Do more good than harm.
Injection is the only method of administration for many medicines and vaccines. Although the purpose of an injection is to benefit your animal, each injection has the potential to do harm, besides pain or suffering. The injection could also create residues, scar tissue, or abscesses. Here are methods of giving vaccines and injectable treatments to avoid problems at injection sites and to maximize the benefits of your treatments.
Read the Label
Manufacturers guarantee their products for safety and efficacy when used according to label directions. Extensive research revealed the best site, route, and dosage for the product. The most common injectable routes are subcutaneous (SQ), intramuscular (IM), and intravenous (IV). Read the label, look for the following information, and follow the directions.
1. The product name, the active ingredient and the concentration appear on the label.
2. The description of its use describes a product and its purpose.
3. The instructions for preparation describe how to prepare a product for injection.
4. The formulation describes the contents of the package and tells you if the product is suitable for injection.
5. Warning statements show hazards to human health from handling the product, the withdrawal time, and
restrictions on use.
6. The withdrawal time is the minimum time between the last treatment and the slaughter of the animal for
food (or sale of the milk). This is the time needed to allow for residues to deplete to safe levels.
7. Product usage information appears on the side panels of a label.
8. The precautions statements alert you to storage and safe handling practices to maintain stability and
potency.
9. The indications statements show the species, class of livestock, and the disease conditions for the product.
10. Dosage and administration statements show the directions for use (e.g. how much, how often, how
long), and the route of administration (e.g. IM, SQ, IV), and the timing of treatment.
11. Cautions and contraindications statements warn about hazards to animal health and safety (e.g. known
adverse reactions).
12. Restricted uses will appear on the labels of some products. (e.g. do not use in sheep).
13. Read package insert for complete directions , additional precautions or more complete instructions.
14. The expiry date is the date past which the product should not be used. It is valid only if the product has
been properly stored.
15. The lot number describes the manufacturer’s batch during production. It is used to trace the drug if
necessary.
Keep your glasses handy for reading labels. The print is often small.
Bottles and Bottle Tops
1. Clean bottle tops with alcohol and cotton.
2. Place one sterile needle in the bottle top to fill the syringe and use a separate needle for injection.
3. Remove needles from all bottles prior to storage.
4. Write the date the bottle was opened on the label.
The Injection Site
1. Choose SQ when given a choice of IM or SQ on the product label.
2. Choose muscle tissue of lesser value to consumers (e.g. neck) for IM injections.
3. Give SQ injections in the neck in front of the shoulder or over the ribs behind the shoulder.
4. Inject through an area of clean dry skin.
Clean Equipment
1. Wash your hands before and after handling products.
2. Use sterile disposable needles and syringes.
3. If not using disposable equipment, clean and sterilize all equipment before and after use.
4. Use only hot water to rinse syringes before using modified live virus vaccines. Chemicals may destroy the live virus.
5. Use hot water and mild disinfectants to clean syringes for other injectable products.
Needles
1. Use a new, sterile, disposable needle for each animal.
2. If using the same needle for multiple injections, change the needle frequently (e.g. 10 animals) to ensure it is not bent or burred (slight bent at the point).
3. Choose the smallest needle size for the product to minimize tissue damage and reduce leakage at the injection site. Use 16 or 18 gauge needles for most injectable products (20 for lambs).
4. Choose the correct length needle, 1 inch for IM and 0.5 inch or less for SQ sheep.
Restraint
Restrain the animal to prevent injury to yourself or the animal, and to prevent needles from breaking off in tissue.
Volume of Injectable Product
1. Inject quantities no greater than recommended on the label (for one dose).
2. Split large volumes into smaller amounts and inject in different locations (e.g. opposite side of the neck). For IM injections, inject no more than 10 m1 per site. For SQ injections, inject only 20 ml per site.
Multiple Injections
1. Choose different body locations (e.g. opposite sides of the neck) when repeating injections over a number of days.
2. Place repeat injections about 4 inches from a previous injection site.
Needle and Syringe Techniques
1. Eject air from the syringe before injecting the product.
2. After inserting the needle, check that it is not in a blood vessel when injecting IM or SQ. Pull back on the plunger and observe for blood. If blood appears, remove the needle and put it in a slightly different location.
3. Give SQ injections into a tent of skin. Lift a fold of skin and insert the needle through the skin into the tented space. The needle enters the skin at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees to the body. Use a 0.5 to 1 inch long needle.
4. Give IM injections deep into a muscle. Your needle must be long enough to penetrate skin, subcutaneous tissue and fat to reach the muscle. The needle enters at a 90 degree angle to the body. An 1 inch needle will suffice.
5. For IV injections, get advice and training from your veterinarian. Consider enrolling in a Livestock Medicine course (see pamphlet in this chapter)
Mixing Products
1. Do not combine vaccines or products unless the label clearly states to do so. Mixing inactivates products through changes in pH, alterations to chemical composition, or precipitation out of solution.
2. Do gently shake or agitate products to ensure that they stay in proper suspension in the bottle. Some products settle out and you need to invert and gently shake the bottles before and during use.
Adverse Reactions
Injecting medicines into sites other than the one recommended on the product label can lead to adverse reactions.
Examples include:
1. delayed absorption of the drug, achieving lower than therapeutic levels, and less-effective treatment
2. delayed absorption of the drug and extended withdrawal times due to residues from pooling of the product in tissue;
3. moderate to severe tissue reaction with pain, swelling, interruption of blood supply and delayed absorption of the product, or formation of scar tissue and excessive trim at slaughter; or
4. allergic reactions, shock, or death.
Records
1. Keep records of injections given to your herd or to individuals. (See Chapter 4 for a sample record)
2. Record the animal identification, date, product name, dosage given, the route, the site, and the withdrawal time.
3. Ask your veterinarian for written instructions when medications are being dispensed.
4. Save the box tops or labels with product names, lot numbers and expiry dates.
5. Keep a package insert for reference.
For further information, please contact your local veterinarian.
Author: Veterinarians in the Veterinary Science Group, OMAFRA
