HELP! What is the right place to inject my hen?

[HenJo]

I need help as soon as possible. Im injecting her with penicillin

 

[HarlessGals]

http://shilala.com/injection.html

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Intramuscular – in the muscle
Subcutaneous – under the skin.

What does your medication say? Is it an injectable. Get a Vet or medical student to show you how. You can not just poke these things into an animal without some knowledge. Sorry it has to be said.

 

[agnes_day]

i wouldnt think it would be that big of a deal..maybe practice on an orange?

 

[ranchhand]

Ladyhawke1 is absolutely correct. I hate to throw more nerves your way, but injections are not easy in any animal. I worked in 2 clinics, please get some pro advice or help. And if your vet said do it, and didn't show you how, inject the vet!
If the penicillin came from the feed store, think twice! Check the expiration date, look to see if it's injectable or not. As a past vet assn't, I still prefer tetracycline in the water to injectable anything.

Either way, if you have a hen on antibiotics, don't eat the eggs for at least 4-6 weeks- throw them away.

What is the problem, anyway? Can any of us help?

 

[orchidchick]

I was instructed by my vet to do IM shots on either side of the keel bone. There is a meaty bit of muscle and if you go too far you just hit bone as opposed to other margins of error at other sites. It is also relatively easy to do by feel with the hen or roo in your lap and also wasn't painful at all when using insulin needles. I was injecting Reglan and baytril twice a day for 10 days and my hen never seemed to mind, but disclaimer....check with a vet when using that particular med.
Good luck,
Orchidchick

 

[Smoky73]

Yes, in the meaty part of the breast, either side of the keel. Be sure that before you push the plunger in, pull back to be sure you are not accidently in a vein. If you pull back and see blood, take out and reinsert into a different area.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Your medications are based on what they do. It depends whether they go in the muscle or under the skin. If you inject something in the muscle that was supposed to go under the skin, you could damage the muscle and possible cause gangrene or permanent muscle damage or even a cancer. Not all meds go into muscles.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

I hope I did not sound harsh. I did not mean to.

I was a veterinary technician for seven years and I worked at a “teaching hospital”. We taught people who were training to become veterinarians. I saw many mistakes made. This was years ago.

My recent experience was…my cat. Our vet knew I was experienced and he gave me syringes and medication to give my cat at home. His written and verbal instructions were that the injections were to be made subcutaneous, that is under the skin.
That is what I did. However, I found out later, by reading and looking up the medication that his instructions were wrong. The medication was supposed to go into the muscle.

OH, my cat got better. However, the beautiful fur around her neck now looks like moths got at her. Her hair where she was injected fell out and never grew back. I guess we were lucky that that was the only thing that happened to her.

 

[HenJo]

thanks guys!
I've also been told to just spray the penicillin onto the wound. Is that okay?
For those who don't know what happend, my hen was bitten by an animal and the wound was starting to smell.