The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Button End Beasts on July 05, 2012, 06:56:59 am
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Morning!
I recently brought a slapshot, as recommended by Oaklands on a recent post. Any idea which is the best size needle to use with this to give a 5 month old pig a subcutaneous injection of a few ml of Noromectin? Looking at vet meds the possibilitys are endless and the needles all look the same to me. In the past i used ones the vet gave me but i stupidly forgot to check what size they were.
Thanks in advance!
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we use 25mm/½ inch needle, and remember you'll need luer-lock needles
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Please please do tell me Oaklands how you use a slapshot without masses of air bubbles in the tube - thanks, Tamsaddle
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we use 25mm/½ inch needle, and remember you'll need luer-lock needles
Do you mean 25mm (1 inch) OR Half inch (12mm) needle?
Pete
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we use 25mm/½ inch needle, and remember you'll need luer-lock needles
Do you mean 25mm (1 inch) OR Half inch (12mm) needle?
Pete
Sorry never got the hang of metric - 1/2 inch so whatever that is in new money !
will answer the bubble question later !
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we use 25mm/½ inch needle, and remember you'll need luer-lock needles
Do you mean 25mm (1 inch) OR Half inch (12mm) needle?
Pete
Sorry never got the hang of metric - 1/2 inch so whatever that is in new money !
will answer the bubble question later !
1/2 inch = 12mm (or 12.7mm to be precise)
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1/2 inch = 12mm (or 12.7mm to be precise)
Yes, I carefully googled the conversion for an inch, and then forgot to halve it !
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Please please do tell me Oaklands how you use a slapshot without masses of air bubbles in the tube - thanks, Tamsaddle
There are a number of ways.
If you measure the exact amount the slapshot takes (use water), then you'll know for future, ours takes just under 2ml.
The trick is not to fill an empty tube by sucking, but fill from the syringe.
If you're just doing one jab, use an oversize syringe that'll hold 2ml plus what you need to jab - eg if you need a 5ml dose use a 10ml syringe. Ignore the slapshot, and just fill the syringe with (in the example above) 7 ml straight from the bottle. Then remove the needle and connect the slapshot between the syringe and the needle. Squeeze the syringe to fill the tube, thus giving you a tube with 2mm and the syringe with 5mm, Now when presses the syringe will dispense the 5mm needed.
If you're doing multiple jabs, or only have a syringe of the needed size then you need to use a "clean needle/dirty needle" system - just as you would without slapshot - you should not be using a needle that has entered a pig to stick back into the bottle as this can contaminate. So proceed as follows - 2 people can make this work very quickly and effectively - if takes afr longer to describe than to do!
1. Put 2mm into the syringe as you would without slapshot.
2. Disconnect needle and keep as clean (we leave this in the bottle)
3. Connect slapshot (with a different clean needle) to syringe and fill with the 2mm.
4. Now (and this is key) make a U with the slapshot tube so that the needle end is level with the syringe end.
5. Disconnect the syringe, the tube will stay full as both ends are level
6. Connect the syringe to the clean needle in the bottle and put in the dose needed
7. Disconnect the clean needle and connect to the slapshot - jab pig.
8. Remake make the U with the slapshot tube so that the needle end is level with the syringe end.
Repeat from 5 above
Long post - much shorter to do.
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Many thanks. I will definitely have a go, or try it out with water and an orange instead of a pig, first. Tamsaddle
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That has answered my longstanding question too ... I fully understand now and will purchase a Slapshot as a result.
Many thanks Oaklands :thumbsup:
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Thanks for that invaluable info! When we did our pig keeping course (with Tony York) we all practiced injecting a pig with a slap shot and it seemed so easy. Having done it myself with a normal needle and syringe, I realise it really isn't so easy, so hoping this makes it much better!
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http://www.slapshot-flex-vac.com/video.htm (http://www.slapshot-flex-vac.com/video.htm)
iv never used one but prefer the gun to put the needle in with cos im squeamish, but we do bend a few needles. do u not jab ur fingers with a slapshot?
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Just looked at purchasing a Slapshot and noted that most sites selling them are in the US.
See http://www.enasco.com/product/C14747n (http://www.enasco.com/product/C14747n)
The price in USD is $10.85 which when converted is £6.98p
In the UK see http://www.farmandcountrysupplies.co.uk/slapshot-flexible-vaccinator.ir?cName=farm-smallholding-medical-healthcare-needles-drenchers-pour-on-applicators-syringesgunsapplicators (http://www.farmandcountrysupplies.co.uk/slapshot-flexible-vaccinator.ir?cName=farm-smallholding-medical-healthcare-needles-drenchers-pour-on-applicators-syringesgunsapplicators)
The price here in the UK is £18.35p
??? ...... unless anyone knows of another (cheaper) source .....
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Help!
I'm still confused. ??? What is the best gauge size to use?18G, 21G or which? Also, I just had a quick look at vet meds and couldn't see any, 1/2 inch (12 mm) needles. The smallest they had on there seem to be 16 mm. Is that length OK, seems a bit small? :-J
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16mm will be fine (5/8 inch), would go for 18G from your suggestions- Ivermectin (another brand of the same active ingedient) recommend 17G, so 18G will be fine. Our current ones are 20G and work fine with Ivermectin.
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Thanks!
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After much deliberation over what wormer to use, what needles to use, etc,etc, we just wormed our 3 OSBs, using the slap shot, in seconds! As my OH said" that might be the most expensive piece of tubing we ever brought but boy is it worth it"! :thumbsup:
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Great to hear !
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To add to this thread ... I'm just purchasing a Slap Shot, the first job is to worm all pigs. Most of ours are 5 months so I'll use a 1/2" needle as recommended here but what size should I use for a 12 month old gilt?
Pete
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1/2" is what ivermectin recommend for all pigs.
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Thank you Oaklands.