Injectable Penicillin Dose

[sylviethecochin]

Very helpful info. Thank you for sharing.
I had inserted the needle with the procaine into the breast for 4 days and it worked. A year later she was sick again. I injected the needle same place and she violently reacted and jumped out of my arms, slammed herself to the floor repeatedly and died. It was horrible to watch. So I asked my vet where else to inject and maybe I injected into the wrong spot??? He said to put needle under the skin between the leg and body, that loose flap of skin. And I did this for another sick chicken and it worked, so it was not a muscular injection.

They're both valid methods, but intramuscular is faster-acting and more painful to the bird. I always go SQ (subcutaneous) because I'm usually doing it on my own and it's easier to hold the bird on my lap and inject at the front of the wing (I'd do the thigh locations, since the vet recommended it; I learned to do injections with goats and we always did it at the shoulder)

 

[mary5412]

Very helpful. My vet did say the penicillin was painful. Wondering how you did in front of wing...... you mean the area between the wing and body? That seems like a good spot too!

 

[sylviethecochin]

You mean the area between the wing and body?

Yep. There's some loose skin where the wing joins the body

 

[mary5412]

Thank you! More good advice

 

[Serenity Sav]

I realize this post is 2 years old, but found it informative and wanted to check if there were any more updates/input since then as to the proper dosing of procaine penicillin G (300k units one)?
thank you in advance

 

[Araucana1]

My chicken vet gave me 1.25 ml injectable for a 4 lb chicken, to be adminiistered intra-muscular. View attachment 1687078

That is a LOT of penicillin for a 4 lb chicken ! My poultry specialist wrote me a prescription for a 5 lb rooster of 1/2 a mil for 4 days

 

[Araucana1]

They're both valid methods, but intramuscular is faster-acting and more painful to the bird. I always go SQ (subcutaneous) because I'm usually doing it on my own and it's easier to hold the bird on my lap and inject at the front of the wing (I'd do the thigh locations, since the vet recommended it; I learned to do injections with goats and we always did it at the shoulder)

Yep. There's some loose skin where the wing joins the body

Some medications are meant only for intramuscular, others are subcutaneous only. The two methods should not be mixed or interchanged. Always ask your vet which method is required for the drug you are using.

 

[TiffanyFlowers]

Did the vet say why the intramuscular shot killed your hen? This is totally my biggest fear when giving shots. But my dog bit one of our girls, it definitely broke through the skin.

 

[Milkywayranchsc]

They're both valid methods, but intramuscular is faster-acting and more painful to the bird. I always go SQ (subcutaneous) because I'm usually doing it on my own and it's easier to hold the bird on my lap and inject at the front of the wing (I'd do the thigh locations, since the vet recommended it; I learned to do injections with goats and we always did it at the shoulder)

The bottle says injecting into a blood vessel will cause sudden death. Always pull back the plunger to check for blood before giving penicillin. I'm sorry that happened to you and your chicken. I am scared to give penicillin because of that. When I do give it, I give subq also, less chance of hitting a blood vessel.