters. You will feel the needle enter the vein and blood will trickle out the needle hub. Before administering any medicine, the needle should be “threaded” into the vein until the hub is touching the skin. Blood should drip from the properly threaded needle. | ||
| Use a 19 gauge needle or larger bore when giving IV injections. Otherwise, it may not be possible to detect if the needle entered the artery because blood is usually too thick to pulsate out of a smaller bore needle. | Use a 19 gauge needle or larger bore when giving IV injections. Otherwise, it may not be possible to detect if the needle entered the artery because blood is usually too thick to pulsate out of a smaller bore needle. | Use a 19 gauge needle or larger bore when giving IV injections. Otherwise, it may not be possible to detect if the needle entered the artery because blood is usually too thick to pulsate out of a smaller bore needle. | ||
| When you are sure that the needle is in the vein, attach the syringe securely to the needle. Withdraw the plunger slightly to see that blood enters the syringe. This is to assure that the needle is still in the vein. If not, re-position the needle. If blood flows easily into the syringe, push the plunger to administer the injection. | When you are sure that the needle is in the vein, attach the syringe securely to the needle. Withdraw the plunger slightly to see that blood enters the syringe. This is to assure that the needle is still in the vein. If not, re-position the needle. If blood flows easily into the syringe, push the plunger to administer the injection. | When you are sure that the needle is in the vein, attach the syringe securely to the needle. Withdraw the plunger slightly to see that blood enters the syringe. This is to assure that the needle is still in the vein. If not, re-position the needle. If blood flows easily into the syringe, push the plunger to administer the injection. | ||
| Never give an injection in the artery! | Never give an injection in the artery! | Never give an injection in the artery! |
WARNING: Blood PULSATING or spurting out of the needle is a sign that the needle accidentally entered an artery instead of the vein. This is a rare event that happens most commonly in horses, llamas and alpacas. NEVER give an injection in the artery! If you are not sure where the needle is, withdraw it and try again.
WARNING: Some IV injections should be given slowly or the animal may collapse. Check the label or ask an experienced person.
WARNING: Some IV injections are quite caustic and can severely damage the surrounding tissues if accidentally given outside the vein. This is true for a drug called "phenylbutazone" often given to horses. Check the label or ask an experienced person.