Large Animal Injection Sites

How many subcutaneous injection sites are there?

2

What types of injections are given in the neck and why?

1) subcutaneous

2) intravenous

3) intramuscular

4) intradermal

Safest injection site on horses

What type of injection is given well behind the shoulder?

subcutaneous

How often are subcutaneous injections given in horses?

not often

How many intramuscular injections are there?

4

What type of injection is given in the chest/pectoral region and why?

intramuscular; it is good for repeated injections as you can rotate which side of the chest you use

What type of injection is given in the gluteal/hip region and why?

intramuscular; it is a last resort if all other sites have been used

What type of injection is given in the hindleg or hamstring and why?

intramuscular; great and an easy spot for foals since it’s a larger muscle group in foals than the neck

How many intravenous injection sites are there?

3

What type of injection is given in the jugular vein?

intravenous

What type of injection is given in the mammary vein?

intravenous

What type of injection is given in the ventral tail vein?

intravenous

How many intradermal injections are there?

1

What are intradermal injections usually used for?

allergy testing

Where is the safest place to give a horse an injection?

neck

What intramuscular injection site is not used on foals?

neck

Where is the preferred injection site for foals?

hindleg or hamstring

Why can it be dangerous to inject an animal in their hindleg or hamstring region?

1) they can kick you

2) may hit the sciatic nerve(easier in small animals)

What are some cons of using the chest/pectoral region as an injection site?

Chest/pectoral region:

1) becomes sore easily

2) prone to abscess formation

What injection site is generally not optimal for injections and why?

Gluteal/hip region:

1) has very poor drainage if an abscess forms

2) very easy to get kicked here

Where can injections NOT be given on production animals and why?

Hindquarters; injections given here will cause muscle damage. The cut of meat here will need to be removed and discarded which will cause the producer to lose money as this region contains the highest quality/most profitable cut of meat.

What can happen if you use improper injection techniques?

1) Treatment Failure

2) Animal Suffering(can cause necrosis)

3) Excessive Trim at Slaughter

4) Shock or Death

5) Drug Residues

6) Accidental Human Injection

7) Clostridial Myositis(gas buildup from clostridium bacteria)