Help: giving injections!

[Dusty_bugs]

Hi guys,

I've been told by my vet that over the next 6 days I'm to try to give my guineapig her antibiotics (via injection) on my own. I went to the surgery yesterday and we did it without any fuss. She didn't even squeek.

But today at home was a completely different matter. She not only wriggled and squirmed and cried every time you 'tented' her neck, and ripped her skin from out of your fingers, but she actually headbutted upwards.. INTO the needle! The moment I was in she wriggled out. The partner tried his very best to hold her still but could not stop her from thrusting her head up. Eventually he held her head down and we got the needle in, but it took nearly 6/7 attempts. I was crying I was so frustrated (and I'm not a crier), the boyfriend was at a loss and the guinea looked disorientated after. I'm absolutely terrified I'm going to hit a nerve or worse the spine of her neck.

If anyone here has ANY experience giving subcutaneous injections into the back of the neck/shoulder, PLEASE advise me how to deal with a wriggler piggy. I know the key to success is speed and confidence. I also know to aspirate etc. but at the vets she is still and quiet, at home she's defiant and a danger to herself! I have to do this every day until next thursday, and although I'm sure I'll get better over time, I don't think I could handle another day like today. Any advise would be REALLY welcome!

Over the past month and a half I've probably spent over £700 in vets fees, if I have to go back to the bottom of the road every day and they charge me so be it but if I can do this myself it will really be better for the pursestrings. I'd hate to spend my money on this and then one of them goes down with something else grrrr .. I'd be counting the beans out for dinner.

 

[Amanda1801]

what medication is it?

They do get very aware of what injections are!

 

[CharlieH]

Oh gosh I really feel for you

I have no advice I'm afraid, but I hope you manage to find a technique for doing it, bless you

 

[Dusty_bugs]

I believe it's marbocyl.. I have been to the vet a couple of times and he shouts out names of stuff left right and centre. I think he's the only exotic vet in the practice and he's always rushed off his feet. I mentioned zithromax and he said.. no I dont want to use antibiotics as it'll put it off her food. Then he said we'll be using marbocyl - thats what they've been injecting her with since the op.

I was totally confused but what I think he meant was he doesnt want to use ORAL like baytril. Then he went on to say we'll be using zithromax.. haha..

The pot says marbocyl.

He's an amazing vet, just a bit.. scatty

I'm trying to pump myself for tomorrow. Get her out, wipe her neck, Lee holds her chest with his thumb behind her head. I tent the skin and go for it. I think I was initially shocked at how tough the skin is.. someone aptly described it as like injecting a football. Just with that much resistance I don't want to just PUSH AWAY! Just wondering if I can do it sideways so the head isnt directly infront of the needle. If she snaps her head up then it wont make the needle ram into her neck :/ Wont try it unless someone can agree with that.

 

[Amanda1801]

I believe it's marbocyl.. I have been to the vet a couple of times and he shouts out names of stuff left right and centre. I think he's the only exotic vet in the practice and he's always rushed off his feet. I mentioned zithromax and he said.. no I dont want to use antibiotics as it'll put it off her food. Then he said we'll be using marbocyl - thats what they've been injecting her with since the op.

I was totally confused but what I think he meant was he doesnt want to use ORAL like baytril. Then he went on to say we'll be using zithromax.. haha..

The pot says marbocyl.

He's an amazing vet, just a bit.. scatty

I'm trying to pump myself for tomorrow. Get her out, wipe her neck, Lee holds her chest with his thumb behind her head. I tent the skin and go for it. I think I was initially shocked at how tough the skin is.. someone aptly described it as like injecting a football. Just with that much resistance I don't want to just PUSH AWAY! Just wondering if I can do it sideways so the head isnt directly infront of the needle. If she snaps her head up then it wont make the needle ram into her neck :/ Wont try it unless someone can agree with that.

Hmm slightly confused...marbocyl IS an antibiotic!

Marbocyl is available in an oral form. Maggie was on it. Unfortunately it only comes in tablet form, but I would crush the tablet and mix it with some pureed fruit and then syringe it to her - seemed to work!

If you can't manage it (I have a lot of experience in injecting animals, but I hate injecting pigs and certainly won't do my own!), then ask if you can get a nurse to do it each day for you. They should be happy to do this, although obviously it's a bit of hassle taking her down each day!

 

[Pebble]

It's not unusual for marbocyl to be given by injection and in this case it may be the best route..and obviously minimises gut upsets.

