Each pet owner wants to see his animal in good health. 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 not inferior in effectiveness to tablets, or even surpass them.
Experienced specialists can easily inject a cat in the thigh due to the nature of their work. But pet owners, in turn, should also know how this procedure is done correctly and safely.
Need for injections
First of all, it should be understood that injection and injection are one and the same thing. That is, the introduction of the drug by piercing the skin and tissue of a certain type (muscle) is meant. Almost any owner of a cat or cat had to take their pet to a veterinary clinic and see how this procedure is carried out. Injections can be given on a regular basis (routine vaccinations) or carried out after the caudate is injured - in order to maintain his immune system.
As we all are perfectly understanding, it is often impossible to recover without medication. It is the same with pets: without the intervention and help of the owners, the disease will not recede. And since it is injections that are highly effective in the 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. Everything else, you can carry out the procedure urgently and thereby save the life of the animal.
Intramuscular injection
Why do many experts recommend that pets do intramuscular injections? A similar question may arise in any pet owner. This need is due to pure physiology: the fact is that muscle tissue penetrates many blood vessels. And if solutions are introduced into it for medicinal purposes, they are almost instantly absorbed into the bloodstream.
And you need to stab it in the back of the thigh of the animal. You can, of course, limit yourself to a subcutaneous injection (this is an injection to the cat at the withers), but in this case a strong reaction and pain can occur. In addition, from the subcutaneous tissue, the drug resolves much longer, because of which infiltrates can begin to develop.
Muscles are different in that they have a network of lymphatic and blood vessels. Therefore, the absorption of the injected drugs does not interfere. Learning to take injections is not difficult, but you should know a number of important rules. Actually, all this will be discussed further.
Preparatory stage
Since an injection for pets is partly reminiscent of an operation, then, like any procedure, it should be carried out only in sterile conditions! In general, an intramuscular injection (where we already know where to inject the injection into the thigh of a cat or cat) is not difficult, but everything must be done correctly. Otherwise, do not rely on effective treatment.
In addition, it is important to use only those medicines that are prescribed by the veterinarian, and not on the advice of a neighbor - they say he treated his cat like that. In each case, the diagnosis is important, and only after its completion the doctor can prescribe the desired course of treatment. Therefore, it is better not to self-medicate and provide a specialist with a choice of drugs.
It is worth considering that cats on their own territory feel like owners, and if they are scared or in an aggressive state, the owner risks being bitten or scratched.
Syringe
The choice of a syringe should be taken seriously, because in which case you can bring the animal an infection. Just as in the case of people, injection tools for pets should be new (since they are inexpensive because it is, in fact, a consumable, and for one-time use) and always sterile.
The choice of a syringe for injection to a cat intramuscularly largely depends on the type of drug and its dosage. Often, most veterinarians recommend using insulin syringes. They have a thin and short needle, due to which the animal will be caused minimal discomfort. For kittens this is the right decision!
However, if the dosage prescribed by the veterinarian exceeds 1 ml, it is worth buying a 2 ml instrument. He also does not have a thick needle, but this is enough for injections with solutions with particles. However, an even larger syringe may be required. Then it is better to make an injection with a large needle, rather than pricking several times with a small needle.
In any case, 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.
A drug
The dosage prescribed by the veterinarian, including its recommendations, must be strictly observed. Thinking about how to give a cat an injection, it’s worth considering that some drugs can be placed both at the withers and in the muscle, while others can only be placed 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 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 one syringe, if this is not the instructions of the doctor himself.
- The procedure itself should only be performed with clean hands. The sterility of not only the instrument itself, but also its needles is also important.
- If the ampoule is cold, it should be preheated in the palms of your hands to body temperature.
- After collecting the medicine into the syringe, it is necessary to raise it with the needle up and release all the air bubbles by pressing the piston. In this case, a few drops of the solution will be squeezed out - a necessary measure.
We now know where to give the cat an intramuscular injection, and as for the kittens, there are no special rules in this case.
Just the owners should act more carefully, as the scope 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 reassured, because the muscle should be relaxed. To do this, it is worth taking the pet in your arms and bringing affection to the appropriate state. The place before the injection does not need to be treated with alcohol, but it is advisable to do this after the injection. At the same time, the surface of the skin itself must be healthy, without wounds.
