Problem with shot

[Mitransplant]

My hubby helped me give out two week old little buckling his shot. He pulled back on the needle and there was no blood. Not sure what happened then but when he was done with the shot, little guy was bleeding. Put pressure on it and the blood stopped. Hubby is worried now that he did something to injure Oreo. Also we can't find the old needles we were saving till I talked to the vet about disposing them and HE thinks we used an old needle. I know we didn't but IF we did what should we be watching for? Swollen leg, limping. Anything else? This is Oreo's first shot and from now on the little ones have to go to the vet since hubby wont do them any more. THANKS for your help.

 

[ksalvagno]

It is ok if they bleed. Just the way the shot was given made him bleed a little. I guess just watch for infection if you possibly used a used needle. It gets easier as you do more shots. Of course even the best have a bad shot day and things like that happen. Those buggers move and things happen.

 

[SheepGirl]

I don't think there was a problem. When you do an IM shot and you pull back on the plunger, you're checking to see if the sharp of the needle is in a vein (or even an artery)--you DON'T want to inject it directly into the blood stream. However, when you puncture the skin, it is going to bleed a little (like if you prick yourself with a safety pin or if you get a paper cut), so it is completely normal. Even with SQ shots it bleeds a little.

Think about it like this--when you go to the Dr. to get your shots, they put a bit of gauze and/or a band aid on it because the injection site does bleed because the skin was damaged.

Tell your hubby don't worry about it and he can continue to do it

 

[Mitransplant]

Thanks Karen and Sheepgirl. I am not worried about Oreo but hubby is scared he did something wrong and now he will get sick and die. AND I thought I was the sensitive one!

He is worried about infection but I know the two needles I had were the good ones and he took the old ones and put them somewhere till I found out where to dispose of them. I think he will feel better in a couple of days when Oreo is all over this. Guess when it is time for his second shot I had better be the one to do it and hubby can hold him THANKS

 

[animalmom]

Giving shots does get easier, really. When we started out in goats my husband did the shots and I held the little bodies. Now I give the shots all by myself. We got some good advise from our vet regarding subcutaneous shots that has made the process easier for me. Pinch up some skin (tent) from the area where the neck meets the shoulder and then pull that pinched tent of skin onto the needle as that helps ensure that you are not injecting into the skin but really under the skin. Getting a pinch of skin is not always easy on the babies so sometimes I pinch a little lower towards the armpit.

Maybe it is just psychological for me that I'm pulling the skin instead of pushing the needle in... don't know but it works and I rarely get any injection bumps.

As you have more experience the whole process goes faster, which is always a blessing.

 

[Mitransplant]

Thanks, the first time is always the hardest and especially on one of the little ones. I didn't feel comfortable doing it first so had hubby do it and now I think it would be easier if I just did it myself next time. Not thrilled with giving shots since I hate them but better get used to it. LOL

 

[elevan]

Best way to learn and practice is the way that diabetics do - with oranges! It really does work.

And trust me when I say that even those who give shots daily have bad days and mess it up. I give all of my animals their shots and I'm not without fault. My dog is diabetic and gets an injection twice a day. Just the other day I somehow managed to inject just between the skin layers and not completely below the skin which resulted in a lump.

It gets easier but there will be bad days.

Get yourself an old soda / juice bottle and rinse it out. Drop your used needles in there and then when it's full take it to your vets office (if they'll accept them from you).
Here are some other methods for finding out how to dispose of your used needles.

1 Contact your municipality, local health department or sanitation department to find out the approved method of disposal for the city or town where you live.
2 Talk to your pharmacist or health care provider about collection sites. They may be located at hospitals, medical offices, pharmacies, or other areas in your community. If there is no collection site in your area, you can use a mail-back program. Ask your health care provider or search online for programs.
3 Call the North American Syringe Exchange Network at 253-272-4857 to learn more about exchanging used needles for new needles.
4 Find out about local disposal programs by contacting the Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal at 1-800-643-1643.
5 Purchase a sharps destruction device. These devices bend, clip or melt the sharp, making it safe for regular trash disposal. To find one, check with your pharmacist or Internet drug stores and medical supply companies.

Read more: How to Dispose of Used Insulin Syringes and Lancets At Home | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2088837_dispose-used-insulin-syringes-lancets.html#ixzz1uDE0dHaJ

 

[Mzyla]

Just the other day I somehow managed to inject just between the skin layers and not completely below the skin which resulted in a lump.

Please explain to me; is the "Lump" only appearing if needle didn't aimed exactly under the skin? If injection goes precisely under skin, there is never no lump?
I could swear that I aimed into the "tent" and still my Molly have a hard lump, size of a nuts.
Just want to know...that's all.

 

[Mitransplant]

elevan, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all this information. I made a copy of all of it and saved in on my computer for future references. I really appreciate you taking the time to write it all out. I hope others will read this and have this information when or if they need it. THANKS AGAIN!

I an a little apprehensive to do the shots myself only because I hate needles and will pass this on to Oreo. BUT I will try the next shot maybe with hubby doing the holding so that I get some experience with the shot giving. THANKFULLY they only get shots once a year after the baby phase. If they should ever need more shots at least then I would be a little more comfortable doing it and might have to alone sometime so I need to know how. Thank you again!