Injection to the cat in the thigh intramuscularly: execution technique

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Every pet owner wants to see their pet in good he alth. But, unfortunately, like all other representatives of the fauna, they can also get sick. At the same time, for treatment, many veterinarians prescribe drugs in the form of injections, which are in no way inferior to pills in terms of effectiveness, if not even surpass them.

Experienced specialists can easily inject a cat in the thigh due to the specifics of their work. But pet owners, in turn, should also know how to do this procedure correctly and safely.

Need for injections

First of all, it is worth understanding that an injection and an injection are one and the same. That is, this refers to the introduction of the drug by piercing the skin and tissue of a certain type (muscle). Almost any owner of a cat or cat had to take their pet to the veterinary clinic andsee how this procedure is carried out. Injections can be given on a regular basis (routine vaccinations) or after the tailed animal has been injured in order to maintain its immune system.

As we all perfectly understand, it is often impossible to be cured without medication. With pets, the same thing: without the intervention and help of the owners, the disease will not recede. And since it is injections that are highly effective in treatment, it is worth learning how to inject a cat in the thigh.

As a result, this will save not only time, but also money. In addition, you can carry out the procedure urgently and thereby save the life of the animal.

Efficacy of intramuscular injection

Why do many experts recommend intramuscular injections for pets? Any pet owner may have a similar question. This need is due to pure physiology: the fact is that many blood vessels permeate muscle tissue. And if solutions are introduced into it for medicinal purposes, they are almost instantly absorbed into the bloodstream.

And you need to stab in the back of the thigh of the animal. You can, of course, limit yourself to a subcutaneous injection (this is an injection in the withers of a cat), but in this case a strong reaction and pain may occur. In addition, the drug is absorbed from the subcutaneous tissue much longer, which may cause infiltrates to develop.

Muscles are different in that they have a network of lymphatic and blood vessels. Therefore, nothing interferes with the absorption of administered drugs. Learning how to give injections is not difficult, but you should know a number of important rules. Actually, all this will be discussed further.

Preparatory stage

Because a pet injection is somewhat like an operation, like any procedure, it should only be done under sterile conditions! In general, an intramuscular injection (where to inject an injection in the thigh of a cat or cat, we already know) is not difficult, but everything must be done correctly. Otherwise, one should not hope for effective treatment.

In addition, it is important to use only those medicines that are prescribed by a veterinarian, and not on the advice of a neighbor - they say, he treated his cat this way. In each case, diagnosis is important, and only after it has been carried out, the doctor can prescribe the desired course of treatment. Therefore, it is better not to self-medicate and leave the choice of drugs to a specialist.

It is worth considering that cats feel like owners on their own territory, and if they are scared or in an aggressive state, then the owner risks being bitten or scratched.

Syringe

The choice of a syringe should be taken seriously, because in which case you can bring an infection to the animal. Just as in the case of people, pet injection tools should be new (thankfully they are inexpensive, because they are, in fact, consumables, and disposable) and must be sterile.

The choice of a syringe for an intramuscular injection of a cat largely depends on the type of drug and its dosage. Oftenmost veterinarians recommend using insulin syringes. They have a thin and short needle, due to which the animal will experience minimal discomfort. For kittens, this is the right decision!

However, if the dosage prescribed by the veterinarian exceeds 1 ml, it is worth purchasing a 2 ml instrument. He also does not have a thick needle, but this is quite enough for injection with solutions with particles. However, an even larger syringe may be required. Then it is better to prick with a large needle than to prick several times with a small one.

In any case, here it is worth relying on the recommendations of the veterinarian. Only he has the right to decide which drug and syringes to use in each case.

Drug

You must strictly follow the dosage prescribed by the veterinarian, including his recommendations. When thinking about how to properly inject a cat, it is also worth considering that some drugs can be placed both in the withers and in the muscle, while others can only be put in a strictly defined place. In this case, the volume of the drug is always indicated in cubes, but this is equivalent to millimeters.

It is also important to carefully read the instructions for the medicine. Some of them need to be stored only in the refrigerator, others are designed for a single use, and still others require dilution with water.

Important rules

Before proceeding directly to the procedure, the owners should study a number of important rules, or even rather requirements:

• It is forbidden to mix drugs in onesyringe, unless directed by a physician.
• The procedure itself should only be done with clean hands. The sterility of not only the instrument itself, but also its needle is also important.
• If the drug is cold in the ampoule, it should be preheated in the palms to body temperature.
• After taking the medicine into the syringe, it must be raised with the needle up and release all air bubbles by pressing the piston. This will squeeze out a few drops of the solution - a necessary measure.

Where to give a cat an injection intramuscularly, we now know, but as for kittens, there are no special rules in this case.

It's just that the owners should act more carefully, since the room for manipulation is limited. The only difference is not in the method of administration of the drug, but in its dosage.

Calm, only calm

Before the procedure, the animal should be calmed, because the muscle should be relaxed. To do this, you should take the pet in your arms and bring it to the appropriate state with caress. The place before the injection does not need to be treated with alcohol, but it is desirable to do this after the injection. At the same time, the surface of the skin itself must be he althy, without wounds.

