How Do I Give A Subcutaneous Shot?

[Guest greyfiend]

Filbert needs cobalamin (B-12) shots for awhile and the vet tech. will demonstrate to me tomorrow. I read one article online and it seems pretty straight forward, but I was wondering if there were any Greyhound specific techniques I should know about. You know, anything that will help "fine tune" my technique. For example, do you give it to the dog while it is standing or laying down? Do you put the muzzle on your dog first? Do you get help from someone to hold/calm the dog or do it yourself? Thankfully the bottle of B-12 & syringes will only cost me $15, which is a relief.

 

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Guest LynnM]

B-12 isn't a painful shot, so if you're quick about it, it'll be done before the dog even registers that it happened. If you mess up and hit muscle, it's not a big deal.... no damage done.

 

Greyhounds, especially young greyhounds, don't have a lot of extra skin to work with, so that's the only possible "challenge". Sometimes I go higher up on the neck if the dog is particularly muscled... the skin seems a bit looser there than across very taut shoulders. There's also a patch of loose skin behind the ears (it's what helps give their ears so much range of movement). The dosage for B-12 is small enough that it won't make be easier or harder if the dog is standing or recumbent... play it where it lies.

 

DON'T second guess yourself and DON'T freak out if the dog yelps. Ideally, you'll want to have a helper and muzzle the first couple of times until you get some confidence. I wish I could loan you my Joplin. He's the most forgiving teacher dog there is and one of the best pincushions out there. Hopefully there will be a dog at the clinic who is similar in nature and you'll get to take a practice stab or two with some saline.

 

I promise you that it's not hard... you'll get the hang of it in no time!

 

Lynn

[Guest greytexplorer]

yep what Lynn said

 

The skin that's sorta loose between the shoulder blades is an ideal site for shots, because that's where the least nerves are, according to my vet.

 

I used to have to give a saline bolus to my birddog when her kidneys were beginning to shut down. Every other night. It really wasn't that bad! You'll get the hang of it, promise! Just like Lynn said!

 

~Pat

[dmswartzfager]

My vet has luck with grabbing skin about halfway down the shoulderblade, about at the top of that little crease they get when they're resting with their "arms" ("elbows") tucked in against their sides. She thinks that there really isn't enough loose skin at the top of their shoulderblades near their spines, but then, she gives most of her shots when the grey is standing.

 

And you really can't approach it tentatively. Do it as matter-of-factly as possible.

 

Supposedly I gave my first subQ injection perfectly, so it's not that hard to learn how to do!

[Guest Tigonie]

If they'll give you an extra needle, you might want to practice poking an orange. I actually didn't do this, but when I first started giving fluids to my cat, someone on a different board recommended it. Supposedly the amount of resistance you get from an orange is similar to putting the needle in skin.

 

It's really not so bad once you get over the idea that it's "gross" or that you're causing a lot of pain--the pain, at worst, will be minor. Write down EVERYTHING they tell you to do, even if you think you'll remember. I'm sure you'll do fine!!

 

(I'm sorry this isn't super helpful on greyhound specifics, but I've never done subQ with Emma.)

[kamsmom]

We used oranges in Nursing School to practice...

[GeorgeofNE]

I have given shots to my friends diabetic dog, and he barely even noticed!!

 

Find some loose skin, poke, plunge remove, COOKIES!!

 

No big deal!

[ZoomDoggy]

The syringe for your Cobalamine injection will have a larger gauge needle than an insulin needle. But fear not, most greys do just fine. Like someone above said, be matter-of-fact about it, and it will likely be fine. It's great if you can have someone distract the pup with lovin's from the front while you do the deed. I always made Sissy stand for her injections, as I wanted to keep her bed as her "safe" place where nothing bad ever happens. Just firmly pull up a pinch of skin (I used the area near the shoulderblades) to form a sort of tent. The only mistake I made my first time was I accidentally put the needle through both layers of skin, so the injection squirted out in the air through the other side of the pinch of skin. : Sissy really didn't seem to mind much, thankfully.

 

Oh, and the most critical part: treat liberally after each injection.

[heartdogs]

The vet said to do Noel's shot quickly & then I rub in a circular motion afterwards, the a Teddy Graham (oatmeal) afterwards. She onlycried the first couple of times. Now I can give them to her when she's asleep. You get used to it but don't act afraid or the dog will pick up on it. I change the shot spot around so she doesn't always get poked in the same place.

 

Good luck & I hope your baby feels better soon.

[Guest LynnM]

The only time I've ever had serious drama from a SQ injection was when I had a dog that needed daily amikacin and fluids. In that dog's case, I really couldn't hold a bit of drama against him.... that junk HURTS and a LOT has to go in. Considering the pain involved, he was a real trooper. Muzzle, drag to bedroom, poke, run fluids until there was enough of a pocket, then get the abx on board in his "hump". By the end of it, his skin had loosened around his shoulders to where the fluids ran straight down his side and collected in his chest, so I had to start going farther and farther down his back. But, he's a happy, healthy, GORGEOUS boy that looks like he could still race at 6 years old, and that makes it all worth it!

 

Lynn

[Guest greyfiend]

UPDATE: Filbert & I went in this morning and the vet tech demonstrated how to pull the B-12 out of the vial and told me how to give the shot. Filbert was laying down relaxing on the floor while we talked. She pulled up the skin over his shoulder blades and I gave the shot. Filbert didn't make a sound and it was no big deal. He will get one shot per week for 6 weeks, then once every other week for 6 weeks, then one more after a month. A month after that we'll retest the cobalamin (B-12) and folate.

 

His poops are already much better since discontinuing the Innova and starting the California Natural Lamb & Rice (AND doing a presumptive worming with Drontal Plus).

 

He's such a good boy. We go to beginning obedience tonight and should be great fun!

 

Thank you for all your support.

[Guest LynnM]

Great job!!!!

 

Lynn