Content
- What are the injections?
- Types of Injections for Dogs
- General considerations for injecting a dog
- How to give a dog subcutaneous injection
- How to apply intramuscular injection in a dog
If your veterinarian has decided the best way to administer a medication when your dog is by injection, you're likely to feel a little lost. For this reason, in this PeritoAnimal article, we will explain how to inject a dog step by step, also showing several factors that should be considered.
Of course, remember that you can only give a dog the injection when the procedure is prescribed by a veterinarian; you should NEVER do this on your own, as it can cause harm and even severe allergic reactions that endanger the dog's life. In this article, we'll provide the key points to inject your dog at home successfully, read on!
What are the injections?
Before explaining how to inject a dog, let's define what this procedure consists of. Injecting a substance into the body involves insert it under the skin or muscle, using a syringe that can have different sizes and a needle, also of different thickness, depending on the color of its base.
Thus, the administration of a drug presents the risk of triggering a allergic reaction which, if acute, will require immediate veterinary attention. This is why you should never give your dog an injection at home, except in cases that your veterinarian has recommended, such as diabetic dogs.
Although we are describing the process here, it is necessary that you witness a demo from the veterinarian so that you can clarify your doubts and practice in front of a professional who can help and fix before starting the injections at home. Next, you'll see what types of injections are and how to apply them.
Types of Injections for Dogs
To explain how to inject a dog, it is necessary to know that there are several types of injections, as you can see below:
- subcutaneous injection for dog: are those administered under the skin. They are usually applied to the neck, near the withers, which is the area of the spine between the shoulder blades.
- Intramuscular injection for dog: are those that apply to the muscle, as its name indicates. The back of the thigh is a good place.
In the following sections, we'll explain how to give both types of injections.
General considerations for injecting a dog
We are going to explain how to inject a dog subcutaneously or intramuscularly, and for that, you need to keep in mind the following aspects:
- know with what injection type the medication must be administered, as the subcutaneous and intramuscular routes are not the same.
- make sure you can keep the dog quiet. If you have questions, ask someone for help. You need to keep in mind that the sting can be painful.
- Only use syringes and needles that the veterinarian has provided, because as we said, there are different formats and they should not be used indiscriminately.
- After loading the syringe with medicine, you must turn the needle up and squeeze the plunger to remove any air that may be in the syringe or needle.
- disinfect the injection site.
- After piercing, but before injecting the liquid, gently pull the plunger of the syringe to check that no blood is coming out, which would indicate that you have punctured a vein or artery. If it does, you must remove the needle and pierce it again.
- When finished, scrub the area for a few seconds for the medication to spread.
How to give a dog subcutaneous injection
In addition to taking into account the recommendations in the previous section, to learn how to inject a dog subcutaneously, follow these steps:
- one-handed one folding of the neck area or withers.
- Insert the needle through the skin until reaching the subcutaneous fat.
- For this you must put it parallel to the dog's body.
- When you see that no blood is coming out, you can inject the medication.
By following these tips, you will also know how to inject insulin into your dog if he is diabetic, as this disease requires daily injections and, therefore, will be given at home, always according to the veterinarian's recommendations.
Diabetes needs monitoring and strict dose control insulin and diet. The veterinarian will also explain how to store and prepare insulin and what to do if an overdose occurs, which can be avoided by following administration guidelines and always using the appropriate syringe.
How to apply intramuscular injection in a dog
In addition to what has already been mentioned, to explain how to inject a dog intramuscularly, you should keep the following in mind:
- It is recommended to pierce the thigh, between the hip and knee.
- It is necessary to keep in mind the location of the bone so as not to perforate it.
- When drilling, introduce the medication slowly, over approximately 5 seconds.