Subcutaneous injections

If you see signs of stress in your pet during your annual visit to the veterinarian, a little practice could be beneficial, regardless of their stage of life. If they tolerate injections but are not comfortable with it you can imitate the injection process in the comfort of your home, using whatever you have handy. To do so, get some of their favorite treats and reproduce the steps of giving an injection, while using your finger, a pen with its cap on, or an ear swab as a syringe. Your pet learns the injection routine and the next visit to the vet will be much smoother and more positive for you and your friend. Also, if you ever need to give an injection at home, your companion will already make the connection between the procedure and something positive within their environment.

You can watch our demonstration video : 

Whether your animal suffers from diabetes or they need supplements for joint care, you may need to give subcutaneous injections at home. It is a rather simple technique to learn and to apply, and it will allow you to give prescribed treatment to your animal and improve their health. Using a needle on your pet can be stressful for sure, but most animals don’t really react to the process and they tolerate it very well.

Let’s get technical

The injection procedure can be split in two technical phases:

1. Learning to fill the syringe with the medication.
2. Learning to handle the syringe and inject the medicine subcutaneously.

Make sure the area is clean and that you have all the materials handy before getting started. (Materials vary depending on the medication that is injected or on the procedure). If in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask any questions to your veterinary team.

• Unwrap and assemble the needle on the syringe

There are many types of syringes and needles, some are product-specific and some depend on the animal’s condition. Sometimes, the needle is already attached to the syringe and sometimes it is not. No matter the type of syringes and needles, all are wrapped in sterile pouches. When you open the pouch, be careful not to touch the syringe and needle tips while handling and connecting them.

• Disinfect the cap of the medication vial

Once the needle is on the syringe, use an alcohol pad and wipe the cap of the medication vial once or twice to clean it and let the alcohol dry.

 

 

• Withdraw the medication

Invert the vial and insert the needle in the middle of the vial’s cap. Pull the syringe plunger smoothly to withdraw the proper quantity of medication. While the needle is still in the vial, tap softly on the syringe with a finger to remove potential air bubbles in the syringe chamber and push them back in the vial. Once the chamber is free of air bubbles, remove the needle from the vial.

 

• Change the needle

Your veterinary team may suggest that you change the needle before you make the injection. If so, remember to pull on the plunger a little to empty the medication from the existing needle to make sure you don’t waste any. Carefully, put the cover on the needle before removing it with a gentle twist. Replace it with a new needle and press the plunger gently until a small drop appears at the tip of the needle. Your syringe is now ready!

• Prepare the syringe for the injection

Have the syringe handy and unclip the cap without removing it. This way, you will need only one hand to hold the syringe and remove the needle cap.

• Lift the skin

The area between the shoulders and the neck is usually where the skin is the loosest and where it is easiest to inject. Also, it’s generally where your companion will tolerate being touched the most. With the thumb and the middle finger, grab the skin and lift it gently. This will make a little tent giving you space to inject.

• Find the entrance to the “tent”

In the front of the tent, there is a hollow area where you will proceed with the injection. Using the other hand’s index, explore and feel the area which is the entrance to the tent to become familiar with the pet’s anatomy. This step helps the person injecting the medication to better find the injection site.

• Inject the medication

While keeping the tent up, take the syringe with free hand and hold it lightly making sure that you don’t press or pull the plunger. Holding the syringe parallel to the animal’s body, insert the needle in the entrance of the tent in a confident and continuous movement. To make sure that you didn’t go in one side and out the other (through two layers of skin), pull on the plunger lightly making sure that there is no air entering the syringe chamber. If air is coming in, no need to panic! Simply pull out the needle, remove the air from the syringe and start over. If everything is good, push the plunger smoothly to inject the medication. Remove the needle and let go of the skin. It is possible to see a small drop of blood on the pet’s skin after the injection. Don’t worry, it is most likely a tiny blood vessel that was touched when the needle went through it, there is nothing to it.

• Reward your pet

After the injection, give a treat to your pet as a reward for their cooperation and good work. If you animal is jittery, ask help from a family member to give them treats during the procedure and keep their mind busy. This will turn the experience into a positive moment.