Giving injections to snakes

[Lawra]

@DarwinBrianT is there anyone with experience who can help you? From my limited knowledge/experience I believe it goes under the skin, not into the muscle. I found my bag method to be the easiest since my partner hates snakes and I work a crazy hospo roster so noone I knew could really help me.

My vet filled the needles for me too. Did yours also recommend you keep them in the freezer until you're ready to medicate?

The most important thing is confidence. It gets much easier after the first one, trust me. Be cautious and careful but don't hesitate and try to be sure of what you're doing.

First of all make sure there aren't any air bubbles in the needle. Then swab the area, let it dry and gently but firmly push the tip of the needle on an angle between a couple of scales. Once you feel it pierce the skin, lay the needle parallel to the snake (move it a little if need be just to make sure you're under the skin) and push the needle a little further. Like previously stated, it doesn't need to go all the way in. Then inject the liquid, wait a second and draw it out slowly.

The actual injection will take you all of 5 seconds and it's what you do before and after that's the most stressful part. Just focus on the fact that your snake really needs this to get better so you have to man up and do it with a matter of fact attitude (or that's what I told myself anyway) and it's a lot more stressful for him than it is for you so try to get it over with asap

The bag method works well because you're holding the snake and the bag closed with one hand so as long as you can keep a firm grip without squishing him after the injection you can then put him back in his enclosure in the bag and let him come out in his own time.

Edit: I'm not in any way an expert and have only administered 6 doses of subcutaneous injections to my yearling jungle ( my fault anyway - RI ). I hope you can find out more information from your vet, it may have just been a case of him/her assuming knowledge on your part. Otherwise, all the best in finding a vet who can be more helpful

 

[wokka]

You need to follow advise given by the vet providing the drugs, not by self confessed experts on aps. If that vet wont tell you use another vet. Although many apsers know what they are talking about some dont , so how do you tell.

 

[Beans]

Okay but if the did not say how to even so it if asked then that's not only unprofessional it's lazy to boot. So he came here to get advice. No one is saying we are professionals but a lot of us do have experience.

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[Beans]

Plus the i hear the Internet will tell you how to do something. It's crazy how helpful it can be :0

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[-Peter]

under the skin, not into the muscle. Wokka is right unfortunately.

 

[critterguy]

Got shown by our vet who is the main reptile vet around here, did it all the same as people have adviced except for the rubbing after taking out of the needle or atleast we didn't, he might have and I didn't notice.
I did the restraining, my wife did the injections.

Like others only limited experience with it, had to dose our snake for about 1 month and also were told to move the spot we inject a little bit on that part of the body one of the others mentioned and change sides regularly as well as only about 1/3 of the needle in on a angle towards the head so as it goes under the scales easier.

This was antibiotics for mouth rot, I think he told us it looked like from a cut from a rat claw to be nice, have since found out it was likely from poor heating and have got a larger heat pad on the way (had been meaning to upgrade her one for a while anyway due to her size, just hadn't yet).

 

[Beans]

You don't have to rub it, the last vet I said you can rub it just to spread it around which wouldn't be needed anyway. Plus its a habit since my animal studies class, they all did it and I picked up the habit xD

 

[DarwinBrianT]

You need to follow advise given by the vet providing the drugs, not by self confessed experts on aps. If that vet wont tell you use another vet. Although many apsers know what they are talking about some dont , so how do you tell.

Sorry but I do take offence to you calling anyone that has posted to help me "self confessed experts". They have gone out of their way and taken time to try to help me and you insult them like that. You have not offered me any advice but you knock those that have and probably stop someone stepping up that can help me some more for fear of being called a "self confessed expert". You insult my intelligence to decide for my self and I can do without you "helping" me anymore.
I'm sure this post will get deleted but I have to say it anyway, its just how I am.

 

[wokka]

Sorry but I do take offence to you calling anyone that has posted to help me "self confessed experts". They have gone out of their way and taken time to try to help me and you insult them like that. You have not offered me any advice but you knock those that have and probably stop someone stepping up that can help me some more for fear of being called a "self confessed expert". You insult my intelligence to decide for my self and I can do without you "helping" me anymore.
I'm sure this post will get deleted but I have to say it anyway, its just how I am.

On the contry I made the comment because some of the recommendations made are wrong. Many drugs dispensed by veterinarians are potentially dangerous if not correctly dispensed and so their use should be directed by qualified advisors not by anonomous and unaccoutable publication from the well meaning. No advise is better than wrong advise!

 

[DarwinBrianT]

On the contry I made the comment because some of the recommendations made are wrong. Many drugs dispensed by veterinarians are potentially dangerous if not correctly dispensed and so their use should be directed by qualified advisors not by anonomous and unaccoutable publication from the well meaning. No advise is better than wrong advise!

