1. Equine Medication Techniques
Chapter 4
Large Animal Clinical Procedures
Pg. 67

2. Parenteral Injection Techniques
LACP, page 74

3. FDA
Did you know that the FDA has a say-so regarding injection sites for horses?
ALWAYS read the directions listed on the label of all medications before administering. The FDA has approved specific sites for medications to equines.

4. Route Selection depends upon:
Your capabilities
Tractability (how easy this can be done) to the patient
Toxicities of the medication
Temperament of the patient

5. Parenteral Injection Techniques: Most Commonly Routes used
IM (Strictly speaking, any skeletal muscle that can be accessed safely can be used for an IM injection. However we will discuss the most commonly utilized muscles.) IV
SQ or SC ID

6. Make Use of the Alcohol
Always use alcohol soaked cotton balls aka alcobals or gauze when administering injections.
Don’t just wet the fur but get down to the skin as well. Clean the site until your cotton or gauze is essentially clean. Clear that area!

7. Intramuscular Injections
Brachiocephalicus-neck
Pectoral
Gluteal –no for race horses
Semitendinosis
Triceps Brachii-used ONLY when all other sites have been exhausted! No for race horses

8. This is your land mark for the lateral cervical area (neck) in the brachiocephalicus or serratus ventralis muscle for IM injections.

9. IM injection into the equine cervical muscles
IM injection into the equine cervical muscles. The needle should be inserted to its full depth. Aspirate, and then the medication is delivered.

10. Please, Please… Aspirating is done for one important reason.
You need to make sure that you are not in a blood vessel. What difference will this make?
If you just so happen to administer a medication that is only for IM use into a blood vessel you can KILL that animal. This is VERY important with all animals. There are some medications that simple can not be administered IV.
Observe for reactions (pruritus, facial edema, hives or urticaria)

11. Pinching of the skin sometimes distracts from the pain of the needle and can act as a bandage over the actual needle track.

12. Insert the needle about 1 to 2 inches caudal to the skin pinch.

13. Pectoral muscle IM injection location. Isolating the muscle.

14. Giving the IM injection
Giving the IM injection. Personally I do not prefer this site due to the location.

15. Insertion of the needle into the gluteal muscle.

16. Attachment of the syringe AFTER insertion of the needle.

17. The gluteal region
may be used for
IM Injections, but
the pectoral or
semimembranosis/
semitendinosis
muscles are
preferred sites for
IM injections.

18. The white tape
Represents the
Sciatic groove,
Hitting this can
Paralyze an animal.
This is the proper
Technique for giving
An IM injection into
The semitendinosis
Injection.

19. IM injection into the
Semimembranosis
and
Semitendinosis
Muscles in the horse.

20. Landmark lateral to the spine. Look closely at this picture
Landmark lateral to the spine. Look closely at this picture. What is wrong?

21. Tap, Tap
With your
Palm
Go Now!
Insert the needle!

22. Intravenous Injections
Can be given into any visible or palpable vein, safely.
The jugular vein is the most accessible, safest and popular vein used today.

23. Always insert your needle into the cranial half of the jugular groove
Always insert your needle into the cranial half of the jugular groove. If you hit the carotid artery the medication will flow with great speed to the brain and cause the horse to faint and/or die.

24. A needle is placed into the jugular vein to administer intravenous medication to a horse

25. Location of the lateral thoracic vein
Location of the lateral thoracic vein. Needle sizes can vary from 14 to 22 ga in diameter and be 1 or 1 ½ inch in length.

26. Subcutaneous Injections
Are the easiest to perform.
Most common place: lateral aspect of the neck.

27. Intradermal Injection
Very rarely used to administer medications.
Only volumes of less than 1ml can be injected into the skin at a single site.
A visible bleb should appear in the skin.

28. Intravenous Catheterization

29. CORRECT
POSITION
INCORRECT
POSITION

32. Enemas Rarely used today.
Commonly given to newborn foals to encourage passage of the meconium (fetal feces). No special equipment involved, can use human pediatric enema solutions.
Procedure is not painful.
Follow directions for adult horses, pg 94.