Giving shots, help?

Ha! I'm really only doing this because I need to get over my needle-queasiness. A vet is no good if they can't give a shot, you know? Lol.

I think I've got it though, I was planning on doing it tonight, but it depends on how late I get out to the barn.

Another question though, my mare will most likely get the whole shot, she's like, 1300lbs, but my yearling is more like 350, so what would I do with the excess vaccine? Does that get disposed of along with the needles?

I have watched many ppl give shots many , many times and only have had a chance to actually give them a couple of times years ago. That is great if your horses take them like a pro. My Paint is like that , but my mustang he is another story. I prefer the vet to do him and I like to be the one holding him. The vet is so fast and he doesnt second guess....my vet has to give them rabies every year so I just prefer he do all of them all at the same time.

I imagine I will be able to get it done quick. Like ripping off a band-aid, lol.

I've seen people give shots a thousand times, I know what I want to do, and I know what I don't. I've seen people pinch the skin, and also do a tap, tap, tap, shot pattern so the horse doesn't know when it's getting the needle. The last vet that I had give a shot to my little one just made me angry though. I'm sure it's a perfectly acceptable way, but he took his thumb nail and dug it into my poor baby's neck, which caused her to freak out, which says a lot because it was her tetanus booster, so she had already had her first set of shots, and didn't even blink. But this vet comes along and makes it hurt even more than the actual needle. O_O I was so mad.

If your worried about hitting a vein, just do it in the butt muscle. Beware though, its a tougher muscle.

^^thats exactly how I do my vaccines, in the butt area. It's a larger area to work with, so I don't freak myself out about hitting the jugular and killing my horse, and in the specific case of my TB, he's wary about anyone in his head/neck area with needles, but he has no problems with anyone doing anything around his back end. He's never offered to kick either, so I'm not worried about him cow kicking me in surprise.

But it sounds like you have everything down ricci. Good luck!

After you give the shot, stick around for a few minutes. A horse who is going to go into anaphylactic shock should do it right away, but I like to wait at least ten minutes to see that they're ok. If at all possible, get and keep some epinephrine handy in case it happens. The odds are VERY small, but it can happen even in the muscle and even if a horse has had the same shot before. Despite the tiny odds, you do need to look into this and be prepared to react appropriately.

If you are giving IM shots in the proper area of the neck there should be no chance in hitting any major vein or artery.

I give all my own vaccines, as its much cheaper, and less stressful for the horses as I can do it when it suits our schedule not try and disrupt their turnout or things of that nature.

You can also gice shots in the horses chest muscle....I used to so that to an old horse of mine that would kick the crap outta ya if ya tried his butt, and freaked when you tried in the neck as well. But for whatever reason he stood like an angel whne you did him in his chest muscle....go figure

Give the shot in the neck not the butt. You can't get kicked at the neck. If you have air in the syringe the only thing that will happen is that it will push a little of the vaccine back out. Most of the time with vaccines you give the whole dose regardless of bodyweight. All I have is adult horses so I'm not sure about that. Even if you hit a jugular with the vaccine you won't kill your horse. That is why you pull back on the plunger to see if you get blood, you would have to really try to hit the jugular while trying to give an IM shot.

^^ agreed. I never give shots in the hind quarters for that reason. If the horse desides to kick it will probably take a little longer for him to move when the handler pulls his head around, as opposed to the neck because you're right at the face.

Just don't hesitate, you'll do fine. For the dosing, go to the manufacturers website.

AND while you should try to get all of the air out of the syringe - a little bubble won't harm them, they get reabsorbed back into the body.

It takes a big bubble to harm a person, so imagine what it takes to harm a horse.