How to Give an Intramuscular Shot to a Goat

Unvaccinated domestic goats, whether raised for their meat, milk or just as pets, run the risk of coming down with communicable diseases, several of which can be passed on to their owners. Some of those zoonotic illnesses include tuberculosis, brucellosis, Q-fever and rabies. Knowing how to inoculate your goats, as well as learning to give antibiotic shots for bacterial diseases, allows you to save money on veterinary barn calls and protects the health of your herd and your family.

Things You'll Need

  • Goat halter and lead rope
  • Needles, 3/4-inch, 20-gauge needles or 1-inch, 18-gauge
  • Syringe
  • Prescribed medication
  • Medical dosage
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a halter on your goat and tie the lead rope to a secure spot in a stall. If your goat is not halter trained, have an assistant straddle the goat and hold its muzzle tightly in both hands ensuring that its nostrils are left open to breathe. Holding the goat's head in this fashion restrains it from moving its neck during the injection.

    • 2

      Take the plastic cap off your needle and draw up the prescribed dosage of medication into your syringe by inserting the needle into the rubber stopper on the medicine vial and pulling back on the plunger. Remove the needle from the vial and push up on the plunger to remove any air bubbles.

    • 3

      Find the triangular area of your goat's neck formed by the muscles below its crest, above its jugular vein and between the goat's cheek and shoulder.

    • 4

      Remove the needle from your syringe and swiftly thrust it into the middle of the muscular triangle at a 90-degree angle. By placing the needle with a quick, sure jab, your goat is less likely to react to any pain.

    • 5

      Replace the syringe onto the needle and aspirate by pulling back on the plunger. Reposition the needle if you notice blood in the syringe; seeing blood means you hit a vein or capillary, not the muscle.

    • 6

      Push down on the syringe's plunger to inject the medicine if there is no blood present.