Not only a pet needs preparation, cats really feel the owner’s mood. For this reason, if fear or intense anxiety crept into the soul, you should not approach the animal with such a “burden”. To begin with, it’s worth calming down and making preparations for the procedure, and only then go to catch a pet.
How to give an injection to a cat? It is impossible to prepare the pet itself 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 stay alone with the cat, but often it is not always successful to complete the injection. Therefore, it is necessary to attract an assistant who will keep the animal.
Intramuscular injection technique
An injection into muscle fibers is a rather painful procedure for an animal. In addition, some drugs themselves can cause discomfort. Usually they include antispasmodics, antibiotics, a number of vitamins. It is for this reason that a pet should be reassured, because the needle may not even pierce a tense muscle.
Most likely, the animal will resist. Therefore, it is worth preparing the place of the procedure - a flat and solid surface where it will be possible to reliably fix the "patient". In any case, an assistant will be needed, because the cat will react unexpectedly to the injection itself: at the most inopportune moment, the pet can jerk and break out.
The whole algorithm of how to inject a cat is as follows:
- One of the participants in the procedure holds the pet firmly, while the other needs to grip it firmly by the hind paw. The injection itself should be done in the back of the thigh - here it is the most "fleshy". In this case, you need to stab when the animal relaxes the foot and will not try to pull it out.
- The needle should be inserted perpendicular to the bone so that it enters the muscle, and not under the skin. The penetration depth is not more than 10 mm (for a kitten - 5 mm).
- The process of drug administration should be carried out slowly and smoothly (you can not press the piston sharply). The more drug should be administered, the slower it should be done. 1 ml takes about 3-4 seconds. In this case, 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 can cling to someone to take revenge on the “offender”.
How to give a cat an injection if a course of several procedures is prescribed? Injections in this case are carried out in both hind legs in turn - first in one, then in the other, etc. And after the procedure is completed, the injection site should be massaged - this contributes to the rapid resorption of the drug.
If the injection is done correctly, then usually the procedure for the animal goes unnoticed. However, in some cases there may be complications or rather consequences.
Blood is flowing
Sometimes at the injection site you can notice blood, because a puncture, even a small one, is still an injury. An injection is easy to touch the vessel, so do not be surprised at a few drops of blood. This is not scary, and soon the wound will heal. However, if the bleeding does not stop, it is necessary to apply ice to the injection site and contact a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
Lameness
Sometimes an injection in the thigh of a cat or cat can lead to a limp of the pet, which is also the norm. Particularly sensitive individuals may even harbor resentment against such interference by the host. However, you should not worry about this.
A cause for serious concern may be the case when the 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.
Cone
Another complication that may appear after an injection is given to the animal is the formation of a bump at the injection site. There are several reasons for this problem:
- an allergic manifestation to the administered drug;
- individual reaction of the animal organism;
- the injection in the thigh of a cat or cat was delivered incorrectly.
In this case, it is necessary to monitor the state 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 became hot and turned red. Then the trip to the veterinarian should not be postponed, and the animal must be taken as soon as possible for examination.
Often, the formation of a cone is associated with an accumulation of purulent mass, and this is already a hotbed of a dangerous inflammatory process.
Permanent Procedure
Without a doubt, the injection is unpleasant for animals and gives them considerable discomfort. Unfortunately, situations may arise when an injection must be done continuously for a certain period of time. In this case, it is worth taking care of the maximum comfort for the pet in order to eliminate prolonged stress.
To teach a pet to endure pain does not work, but there is an opportunity for associative perception:
- Cat injections in the thigh should be done at the same hours and in the same situation.
- The pet should be in a calm mood.
- Immediately prior to the procedure, contact should be made with the animal: stroke it, caress it.
- After the injection, be sure to praise the pet and give him a favorite treat.
Compliance with these recommendations will help the animal tolerate discomfort and be calmer.
In conclusion
It is always worth remembering that a cat or cat may need an intramuscular injection, and at a time when it is not possible to contact a 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 rush, and even more so do not be nervous.
It is not worth stinging the animal at the time of the procedure, as this will only be an obstacle for performing an intramuscular injection to the cat in the hind paw. And after the procedure, it is better to completely 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.