Not only a pet needs preparation - cats feel the mood of the owner very well. For this reason, if fear or strong anxiety crept into the soul, you should not approach the animal with such a "burden". To begin with, you should calm down and do some preparations for the procedure, and only after that go to catch a pet.

How to putprick to a cat? It is impossible to prepare the pet for the procedure, so it is important to create comfortable conditions so that the injection does not turn into severe stress. The best option is to be alone with the cat, but often it is not always possible to successfully perform an injection. Therefore, you have to involve an assistant who will hold the animal.

Intramuscular Injection Technique

Injection into muscle fibers is a rather painful procedure for an animal. In addition, some drugs themselves can cause discomfort. Usually these include antispasmodics, antibiotics, a number of vitamins. It is for this reason that you should calm your pet, because the needle may not even pierce a tense muscle.

Most likely, the animal will resist. Therefore, it is worth preparing the place for the procedure - a flat and hard surface where it will be possible to securely fix the "patient". In any case, you will need an assistant, because the cat will react unexpectedly to the injection itself: at the most inopportune moment, the pet can jerk sharply and escape.

The whole algorithm of how to inject a cat looks like this:

• One of the participants in the procedure firmly holds the pet, the other needs to securely grab it by the hind leg. The injection itself should be done in the back of the thigh - here it is the most "fleshy". In this case, you need to prick when the animal relaxes the paw and does not try to pull it out.
• The needle should be inserted perpendicular to the bone so that it entersinto the muscle, not under the skin. Penetration depth - no more than 10 mm (for a kitten - 5 mm).
• The process of drug administration should be carried out slowly and smoothly (do not press the piston sharply). The more drug should be administered, the slower this should be done. It takes about 3-4 seconds for 1 ml. At the same time, an injection of no more than 1.5-2 cubes is allowed in one place.
• After the injection is made, the needle is removed and the animal is released. Sometimes it's better to do it all at the same time, otherwise a disgruntled pet may cling to someone to take revenge on the "offender".

How to give a cat an injection if a course of several procedures is prescribed? In this case, injections are carried out in both hind legs in turn - first in one, then in the other, etc. And after the procedure is completed, you should massage the injection site - this contributes to the rapid absorption of the medicine.

If the injection is made correctly, then usually the procedure for the animal goes unnoticed. However, in some cases there may be complications or rather consequences.

Blood flows

Sometimes blood can be seen at the injection site, because a puncture, even a small one, is still an injury. It is easy to hit a vessel with an injection, so do not be surprised by a few drops of blood. This is not scary, and soon the wound will heal. However, if the bleeding does not stop, apply ice to the injection site and contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Lameness

Sometimes an injection in the thigh of a cat or a cat can lead tolimping pet, which is also the norm. Particularly sensitive individuals may even hold a grudge against such interference by the owner. However, you should not worry about this.

A cause for serious concern can be the case when a pet drags a limb or lameness does not go away after a day. This indicates that the nerve was affected. This condition requires the intervention of a veterinarian, and the sooner the better for the animal. Therefore, after the procedure, you should carefully monitor the condition of your pet.

Bump

Another complication that may appear after an injection to an animal is the formation of a bump at the injection site. There are several reasons for this problem:

• allergic manifestation to the injected drug;
• individual reaction of the animal organism;
• an injection in the thigh of a cat or a cat was delivered incorrectly.

In this case, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the "patient". And if within two days the dynamics does not change in a positive direction, you should go to the clinic. This is especially true in cases where the injection site has become hot and reddened. Then the trip to the veterinarian cannot be postponed, and the animal must be delivered as soon as possible for examination.

Often, the formation of a lump is associated with the accumulation of a purulent mass, and this is already a focus of a dangerous inflammatory process.

Procedure on a permanent basis

Undoubtedly, the injection is unpleasant for animals and gives them considerablediscomfort. Unfortunately, situations may arise when the injection must be done continuously for a certain period of time. In this case, you should take care of maximum comfort for the pet in order to avoid prolonged stress.

It will not work to teach a pet to endure pain, but there is an opportunity for associative perception:

• Injections in the thigh of a cat should be done at the same hours and in the same environment.
• The pet must be in a calm mood.
• Immediately before the procedure, you should start establishing contact with the animal: stroke it, caress it.
• After the injection, be sure to praise your pet and give him his favorite treat.

Compliance with these recommendations helps the animal to endure discomfort more patiently and be calmer.

As a conclusion

It's always worth remembering that a cat or cat may need an intramuscular injection, and at a time when there is no way to go to the veterinarian. Knowing how the procedure is done, the owner himself will be able to perform it without delay. The main thing is not to show excessive haste, and even more so, do not be nervous.

It is not worth feeling sorry for the animal at the time of the procedure, as this will only interfere with the intramuscular injection of the cat in the hind paw. And after the procedure, it is better to leave the pet for a while, so that he comes to his senses and calms down. Then you can already regret, and caress, and play games.