How to give an injection to a cat

In what places can I put the injection

Both humans and animals are injected under the skin, into a vein, muscle, joint, intra-abdominal space. Intravenous, intra-articular, intra-abdominal injections can only be done by a specialist (in extreme circumstances, you can see how it is done in a clinic, ask about the specifics of the technique and try it yourself under the supervision of a doctor). And any owner can master the technique of injecting drugs intramuscularly and subcutaneously.

The injection should be given to the cat only in areas whose anatomical features allow achieving the greatest therapeutic effect. For intramuscular injections: 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 medicine depends on the chosen remedy.

How to choose the right syringe

The syringe is also selected depending on the drug – its volume and place of administration. Tools with a volume of 1-10 ml are suitable for injection into the muscle. If the amount of medicine is large enough, a syringe should be purchased for smooth administration, in which the piston is equipped with a special seal. With a small volume of solution for injection (up to 1 ml), an insulin syringe with a convenient calibration is used.

It is desirable that the needle that the drug is injected intramuscularly should not be too long. The femoral and shoulder muscles of a cat (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 and short needle will help out. An injection into the muscle tissue is 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 not too many nerve receptors in the withers. Needles can be taken longer and thicker, and syringes of different volumes, depending on the indications. Usually, the amount of medication injected into the subcutaneous space is greater than into the muscle.

When selecting a tool for injecting a cat, the consistency of the drug is taken into account. Oil solutions differ in viscosity, ductility and require a larger needle diameter.

Preparation for injection

Before giving the injection to the cat, you need to prepare everything you need.

• Determine the place where the procedure will be performed. It should be smooth, not slippery, preferably at the level of an ordinary table.
• Before you take the medicine, you should make sure that the drug is not expired. It will not be superfluous to re-read the instructions for the medicine, as well as the appointment of a veterinarian by time and dosage.
• The cold preparation needs to be warmed up to body temperature (it is enough to hold it clamped in your hand for a while).
• To collect medicine from an ampoule, its upper narrow part is broken off, having previously wrapped around a piece of cotton wool.
• The powder form of the product should be diluted with saline, novocaine or a special solution included in the kit (for details about the dosage, check with a veterinarian). First, a solution is injected into the syringe, then it is injected into a vial of powder, the medicine is dissolved with light circular movements (without shaking), and re-injected into the syringe. After that, it is advisable to change the needle.
• When the medicine is typed, you should get rid of air bubbles – lift the syringe with a needle up, do not knock hard on the cylinder, making sure that the bubbles accumulate under the outlet of the medicine, press the piston a little until the air comes out and drops of the drug appear.

Unnecessary cotton wool, ampoules and other items should be disposed of, and the prepared syringe can be briefly placed on a clean surface (plate, container), closing the needle with a cap.

Speed of drug administration

The speed at which the injection should be given to the cat depends on the place of administration of the drug. With intramuscular injection, a large amount of the solution is injected longer: if the volume is about half a cube, a second is enough, and for one milliliter it will take 2-3 seconds. If the injection is placed under the skin of the cat, the speed does not matter much.

How to get a hip shot

An intramuscular injection is given to a cat in the thickness of the femoral or shoulder muscle. Before making an injection, it is necessary to probe the muscle, determine the injection site, make sure that the animal is calm and the muscle tissue is relaxed. For relaxation, you can pre-massage the limb.

The angle of insertion of the needle into the thigh should be approximately 90, the depth of penetration – no more than a centimeter. It is necessary to make sure that the needle does not completely enter the muscle – there should be a gap between the surface of the body and the plastic.

As soon as the needle is in the muscle tissue, you need to calmly press the plunger and slowly inject the medicine. It is impossible to move, rotate, or bury the syringe during the injection. Extract it in the opposite direction, with a quick movement.

How to make 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 for nothing that cats drag their cubs by the withers), so this place is ideal for the introduction of painful solutions. Secondly, much larger volumes of medicinal solutions (up to 70-90 ml) can be injected subcutaneously than into the femoral part. Thirdly, there is no risk of a needle getting into a bone, joint or nerve, as happens with intramuscular injection. The only point that needs to be paid special attention to is that the skin here is thicker than the femoral part, so you need to make an effort to pierce it.

The injection technique under the skin is as follows:

• with one hand in the withers area, the skin needs to be gathered into a fold;
• with the other hand, under the skin pulled up closer to the trunk, with some effort, insert the needle at an angle of 45 relative to the surface of the body;
• introduce the drug;
• remove the syringe;
• release the skin.

It is desirable that someone from the outside during the procedure slightly pressed down the head and back of the spine of the pet.

Important! In the absence of experience in subcutaneous administration of medication to a cat, there is a risk of piercing the skin through. This probability is due precisely 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 droplets appear on it, you need to pull the needle a little, and then continue the procedure.

What complications can there be

The introduction of medicinal solutions, regardless of the location, injures the surrounding tissues. Complications can occur not only with the inept conduct of the procedure, but also with an experienced specialist. The following negative consequences of injections are most common:

• hematomas – are formed due to damage to a blood vessel by a needle and penetration of blood into neighboring tissues, do not require special treatment, pass by themselves;
• the blood that protrudes after removing the needle – just as in the previous case, serves as a sign of damage to the blood vessel, it is enough to apply cold to the wound to stop the bleeding;
• lump, seal, swelling at the injection site – may have several reasons, for example: too fast administration of medication, penetration of infection into the wound, individual tissue reaction and others, if the lump does not go away for a long time, and the cat's well-being worsens, you need to show the pet to a specialist;
• lameness – may be a consequence of the injection itself, as soft tissue damage, for example, with severe soreness of the solution, or the result of a needle hitting the sciatic nerve; in the latter case (if the damage persists for longer than 2-3 days, and the paw remains stationary), you need to visit a veterinarian;
• behavioral deviations are a normal reaction of an animal that passes independently over time; a cat may experience panic, avoid touching, flinch, and so on;
• an increase in body temperature – more often occurs as a reaction to the injected solution, a manifestation of allergies, and also if sterility was not observed during the procedure, and an infection got into the wound.

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

Useful recommendations

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

• only a sterile syringe should be used for injections, which is subject to disposal after the procedure;
• the needle must not be touched by hands, otherwise it must be replaced;
• before the procedure, it is better to fix the pet in a stationary state, leaving only the place of injection of the syringe open (you can use a harness, a blanket, a sheet and other auxiliary items) or invite someone from the side to hold the cat;
• as a rule, injections are made into an undamaged area of the skin, so if the animal has any skin disease, you need to 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 with an antiseptic;
• if the doctor has prescribed injections every day or several times a day, it is best to put injections in the paw alternately – in the right and left or front and back to avoid severe traumatization of the cat's tissues and allow them to heal;
• oil–based medicine should not be allowed to enter the bloodstream; it is possible to make sure that the needle does not enter the blood vessel by pulling the plunger a little after the injection of the syringe - the absence of blood impurities in the solution indicates that the vessels are not touched, and you can continue the procedure;
• you can not inject more than one drug in one syringe at the same time, unless it is allowed by a specialist.

To support a mustachioed pet during the procedure, as well as before and after it, you need to talk to him as gently as possible, stroke, soothe. At the end of the manipulations, you should give the cat something delicious.

Every owner can give a cat an injection on his own, the main thing is desire. It is good if the skill is not useful, but it will not be superfluous to master it at all.