One of the "key secrets" is not to put the needle in at right angles to the skin. It has to go in almost parallel....make the tent and then swiftly and smoothly insert the needle into/towards the highest point of the tent....and depress the plunger as soon as you have pierced the skin.

Use a fresh needle each time as it will get blunt with just one injection.

Give her something to eat before/whilst it is going on - gently put hands round to stabilise her in position.......and try not to be tense both of you as she will pick up on it.

You need to be standing up to deliver an injection - I put my pigs on the ironing board because this is easiest as it is at waist height.

Sorry you have to go through this - I no longer inject my pigs myself as i can;t deal with the stress of a failed injection any more; I now take them to my most local vets if they need daily injections - Even though my normal vet is further away it is done with their agreement on the grounds of reducing travelling time/stess for an already ill piggie...and the local vets will do it for a fixed fee for the course.

HTH
x

 

[Dusty_bugs]

That's some great advice.. I had her this morning on the table whilst I was sat down so she was too high up, then we put her on my partners lap but I was bending forward. We don't have an ironing table that is tall standing but I'm sure I can work something else out. I will have to give the injection tomorrow because it is emergency hours only :/ and the charge will be phenominal if they do.

The other vet I have (who are less cavvy experts but did up my DT's ovarian cysts very well) are at the bottom of the road! Super fast. I can ring them up and ask if they are ok to do it every morning, takes me 2 minutes to get there and will take the vet 3 seconds (and not 3 minutes) to do the jab. They are really friendly so may not charge.. at least not exotics prices.

I will try find something to get her closer to me, and will go for the top of the tent. I know from the vets yesterday the point of injection turned into a hard lump after, but today we couldnt find the lump :/ But I definitely got it between her head and shoulders and it hadnt dribbled out.. Does it always make a lump?

 

[Dusty_bugs]

Hmm slightly confused...marbocyl IS an antibiotic!

Marbocyl is available in an oral form. Maggie was on it. Unfortunately it only comes in tablet form, but I would crush the tablet and mix it with some pureed fruit and then syringe it to her - seemed to work!

If you can't manage it (I have a lot of experience in injecting animals, but I hate injecting pigs and certainly won't do my own!), then ask if you can get a nurse to do it each day for you. They should be happy to do this, although obviously it's a bit of hassle taking her down each day!

Yes so was I.. but I know he was always intending on using injected antibios.. just not oral. I think he thought I was suggesting oral. Like I said, brilliant man.. just a bit.. away with the fairies!

We give her 0.2ml metacam (oral) daily too. And on top of that the max amoun tof critical care suggested for a pig her size. She had necrotic fusions between her tongue and inner mouth/lip so she couldnt use her tongue. We thought it was teeth but they were fine so the vets were all over the place wondering what was wrong. Took her to this new guy - the fusions were out the next day, even though he had NEVER seen them before. Marvellous man. She lost a third of her body weight though over the 2 weeks of faffing around and post op care.. they didnt want to hurt her tongue with syringe feeding because the skin of her tongue was loose and peeling where he had to cut loads away. Between me and the partner we've stabilised her weight and got her pooing again so it's a waiting game of putting weight on, giving her pain killers and antibios, and teasing her with delicious veggies... even though veggies make her yack because she cant manipulate them with her tongue yet.

 

[Pebble]

Assuming you;re only giving a small amount (ie max 0.3ml) it Shouldn;t do if inserted under the skin - and if it does cause a lump then if coud be becuase not all layers of the skin have been pierced properly (not uncommon with piggies)

However if you are giving 0.75ml and above then yes - there will deffo be a lump of squidgy fluid (like a blister) that will disperse over time.

Courage ma soeur!

x

 

[Pebble]

Ahem - I have on the odd occasion reached a private arrangement with one of the vet nurses to come to me on their way home and give the meds...........

 

[piglet_and_rogers_mama]

Yikes...and I felt sorry for myself when I have to bargain with god to get them to sit still long enough to syringe medicine! Good luck with the injections, and I hope little pig doesn't make it too hard on you!

 

[Dusty_bugs]

ooh how sneeky! I don't think my charisma skill is high enough to wangle that one out of my current vets haha.. My leaving them for the new exotics guy wasnt very umm.. :red well.. I don't like the practice manager because she gave me CRAP advise. She thought the additional weight loss was me being too agressive with the syringe feeding and stressing her out.. She said to leave her alone with veggies for 3 days despite the fact that Leeland's tongue was STUCK to her cheeks and she choked on anything that wasnt a soup. Stupid woman!

Ahem.. anyway.. yes the dosage is 0.8ml.. though today it was 0.7 because I wasn't in when I thought I was.. woops.