How to give a cat an injection: step-by-step instructions and tips for beginners

It can be frightening to give your cat an injection, particularly if you’ve never done it before. To ensure your pet stays healthy and happy, it is important to know how to give injections correctly, whether the pet is receiving medicine for a chronic illness or a transient illness. The good news is that even novices can learn how to administer an injection in a calm and safe manner with the correct instruction.

Being sensitive animals, cats are able to sense your feelings. Maintaining composure and being organized can facilitate the process for both of you. We’ll walk you through every step of the process in this guide, offering helpful advice to make you feel at ease and confident when injecting your cat.

Everything you need to know will be covered in this article, from assembling the necessary supplies to determining the best injection location. You can give your cat injections with the least amount of stress and the greatest amount of care if you have patience and practice.

Step	Description
1. Prepare the materials	Gather the syringe, medication, and cotton ball with alcohol. Make sure everything is clean and within reach.
2. Calm the cat	Gently hold or wrap the cat in a towel to keep it calm and reduce movement during the injection.
3. Locate the injection spot	For subcutaneous injections, find the loose skin between the shoulder blades.
4. Insert the needle	Hold the syringe like a pencil and quickly but gently insert the needle into the skin at a slight angle.
5. Administer the medication	Slowly push the plunger to release the medication, ensuring the cat remains calm.
6. Remove the needle	Quickly remove the needle and apply light pressure with the cotton ball on the injection site.
7. Reward your cat	Give your cat a treat or some affection to soothe it after the injection.

Choosing a syringe for injection

Pet instruments are bought from a typical human pharmacy. Injections can be administered intramuscularly, subcutaneously, or intravenously. Different needles and syringes are needed for each option.

For intramuscular

In this instance, the cat’s front or back leg muscles are used for the injection. You can use syringe volumes of 1, 2, 5, and 10 ml. Three-component syringes are the only option if you need to administer a dose larger than one milliliter. To facilitate smooth movement of the needle, the design incorporates a plunger in addition to the piston and needle. The piston’s end, where the needle is inserted, is home to the black seal.

Selecting the needle comes next after determining the right volume. It is preferable to use thin needles for cats, especially kittens. Use an "insulin syringe" or a 30×0.6 mm needle when selecting a syringe for 2.5 ml or more.

"Insulin syringes" work well with doses less than 1 ml. The fact that patients with diabetes frequently received insulin is how they got their name. The instrument has two advantageous features. Its plunger allows for soft movement, to start. The needle is also quite short. Beginners need not be concerned about how deep the needle will be submerged.

Crucial! The needle needs to be extremely sharp. The needle needs to be changed if it was used to draw medication through a rubber stopper.

For subcutaneous

In this instance, the animal’s withers receive the injection. This area’s skin is soft, not overly stretched, and contains few nerve endings. Because it feels less, the cat can withstand even uncomfortable injections.

While the syringe’s capacity can vary, 30×0.6 ml should be the needle of choice. This is assuming the medication isn’t based on oil.

Medications with an oily base structure are frequently used in conjunction with subcutaneous injections. Since the drug’s viscous and oily structure hardens quickly, you must select needles with a larger diameter to avoid the drug clogging the needle’s passages. For instance, the needle should be 40×0.7 mm if the syringe holds 3 ml, etc.

Only experts can administer intravenous injections.

Basic rules and recommendations

When administering the medication on your own, be sure to adhere to these personal hygiene guidelines:

• Before the procedure, wash your hands with soapy solution and wipe with alcohol;
• use a one -time syringe, necessarily sterile;
• Do not touch the needle with your hand;
• each introduction needs a new sterile needle;
• Do not use open ampoules.

Expensive medications are occasionally made to require multiple injections. Every time, you shouldn’t start a new bottle. Typing the recommended dosages into different syringes and sealing them with plastic caps is sufficient. Medication storage should be done in a refrigerator; the drug’s instructions should specify this.

Nevertheless, this approach is not always taken. For instance, because powdered medications often precipitate, they are diluted right before the procedure. The ampoules are heated in the hands prior to use. The medication should be at a slightly warmer temperature than the surrounding air.

Crucial! A clean ampoule with the name removed cannot be used. Verify the medication’s expiration date and discard any that have passed.

Examine the medication’s name on any open boxes. Because it’s likely that you placed a single ampoule in a vacant spot inside the box while cleaning.

Before using, read the instructions; it’s possible that the medication needs to be shaken.

Get a special file ready so you can open the ampoule. Press it in the opposite direction after wrapping it in cotton wool. Certain copies bear a mark. Next, put the needle in. Turn the ampoule upside down for ease of use, then remove the solution. Use a plunger to remove any remaining air from the syringe after it has been filled.

Try not to put two medications into one device. Sedimentation and a negative response are both possible.

