How to inject a cat

When veterinarians prescribe injections for pets, not all owners can bring pets to the clinic. Also, not every owner has neighbors or friends (relatives) who are experienced in giving injections. In addition, there are times when a pet needs an urgent injection, but there is no way to contact someone (at the dacha or on a trip). Therefore, every owner needs to have an idea of ​​​​how to give a cat an injection.

Where can you inject?

For humans and animals, injections are placed under the skin, into veins, muscles, joints, and the intra-abdominal space. Intravenous, intra-articular, intra-abdominal injections can only be performed by specialists (in extreme circumstances, you can see how this is done in the clinic, ask about the features of the technique and try it yourself under the supervision of a doctor ). And to master the technique of injecting drugs intramuscularly and subcutaneously is in the power of any owner.

A cat should be injected only in those areas whose anatomical features allow to achieve the greatest therapeutic effect. For intramuscular injection: the back of the shoulder and thigh muscles, subcutaneous – the fold between the shoulder blades at the withers, the fold between the trunk and the front of the thigh. Which way to choose, where to inject the drug depends on the drug chosen.

How to choose the right syringe

The syringe is also selected depending on the drug – the volume and site of administration. For injection into muscles, instruments with a volume of 1-10 ml are suitable. If the amount of the drug is large enough, a syringe should be purchased for smooth injection, in which the piston is equipped with a special seal. With a small volume of solution for injection (up to 1 ml), insulin syringes with a convenient graduation are used.

It is desirable that the needle, which is administered intramuscularly, is not very long. The femur and brachial muscles of cats (especially kittens) are small, which increases the risk of damage to the sciatic nerve or bone. Here, too, an insulin syringe equipped with a thin, short needle will help. Injections into muscle tissue are more painful than under the skin, and a thin, sharp needle will slightly reduce pain.

Subcutaneous injections are more easily tolerated by animals – there are less nerve receptors in the withers. Needles can be taken longer and thicker, and syringes of different sizes, depending on the indication. Usually, the amount of drug injected into the subcutaneous space is greater than into the muscle.

When choosing an injection kit for cats, consider the consistency of the medication. Oil solutions differ in viscosity, ductility and require larger diameter needles.

Injection preparation

Before giving your cat an injection, you need to prepare everything you need.

• Determine the place where the procedure will be performed. It should be flat, not slippery, preferably at the level of a regular table.
• Before taking any medicine, you should make sure that it has not expired. It will not be superfluous to re-read the instructions for the drug, as well as the veterinarian's appointment in time and dosage.
• Cold preparations should be warmed to body temperature (enough to hold them in your hands for a while).
• To take the drug from the ampoule, break its narrow top, first taking it with a piece of cotton.
• The powder form of the product must be diluted with saline, novocaine or the special solution that came with the kit (for details on dosage, check with your veterinarian). First, the solution is drawn into a syringe, then injected into a vial of powder, the drug is dissolved in light circular motions (without shaking), and recruited into the syringe. After that, it is recommended to replace the needle.
• When the drug is collected, you must remove any air bubbles – lift the syringe with the needle up, do not tap the cylinder, make sure that bubbles accumulate under the drug outlet, slightly push the plunger until the air escapes and drops from the drug.

Cotton swabs, ampoules and other unnecessary items should be discarded, and the prepared syringe can be briefly placed on a clean surface (plate, container), covering the needle with a cap.

Drug administration rate

The speed at which you need to give your cat the injection will depend on where the medication was given. With intramuscular injection, a large amount of solution is injected much longer: if the volume is about half a cube, one second is enough, and for one milliliter it will take 2-3 seconds. If the injection is placed under the cat's skin, the speed is not very important.

How to give a thigh injection?

The cat's intramuscular injection is performed in the thickness of the thigh or shoulder muscle. Before giving the injection, you need to feel the muscles, determine the injection site, make sure the animal is calm and the muscle tissue is relaxed. For relaxation, you can massage the limbs first.

The angle of insertion of the needle into the thigh should be about 90˚, the depth of penetration should not be more than one centimeter. It is important to ensure that the needle does not fully enter the muscle – there must be a gap between the body surface and the plastic.

