i HATE shots!

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Posted by iZ's mom on March 11, 2000 at 10:43:14:

In Reply to: HELP having a problem giving shots... posted by Myyaa's mom on March 10, 2000 at 21:13:33:

i work in an ICU + i never understood why the nurses hated giving shots so much ... til i had to do iZ's! it sux .... hopefully your friend will be able to give you some tips in person that will help! can't believe the emergency vet was so cold as to want $100 .... grrrrr ... also wonder about the armpit suggestion!?!? you want to inject into a *muscle* and in the armpit you'e gonna risk hitting a lung ... ???? ... also i think it's actually *harder* to poke thru those little scales ... anyway ....

pretty much i'm just gonna echo what the others said ... wrap iZ in the towel with just one arm sticking out ... i make sure the towel is wrapped over his nose, etc, not just around him ... you do *NOT* want those teeth geting loose!!!! i held him on my lap, against my body with one arm (trying) to restrain his tail + held him fairly *tight* against my body ... keep talking softly to him to calm him *and* you ...

gently pull his arm back towards the tail like ds said, this will relax the bicep muscle a bit more than when it's flexed ...

the *real* trick is to go underneath the scale first, not thru it, cuz like the others said, it's not gonna go! ... pick a big scale on the back of Ea's bicep, + guide the needle even with it on the underneath side ... when you meet a little resistance, aim the needle downward ... it *should* slide into the skin/muscle fairly easily *once you're past the scale* ... (i only went into the muscle about 1/4", but that's gonna depend on the size of the ig + it's arm muscle) ... you don't have to go real deep, you just want to be in the muscle and not just under the skin is all ... (it'll absorb differently)

then take another deep breath + push the plunger in one smooth motion ... the fluid going into the muscle hurts, so *be prepared* for another lurch + roll from Ea ... if he does start struggling at that point while the needle is still in him *Let Go of the Needle!* but hold even more tightly on to him ... he'll calm down in a second + then pull the syringe out ... (sorry if this part is scaring you even more!!! but you need to know he is gonna react ... when he does, if you're holding onto the syringe tightly, there's the risk of the needle breaking off ... restrain *him* + his arm before grabbing the syringe again)

once the horrible deed is done, rub the spot where you injected him to help the medicine disperse + to help the muscle from becoming too sore ... keep in mind, that you still should have Ea firmly wrapped in the towel while doing this ... he's gonna be really upset with you, so even tho you want to snuggle + apologize, he won't appreciate it right now ... *carefully* set him down, preferrably in front of his most favorite nummy in the world and leave him alone for a while ...

believe it or not, it does get easier! after the 1st time i got it "just right", it all clicked in my head + went smoother after that ... but i think it's still the hardest thing in the world to do on your own pet ... even tho i got pretty good at doing it, i was still soaked in sweat + shaking like a leaf when i was done ...

so glad his tail is looking better!!! hang in there with his treatments + we'll keep up the chanting for healing/health! yeah, wish you were a bit closer to iowa and i'd help you out in person ... but know that you have all the support i can send via internet + via 'chanting' ok???

oh ~ and remember, you ARE a good ig-mom!!!! *grin* we tend to forget that sometimes at times lwhen we have to do shots, yechy medicine, etc ...

hugs + headbobs from iZ
iZ's mom

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: i work in an ICU + i never understood why the nurses hated giving shots so much ... til i had to do iZ's! it sux .... hopefully your friend will be able to give you some tips in person that will help! can't believe the emergency vet was so cold as to want $100 .... grrrrr ... also wonder about the armpit suggestion!?!? you want to inject into a *muscle* and in the armpit you'e gonna risk hitting a lung ... ???? ... also i think it's actually *harder* to poke thru those little scales ... anyway .... : pretty much i'm just gonna echo what the others said ... wrap iZ in the towel with just one arm sticking out ... i make sure the towel is wrapped over his nose, etc, not just around him ... you do *NOT* want those teeth geting loose!!!! i held him on my lap, against my body with one arm (trying) to restrain his tail + held him fairly *tight* against my body ... keep talking softly to him to calm him *and* you ... : gently pull his arm back towards the tail like ds said, this will relax the bicep muscle a bit more than when it's flexed ... : the *real* trick is to go underneath the scale first, not thru it, cuz like the others said, it's not gonna go! ... pick a big scale on the back of Ea's bicep, + guide the needle even with it on the underneath side ... when you meet a little resistance, aim the needle downward ... it *should* slide into the skin/muscle fairly easily *once you're past the scale* ... (i only went into the muscle about 1/4", but that's gonna depend on the size of the ig + it's arm muscle) ... you don't have to go real deep, you just want to be in the muscle and not just under the skin is all ... (it'll absorb differently) : then take another deep breath + push the plunger in one smooth motion ... the fluid going into the muscle hurts, so *be prepared* for another lurch + roll from Ea ... if he does start struggling at that point while the needle is still in him *Let Go of the Needle!* but hold even more tightly on to him ... he'll calm down in a second + then pull the syringe out ... (sorry if this part is scaring you even more!!! but you need to know he is gonna react ... when he does, if you're holding onto the syringe tightly, there's the risk of the needle breaking off ... restrain *him* + his arm before grabbing the syringe again) : once the horrible deed is done, rub the spot where you injected him to help the medicine disperse + to help the muscle from becoming too sore ... keep in mind, that you still should have Ea firmly wrapped in the towel while doing this ... he's gonna be really upset with you, so even tho you want to snuggle + apologize, he won't appreciate it right now ... *carefully* set him down, preferrably in front of his most favorite nummy in the world and leave him alone for a while ... : believe it or not, it does get easier! after the 1st time i got it "just right", it all clicked in my head + went smoother after that ... but i think it's still the hardest thing in the world to do on your own pet ... even tho i got pretty good at doing it, i was still soaked in sweat + shaking like a leaf when i was done ... : so glad his tail is looking better!!! hang in there with his treatments + we'll keep up the chanting for healing/health! yeah, wish you were a bit closer to iowa and i'd help you out in person ... but know that you have all the support i can send via internet + via 'chanting' ok??? : oh ~ and remember, you ARE a good ig-mom!!!! *grin* we tend to forget that sometimes at times lwhen we have to do shots, yechy medicine, etc ... : hugs + headbobs from iZ : iZ's mom

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