HOW TO GIVE INJECTIONS

There are main types of injection areas that every farmer should be able to perform.  The easiest is the subcutaneous injections and intramuscular injections.   Subcutaneous injections have a longer absorption period in general.  The diagram below shows the skin, subcutaneous tissue and the muscle.  Below the muscle is the bone.  The subcutaneous injections are administered in the subcutaneous tissue (below skin) while the intramuscular injections are administered in the muscle.

Figure 1 showing the anatomy of injection sites

Area of injection 

Vaccines – Always use the recommended specifications for the vaccine.  In most cases, both intramuscular and subcutaneous should be given in the triangular mass of the muscle on the neck.  Take caution to avoid the top of the neck, which contains a ligament, and the bottom portion of the neck where the bones, windpipe and jugular vein are located (see below).

Antibiotics – The neck is usually the preferred location. Be sure to split the dose into two areas.  Do not administer more than 15ml on one side.  If large volumes are injected into one site, the medication will be absorbed too slowly through the body or to the infected area.

Figure 2 depicting vaccination sites

How to administer subcutaneous injections?

1. Make sure that the area for injection is clean and dry.
2. Lift a fold of the skin on the neck or shoulder where the skin is the loosest, and slip the needle between the skin and muscle (fig 3).  This should be nearly parallel (at 45°) to the surface so the needle goes under the skin and not into the muscle (fig 1).
3.  Release the vaccine with the required dose.  Remember to use half the dose on one side, and the other half on the other side if it’s a big dosage i.e if 30 ml of dosage is required, use 15 ml on one side of the cow and 15 ml on the other side of cow, both subcutaneously.

Figure 3 showing how to administer subcutaneous injection

How to administer intramuscular injections?

1. Make sure that the area for injection is clean and dry.
2. Pat and stroke the spot where the injection will be administered to reduce sensitivity and irritation and keep animal from flinching.
3. Thrust the needle in quickly and forcefully so it goes through the skin and all the way to the muscle.  If the animal jumps, wait till it settles down before attaching the syringe to the inserted needle to give the injection.  Be sure the needle used is not too long as this could penetrate through muscle and to the bone, which could be extremely painful.
4. If the needle oozes blood, you have hit a vein.  Take out the needle and try again on a slightly different spot.  DO NOT INJECT AN INTRAMUSCULAR PRODUCT INTO A VEIN.
5. After injecting the product into the muscle, rub the injection site to help distribute the product within the muscle.

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