As soon as the needle is in the muscle tissue, you need to calmly press on the plunger and slowly inject the drug. It is impossible to move, rotate, deepen the syringe during injection. Release in the opposite direction, in a quick motion.

How to give a subcutaneous injection

It is easier to inject a cat under the skin than in the thigh. Firstly, the withers are considered less sensitive to mechanical influences (it is not without reason that cats drag their young with the withers), so this is an ideal place for the introduction of painful remedies. Secondly, a much larger volume of the drug solution (up to 70-90 ml) can be injected subcutaneously rather than into the thigh. Third, there is no risk of the needle going into the bone, joint or nerve, as is the case with intramuscular injection. The only thing that needs special attention is that the skin here is thicker than the thighs, so you will need to work your way through it.

The technique of injection under the skin is as follows:

• with one hand on the withered area, the skin should be collected into one fold;
• with the other hand, under the skin pulled up, closer to the body, with minimal effort, insert the needle at an angle of 45˚ to the surface of the body;
• enter medicine;
• remove the syringe;
• peel off the skin.

It is recommended that a person from the side during the procedure slightly press the head and the back of the pet's spine.

Urgent! In the absence of experience with subcutaneous administration of the drug in cats, there is a risk of puncturing the skin. This is likely due to the thickness of the skin and its resistance during needle piercing. Therefore, during the injection process, you need to pay attention to the opposite side of the fold – if a drop appears on it, you need to pull the needle slightly towards you, and then continue the procedure.

What complications can occur?

The introduction of the drug solution, regardless of its location, injures the surrounding tissue. Complications can arise not only with improper procedures, but also with experienced specialists. The most common negative effects of injections are:

• hematomas – formed due to damage to blood vessels with a needle and penetration of blood into neighboring tissues, do not require special treatment, they pass on their own;
• blood protruding after removing the needle – as in the previous case, serves as a sign of damage to the blood vessel; to stop bleeding, it is enough to apply cold to the wound;
• lump, induration, swelling at the injection site – may have several reasons, for example: too fast administration of the drug, penetration of infection into the wound, individual tissue reactions etc., if the lump does not go away for a long time , and the cat's health deteriorates, You need to show the pet to a specialist;
• lameness – may be the result of the injection itself, such as damage to the soft tissues, for example, by severe pain from the solution, or from the needle hitting the sciatic nerve; in the latter case (if the damage continues for more than 2-3 days, and the paws remain motionless), you need to visit a veterinarian;
• behavioral aberrations – the animal's normal reactions that occur on their own from time to time; the cat may experience panic, avoidance of touch, trepidation, and so on;
• increased body temperature – more often occurs as a reaction to the injected solution, allergic manifestations, and also if sterility is not observed during the procedure, and infection gets into the wound.

Additional symptoms that you need to pay attention to and consult a doctor: pus from the puncture site, painful lumps, refusal to eat, loss of activity, apathy for more than 3 days after the injection.

Helpful hint

In order to inject the cat yourself and avoid complications, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• for injection, only sterile syringes should be used, which should be discarded after the procedure;
• the needle should not be touched by hand, otherwise it must be replaced;
• before the procedure, it is better to fix the pet in a stationary state, leaving only the injection site of the syringe open (you can use a harness, blanket, sheets and other additional items) or invite someone to hold the cat from the side ;
• as a rule, injections are made into intact skin areas, therefore, if the animal has a skin disease, you must first clarify this issue with a veterinarian;
• it is not necessary to disinfect the injection site of the syringe, but the owner must first wash his hands with soap and treat him with an antiseptic;
• if the doctor has prescribed injections every day or several days, it is best to insert injections in the legs alternately – on the right and left or in front and back, to avoid severe trauma to the cat's tissues and allow them to heal;
• oil-based drugs should not enter the bloodstream; You can ensure that the needle does not enter the vein by slightly pulling the plunger toward you after inserting the syringe – the absence of blood impurities in the solution indicates that the vessel is not affected, and you can continue with the procedure;
• You can not put more than one drug at the same time in one syringe, unless authorized by a specialist.

To support the mustachioed pet during the procedure, as well as before and after it, you need to affectionately talk to him, pet him, calm him down. At the end of the manipulation, you should give the cat something tasty.

Each owner can independently inject the cat, the main thing is desire. It's good if the skill is useless, but it won't be superfluous to master it.