How to Give Intra-Muscular Injections to Horses

Sometimes, to help minimize the cost of visits, the vet may leave injections, such as a course of antibiotics, to be given by the horse owner. Intramuscular injections can be given in the chest, for example when giving anti-tetanus and influenza vaccinations. However, antibiotic injections involve quite a large amount of fluid, and the larger the muscle mass injected, the more easily the liquid is absorbed.

Things You'll Need

  • Medication
  • Antiseptic swab
  • Syringe
  • Rubber gloves
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Instructions

    • 1

      Shake the bottle and clean the plastic seal with an antiseptic swab.

    • 2

      Determine which injection site you will administer the medication. Choose from a triangular area at the base of the neck, a rectangular area in the buttocks, one inch below the point of the buttocks next to the tail, or a rectangular area in the pectoral muscle.

    • 3

      Inject an equivalent amount of air into the bottle to extract injectable fluid.

    • 4

      Give two or three rapid thumps at the injection site to desensitize the area.

    • 5

      Quickly insert the needle perpendicular to the skin into the horse's muscle all the way to the hub.

    • 6

      Re-attach the syringe to the needle. Pull back on the plunger slightly to check that no blood flows back into the syringe, which would indicate that you have tapped a vein. If blood is present, remove the needle and start over with a clean needle.

    • 7
      Provided you have chosen a well muscled spot for the injection, the horse is unlikely to feel the needle.

      Slowly depress the plunger on the syringe until all the fluid is injected.