If your vet has decided that the best way to administer medication to your dog is by injection, you may feel something lost, for this reason, in this article on our site we will explain how to inject a dog step by step, also showing you several factors to take into account.
Of course, remember that you can only inject a dog when the procedure is prescribed by a veterinarian, you should never do it on your own, as you could cause damage and even serious allergic reactions that put the he alth at risk. dog's lifeIn this article we will give the keys to inject our dog at home successfully, keep reading!
What are the injections?
Before explaining how to inject our dog, we will define what this procedure consists of. Injecting a substance into the body involves introducing it under the skin or into the muscle through a syringe, which can be of different sizes, and a needle, too of different thicknesses according to the color of its base.
Administering a drug in this way risks triggering an allergic reaction which, if acute, will require immediate veterinary attention. This is why we should never give our dog an injection at home, except in the event that our veterinarian prescribes it, for example, if we have to treat a diabetic dog.
Although we will describe the process here, we must witness a demonstration from our veterinarian so that we can resolve any doubts and practice in front of a professional who can you help us and correct us before we have to DJ in our house. Next we will see what the 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 we will see below:
- Subcutaneous injections: These are those that are administered under the skin. They are usually applied to the neck, near the withers, which is the area of the back between the shoulder blades.
- Intramuscular injections: these are those that are put into the muscle, as the name suggests. The back of the thigh in a good place.
In the following sections we will explain how to apply both types of injections.
General considerations for injection
We are going to explain how to inject a dog subcutaneously or intramuscularly, for which we must take into account the following aspects:
- Be clear with what type of injection the drug should be administered, since subcutaneous is not the same as intramuscular.
- Make sure we can keep the dog still. If we have doubts we will ask someone to help us. We have to take into account that the puncture can be painful.
- We will only use the syringes and needles provided by the veterinarian because, as we have said, there are different formats and they are not used interchangeably.
- Once we load the syringe with the medication, we must direct the needle upwards and press the plunger to eliminate any air that may be present on the syringe itself or on the needle.
- We will disinfect the injection site.
- Once we puncture, before injecting the liquid, we will slightly pull the plunger to check that no blood comes out, which would indicate that we have punctured a vein or artery. If it comes out, we must withdraw the needle and prick again.
- When we finish we will rub the area for a few seconds so that the drug spreads.
How to give a dog a subcutaneous injection?
In addition to taking into account the recommendations of the previous section, to know how to inject a dog subcutaneously we will follow these steps:
- Grasp with one hand a fold of the neck or withers area.
- Insert the needle through the skin into the subcutaneous fat.
- To do this we must place it parallel to the dog's body.
- Once we have verified that no blood is coming out, we will proceed to inject the drug.
By following these tips we will also know how to inject our dog with insulin if he is diabetic, since this disease requires daily injections and, therefore, we will have to inject him at home, always following the recommendations of our veterinarian.
Diabetes requires close monitoring and control of insulin doses and diet. The veterinarian will also explain how to store and prepare the insulin and how to act if an overdose occurs, which we can avoid by following the administration guidelines and always using the appropriate syringe.
How to give a dog an intramuscular injection?
In addition to the above, to explain how to inject a dog intramuscularly, we must take into account the following:
- It is recommended to puncture on the thigh, between the hip and the knee.
- You have to keep in mind the location of the bone so as not to puncture it.
- Once we inject, we will introduce the medication slowly, approximately in about 5 seconds.
