IM injection in cats

RE: IM injection in cats

Rob Loxley — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 19:20:49 GMT

[quote user="Jill Butterworth"]I'm one for the lumbar/epaxial muscles too as easy to administer on your own.[/quote]

+1 and if using a small needle e.g. insulin for cat, is mostly not even noticed

RE: IM injection in cats

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:56:40 GMT

It's just me, I know it is, but:

When without assistance, i find that with relatively light restraint (e.g. a firm but not brutal hold on the scruff), with the cat positioned correctly and with good injection technique, the quadriceps mass is the easiest site and involves less likelihood of pain reaction than other sites. I have found more pain with the epaxial muscles. The triceps muscle can also be used successfully.

RE: IM injection in cats

Jill Butterworth — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:18:00 GMT

I'm one for the lumbar/epaxial muscles too as easy to administer on your own.

RE: IM injection in cats

Anthony Todd — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 11:31:50 GMT

[quote user="George Cooper"]and apart from B12[/quote]

Sorry, B12 is fine, "B12 with or without Bets, remember" BUT Multivitamins [B1!!!] very painful and I seem to remember vit A??

RE: IM injection in cats

Clive Ansell — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:32:38 GMT

I tend to use the epaxial muscle mass in cats; larger muscle, restraint seems easier and they appear to tolerate it better. Will use quads if a small volume being injected with a fine needle or preferably an insulin syringe.

RE: IM injection in cats

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:24:33 GMT

[quote user="George Cooper"]

S/C for me. and apart from B12 or multivitamin appear to be extremely well tolerated and also effective.

[/quote]I think we're starting to miss the point a bit. I thought we were primarily discussing which IM route to use when giving drugs which have to be given IM to be effective - mostly sedatives and opiates. Agreed otherwise anything that can be given SC will be given SC.

RE: IM injection in cats

George Cooper — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:15:42 GMT

S/C for me. and apart from B12 or multivitamin appear to be extremely well tolerated and also effective.

RE: IM injection in cats

Anthony Todd — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 08:59:10 GMT

BITD we all, AFAIK gave virtually everything via S/C [or I/V]; dogs and cats.

It was seemingly painless, no reactions and seemed to work. Mind you most of us didn't have the luxury of a nurse to hold the animal and owners were usually not reliable to restrain anything except their wallet.....

Only reaction I ever remember was one Depomedone given I/M in a dog.

RE: IM injection in cats

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 08:40:37 GMT

One of my nurses was taught elsewhere to inject into the neck muscles while scruffing a fractious cat. I can see it would be easier from a restraint point of view if you're doing it single handed but there are lot of vital structures to hit if it goes wrong.

RE: IM injection in cats

Niall Taylor — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 08:24:58 GMT

It must depend on technique surely, my preferred route for i/m in cats is the quads and find it is relatively less painful than other sites. I also feel that injecting into lumbar muscles is a less effective route than others but appreciate some folks seem to get on well with it.

Niall

RE: IM injection in cats

Neil Wheadon — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 07:46:09 GMT

Wasn't there a study recently that showed that cattle suffered with more sciatic nerve damage than we appreciated due to standard injections in that area?

Neil

PS I always try to go lumbar, tolerated well

RE: IM injection in cats

Kara Gibson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 02:30:47 GMT

+1 for lumbar injections in cat unless there is a specific contraindication (e.g. spinal pain). I find they are easy to restrain for this and tolerate it extremely well.