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Every cattle owner should be able to give an injection to a calf or cow, since it is not always possible to consult a veterinarian. Of course, this is not easy - there are some peculiarities in administering medicinal substances to cows and calves. But you can cope with this task by following certain rules and precautions.
Features of injection of cattle
The administration of cattle injections has a number of features. It is not recommended to ignore them, since cows are large animals and can sometimes be dangerous to humans.
The main task facing the livestock breeder is to limit the mobility of the cow. For this purpose, there are various methods of fixation, in particular special machines that significantly minimize the movements of the animal, and for humans, facilitate the procedure for administering the injection.
Cattle owners know how gentle and sensitive their animals are. Therefore, during the procedure, the owner needs to behave as calmly and confidently as possible. You should not raise your voice at a cow, much less beat it. It is better to act quickly and not worry the animal unnecessarily.Before administering the medicine, you can pet the cow, talk in a calm voice, and try to calm her down with words. All medications must be administered warm so as not to shock the animal again. Cold liquid should not enter the blood vessels.
It is advisable for a cattle owner to have in his arsenal a supply of syringes, automatic syringes, and a set of sterile cannulas of different sizes. The choice of cannulas depends on the weight of the animal, the injection site and the form of injection. For example, injections can be given to calves using a 20-25 mm cannula. Often, an elongated form of an automatic syringe is used for injections. This is more convenient and allows a person to keep a safe distance from the cow.
How to give an injection to a calf or cow
The administration of medications to a cow requires strict adherence to all basic precautions against infection in the injection area.
If the animal's skin is very dirty, first wash it with warm water, dry it, then treat it with alcohol or iodine. You should also wash and sanitize your hands. Injections are carried out only with a sterile instrument, observing the requirements for medications. At the time of manipulation, the cow must be carefully secured.
When preparing a cow for injection, you should read the instructions, which indicate how the drug should be administered, that is, subcutaneously, intramuscularly or intravenously. As a rule, the injection site is the animal's neck or pelvic area.
How to give an intramuscular injection
Drugs are administered intramuscularly in the form of solutions.With this method of administration, the medicine spreads fairly quickly through the blood throughout the body. It is important to choose the right injection site. Typically, the area where the muscle tissue is densest is selected. This is the gluteal muscle, the triceps brachii muscle, the dewlap area. It is better to administer intramuscular injections to the cervical region. This will preserve the quality of the meat.
The needle for intramuscular injection should have a pointed end, 40 mm in size. Dull needles cause unnecessary discomfort to cows. Often, with a low-quality needle, pieces of skin get into the wound, and this causes inflammation. Syringes for injections must be disposable. A good option for carrying out the procedure is automatic syringes with extensions. They are often used to give injections to bulls.
First, the intended injection site is lightly struck with a fist; the syringe should be brought to the cow’s skin at an angle of 45 degrees. Then the needle is inserted deep into the muscle. After administering the solution, the needle is removed and the injection site is treated. If it is necessary to add more medicine, a plunger with the next drug should be attached to the cannula and injected into the muscle. If the cow becomes agitated when administering the drug, you should stop for a while and calm the animal, and then continue. After the procedure, you can rub the injection site to relieve discomfort.
How to give an intravenous injection
Solutions for intravenous administration should be transparent, without sediment. Injections are made into the jugular vein, which is located in the neck at the border of the upper and middle thirds. To see her, they lift the cow’s head and slightly move apart the fold of skin. A large blood vessel will be visible there - the jugular vein.If it is poorly visible, which happens in overfed, overly fat cows, then the head should be raised even higher. First, the skin is punctured, and then the vein itself is pierced. If the needle is clogged and no blood flows, then you need to inject again, choosing a place just above the first puncture. The drug must be administered very slowly, strictly observing the dosage. The drug immediately enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body.
Technique for administering intravenous injections:
- the jugular vein is compressed with a finger or bandage;
- the injection site is treated with alcohol;
- a needle is inserted into the place where the vein has expanded at an angle of 45 degrees;
- if necessary, if the blood flow is weak, the position of the needle is adjusted;
- remove the bandage (or finger) from the vein and inject the medicine;
- after injection, pressing the vein, remove the needle and treat the injection site again.
Intravenous injections are not recommended for an inexperienced person to do on their own. The procedure should be performed by a veterinarian.
How to give a subcutaneous injection
Subcutaneous injections are less painful for animals than other injections. As a rule, alcohol, oil and aqueous solutions should be administered subcutaneously. With this method of administration, medications are absorbed better. The product begins to act within 5-10 minutes. The injection site will be any area of the body with the largest number of folds. The skin folds are slightly pulled back and an injection is made. For injection of cattle, a 25-30 mm needle is used; for calves, a 10 mm needle is suitable. Subcutaneous injections should not be given near joints, tendons and cartilage tissue.
Subcutaneous injection technique:
- the neck area, where the deepest folds are, wipe the cow’s skin with an alcohol solution;
- pull with your hands;
- the syringe should be held at an angle of 30 degrees;
- slowly introduce the drug;
- treat the injection site.
With subcutaneous injections, the needle penetrates the subcutaneous fatty tissue, where nerve endings are found in minimal quantities. Therefore, practically no pain effect is observed and fixation of the cow in the pen is not required.
Sometimes nasal injections are used. When carrying out, the animal also needs to be fixed, especially the head of the cow. Prepare a syringe with a plastic tip and a solution of the drug inside. The syringe is first inserted into one nostril of the cow and the drug is sharply injected, and then the same is repeated from the second nostril.
Precautionary measures
Basic precautions are related to human safety during various procedures.
Cow restraint can be done by securing the head or limbs of the animal. Sometimes a reflexive method is used, when the hand squeezes the skin over the spinous processes and pulls it up. At the same time, the cow freezes and cannot move actively. Cows are also secured with belts to a fence or wall, with their hind limbs blocked off with a pole.
Today, combined machines are widely used, which can be used both in a standing and lying position, during various surgical interventions. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to go into the cow’s pen or stick your head in there. All procedures for the cow are carried out outside the pen. Violations of this requirement sometimes result in the death of the livestock breeder.
Before giving injections, livestock producers should ensure that they have sterile injection equipment.If the syringes or cannulas are dirty, then at best there may be no therapeutic effect. At worst, you can infect the entire flock with yeast infections. A competent and caring owner should have a set of disposable syringes, cannulas, and needles in order to protect themselves from more significant expenses in the future if the animal gets sick.
Medicines should be stored in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Preparations lose their properties if exposed to moisture or heat. Under such unfavorable conditions, bacteria can penetrate into the solutions. Medicines must be stored refrigerated at a certain temperature. The expiration date of medications should be checked regularly. It is strictly not recommended to use expired products.
Conclusion
Injecting a calf is as easy as injecting a cow, but you need to have the necessary knowledge and experience. Still, it is not advisable to give injections yourself. Due to some crowded conditions, infectious diseases can spread quite quickly among cows. Therefore, injections are carried out for both therapeutic and preventive purposes. To avoid many problems, cattle owners when treating animals and routine vaccination of livestock need to monitor the work of staff. It is especially important to implement and comply with all sanitary standards and regulations.