Select the injection type. Not all medications can be injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly. For instance, diphenhydramine is only appropriate for intramuscular and intravenous injections, while calcium chloride can only be given intravenously. Any differences could exacerbate the condition and cause tissue death.

Although injecting a cat can seem intimidating, it can be done successfully with the correct technique and a composed attitude. This post will guide you through the process of giving your cat a shot safely and effectively. It also includes helpful advice for newcomers to help you and your pet feel less anxious during the procedure. We’ll go through everything you need to know to guarantee a safe and effective injection, from setting up the syringe to keeping your cat motionless.

Injection technique

When administering an intramuscular injection, speed matters. The more medication, the slower it should be given. For instance, 0.5 ml should be given in one second and a volume of 1 ml should be spread out over two to three seconds.

Injections cause the body to become microtraumatized by stratifying the muscles. As a result, a specific formula is applied to determine how much medication is needed for cats of various weights. One milliliter of the medication should be administered all at once to a 4 kg cat on average. It is required to inject multiple sites if a greater dosage needs to be given.

The speed at which a drug is administered via subcutaneous injection is negligible. There can only be 70 milliliters of liquid per kilogram.

Intramuscular injection

The drug is primarily administered by intramuscular injection to ensure rapid onset of action. The middle of the thigh is thought to be the ideal location for injections.

Actions algorithm

Getting ready:

1. The procedure will be quick and successful if you do some preparatory work. Put cotton wool, a syringe, medicine, a file, and alcohol on the table in advance.
2. Read the instructions carefully. Let"s say you notice a discrepancy with the veterinarian"s prescription. Call the doctor and find out before you start the injection.
3. Wash your hands with soap and wipe with alcohol.
4. Before filing the ampoule, make sure that the medicine is at the bottom. If the medicine gets into the narrow part of the bottle, tap the walls with your finger and distribute it correctly.
5. Point the needle into the cut neck and turn the ampoule over. This will make it easier to draw in the liquid.
6. As soon as the solution is drawn into the syringe, turn the syringe upside down with the needle so that the air droplets rise up. Press the plunger until the needle is filled with medicine and the air is expelled.
7. Do not worry before the procedure, otherwise the cat will feel it and will be excited and tense. You need to calm the cat with gentle movements to relax the muscles.
8. There is no need to lubricate the injection site with anything, as this can only damage the antibacterial layer of the skin.

Infusion:

1. If you have a partner, let him put the cat on its side and hold it by the paws. For independent actions, you can use a bag with an injection fixator. Also use a large clothespin. Fasten it behind the scruff. The cat will think that someone is holding it and will sit quietly. The owner has the opportunity to work with both hands.
2. Feel the bone with your fingers in advance so as not to hit it with the needle.
3. You do not need to clamp the injection site in the muscle.
4. Some medications should not enter the vessels. Therefore, during the injection, pull back the plunger and make sure that blood has not entered the syringe and calmly inject the solution. If there is blood, pull out the needle and make a new puncture.
5. Insert the needle into the middle of the thigh by 10 mm at an angle of 45 degrees.
6. The rate of administration depends on the amount of solution. Each ml of the drug should be administered for at least 2-3 seconds, each subsequent ml is administered more slowly.
7. After administering the liquid, pull the needle out at the same angle as it was inserted before. No need to wipe the injection site.

A tutorial video showing how to inject a cat intramuscularly:

Subcutaneous injection

The instructions recommend painful injections under the skin that contain a lot of medication. This is the widely recognized technique for giving Nobivac injections to cat owners.

Mechanism of action:

1. Carry out preparatory work: get the drug, alcohol, file, cotton wool.
2. Treat your hands with alcohol.
3. Read the instructions.
4. Pick up the drug.
5. Place the cat comfortably, open the withers for procedures. Pull it up and make a fold with your fingers.
6. Place the needle parallel to the back and insert it into the fold. If an "insulin syringe" is used, then deepen the needle completely, a syringe of another type – by 0.5 cm. If after the puncture the needle falls inside – this is a signal that the needle has successfully made a puncture. We administer the medicine.
7. After the injection, pull out the syringe along the same projection.

Useful video

An in-depth tutorial video on administering a subcutaneous injection:

Intravenous injection

The paw is used to implant a catheter during an intravenous injection. It is used to administer medications. You should trust the professionals here as the procedure can be quite complex for an inexperienced person.

Injecting your cat may seem difficult at first, but it gets much easier with practice. You and your pet will be able to administer the injection safely and with the least amount of stress if you remain composed and follow the detailed instructions.

As always, make sure you have the appropriate equipment on hand and know when and how to fire the shot. Additionally, giving your cat some comfort beforehand can have a significant impact on how they react. Take your time and don’t rush to get it right.

Never hesitate to ask your veterinarian for guidance or a demonstration if you’re ever unsure or uneasy. It is possible to successfully administer the injections your cat needs to stay healthy if you take patience and care.

Video on the topic

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