The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: tommytink on December 03, 2021, 07:03:11 pm
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What length needle should you use for sub cutaneous injections? I have inch long needles which I’m using for intramuscular (18g, after switching from 16g 1 1/2 inch ones which the vet gave me but that seems were more suited to cows :o ). The vet gave me 18g one inch when they did me up some syringes as well but I’m sure I’ve seen shorter? I managed to waste half my meds today by poking the needle in one side and out t’other ::)
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You can get 1/2 inch or even shorter. To be fair I normally use 1 inch as it’s normally that or cow spec needles I’ve got in stock 😂
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You need a short needle for sub cutaneous injections, but the needle gauge depends on the viscosity of what you're injecting. If the liquid moves slowly in the bottle then it's thick and you need a bigger gauge (white) than if the liquid moves like water, in which case you can use a green needle.
People tend to think that the bigger the needle gauge, the more painful the injection, but this is not so. It's how fast the liquid goes in that can cause pain by damaging the tissues under the skin. If you are using a narrow needle, then press the plunger more slowly than if you are using a thicker one. Practice squirting water into the air if you don't believe me.
In fact thicker liquids tend to be given intra muscularly, so using a 1" or 1 1/2" white needle is fine for those, length depending on the depth of muscle at the injection site - deep enough to get into the bulk of the muscle, not so deep you bump into bone (which is very painful)