Well help me by telling which post is wrong rather then insulting people.
With quotes from the post please.

 

[Becceles]

DarwinBrianT, give Brisbane Birds and Exotics Vet clinic a call. They have a reptile vet who should be able to help you. Alternately google Brisbane reptile vets, there are a few around. By the sounds of it your vet is not competent in giving clear instructions and demonstrations. I think you will be much better off seeking a second opinion from a VET rather than advice from a forum, not matter how "correct" it may seem. The prescribed drugs could potentially be very dangerous and in the best interests of your snake they must be administered confidently.

 

[DarwinBrianT]

Thank you Becceles I'll look them up.

 

[Rlpreston]

DarwinBrianT, Wokka has a valid point. While it's great to have others opinions/recommendations available to you, there is no way of knowing who is right or wrong in matters like this where there are opposing answers (despite the very best intentions). I don't think he was trying to offend anyone at all.

I would have to agree that this is something to be confirmed by a reptile vet.

 

[DarwinBrianT]

DarwinBrianT, Wokka has a valid point. While it's great to have others opinions/recommendations available to you, there is no way of knowing who is right or wrong in matters like this where there are opposing answers (despite the very best intentions). I don't think he was trying to offend anyone at all.

I would have to agree that this is something to be confirmed by a reptile vet.

I would agree with the last bit "I would have to agree that this is something to be confirmed by a reptile vet." and I'm looking asap/on it. But as I said to him please point out the opposing answers which he hasn't done either, to set us all straight.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at you too. I do appreciate you helping.

 

[Rlpreston]

I would agree with the last bit "I would have to agree that this is something to be confirmed by a reptile vet." and I'm looking asap/on it. But as I said to him please point out the opposing answers which he hasn't done either, to set as all straight.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at you too. I do appreciate you helping.

I see where you're coming from, I think I may be reading into it from a different perspective is all.

Even if he did point it out (and I would be inclined to think he knows which are the right answers) you would still be blindly trusting him also. I think that's the point he was making. Just my interpretation though!

I hope the vet can give you the right advice and you get your snake sorted ASAP



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[DarwinBrianT]

Cheers mate, I'm sure it'll all work out and I know all post are trying to help me so thanks to every that has posted.

- - - Updated - - -

So I did my first injection, all was good, the snake took it very well.
My wife was almost fainting lol so I got one of my 10 year boys to hold the snake. He did very well also.
I learnt a lot on giving needles and how to hold a snake down, the next one will be much easier from what I learned.

Cheers everyone, and especially the people that sent me PM's on this, all the time and effort you went to was a big help.

 

[wokka]

I apologise for my choice of words and to those who may have been offended by them. I am not a vet but have worked closely with many having given tens of thousands of injections under veterinary supervison over the past 40 years. Threads on aps become an archive for the future so it important that information posted is accurate. In NSW and Australia generally most antiobiotics are only available "under veterinary supervision". This requires that when the vet supplies drugs, they ensure that the user is competent to dispense them, so as to safe gard against the negative side effects which can occur. In this thread both subcutaneous and intra muscular injections ahve been referrred to. The vet would normally advise which is appropriate. When injecting care should also be taken to avoid internal organs and bones. Animals are individuals and so reactions can vary between individuals. I am surprised that given the apparent level of expertise the vet did not show their client how to inject , with the first injection and only pass on the responsibility for the following injections if they feel the client is capable.
Brian, this is not a critisism of you but rather of the veterinary services you appear to have missed out on. Part of a vets fee for supply of antibiotics should include advise, otherwise we might as well get them direct from the drug supplier at about 1/10th of the price.

 

[DarwinBrianT]

No worries mate, I apologise to you for jumping on you in my post as well. It wasn't the best move from me when you to were trying to help me.

 

[Helikaon]

Certainly sounds like you should find a happier more helpful vet. I do find it interesting why everyone has nominated the subcutaneous route of injection though. It is not very usefull in reptiles as they lack the skin elasticity that say a dog or a cat has which means the SQ space is very small and you will often have the liquid leak out but mainly absorption time is prolonged. Intramuscular injections are far superior. You certainly need accurate directions from your vet as enrofloxacin is cytotoxic and should be diluted 50/50 with water for injection to prevent sloughing at the injection site being SQ or IM.

Some of my collegues hate when i say it, but the veterinary industry is a service industry. if you arent getting good service go somewhere else.

 

[Lawra]

[MENTION=7284]Helikaon[/MENTION] that's really interesting info! Do you think the inferior SQ are recommended because they're easier to administer than IM?