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Post by guiltygirl on Nov 20, 2009 8:43:39 GMT -5
My vet suggests that we start Beryl on Legend monthly-she is sometimes just not quite right- I agree and want to try it.
The Legend is $98 plus $70 farm call-now this is really unrealistic with my budget right now-
Should I have the vet teach me to give an IV injection? Are there harmful side effects if I miss the vein? I give IM shots -she is on Adequan now and I have had to give Leo many shots in the past.
I would say she is good with shots which will make it easier.
What do you think?
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Post by Deb on Nov 20, 2009 10:04:19 GMT -5
I've given 100s of IM injections, too. If I had to do an IV injection I'd have my Vet show me where to find the vein in the neck. I have helped a friend of mine who owns and manages a boarding facility give IV injections and we had no complications at all. In the simplest of differences of IM and IV injections, you want no blood on aspiration of the plunger in an IM injection. In an IV injection blood is aspirated before pushing the plunger.
The only complication I've had with an IV injection was with my Candy and it was an IV Bute injection. Even then it wasn't anything, but some edema/swelling at the injection site. My Vet had me apply DMSO to the edema. It dissolved with no problem.
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Post by animaldoc on Nov 20, 2009 10:54:45 GMT -5
You may be able to learn how - but I don't generally recommend owners give IV injections. IM sure.
There are potentially serious complications from getting IV drugs outside the vein. For example, bute can slough the whole side of the neck if it doesn't go in the vein (seen that - not pretty). The carotid artery is just underneath the vein in the horses' neck (easier to hit in some places along the neck than others) and if you get IV medications in the artery it can be fatal. Xylazine in the atery causes the horse to go down immediately and can cause seizures/death (also seen that).
Even veterinarians that do IV injections all the time sometimes have these things happen. I once gave intra-arterial ketamine/valium (for anesthesa) years ago. Went down like a rock and was fortunately fine, but scary! And I have done hundreds of thousands of IV injections.....
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Post by Smay on Nov 20, 2009 11:02:00 GMT -5
I'd be scared to do it, GG. Maybe try it out with the vet doing it and then if it's the best solution for her, figure out how to pay for it later...I don't remember Legend having to be administered monthly, though...isn't it usually given less often?
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Post by alisonph on Nov 20, 2009 11:06:15 GMT -5
I would certainly ask the vet to help. It's not that hard when you learn the correct technique.
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Post by jleegriffith on Nov 20, 2009 11:48:17 GMT -5
I think it is really important to know how to give an IV injection. I learned at an early age with supervision and demonstrations from our local vets. The reason I find the IV injection so important is that sometimes it is needed in an emergency. For example, horses that choke really struggle but giving them some ace that will work immediately can help them relax so the blockage can pass. So many other things than come up where you don't have 1/2 hr to wait for the vet.
That being said as barn owner it is important to have permission from the owner's of the horses if I am going to give an IV shot or med's. Things can go wrong even when vets are doing it so it is not something I would do unless asked.
Learn about the medications, dosage and techniques and then see how comfortable you feel with it.
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Post by guiltygirl on Nov 20, 2009 12:50:56 GMT -5
Well I think Animaldoc scared me -I would never want to harm my horse. I will still watch and ask the vet and see what he thinks. But probably now will just try to figure out how to afford it. I am getting on with a couple of other owners who get monthly injections so will be able to split the farm charge.
My vet just raised a lot of his prices -seems like a bad time to raise prices to me.
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Post by animaldoc on Nov 21, 2009 13:56:23 GMT -5
Didn't mean to be scary! Just wanted to give all sides of the issue! ;D
On the raising prices thing - most vet clinics have been slooooooow lately and since income is down, they are probably looking at increasing revenue and/or laying people off. May be trying to raise prices to avoid that....I know a lot of practices are doing that right now.
This recession sucks.....
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Post by TeachU2Ride on Nov 21, 2009 18:39:37 GMT -5
IME, Adequan can be just as effective as Legend... and it's an IM injection.  |
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Post by guiltygirl on Nov 21, 2009 21:01:18 GMT -5
she is on adequan now for her knee-but there is just a little hitch in her giddy up -i think since cold weather and she had to stay up in cold rainy days. I am going to post some video on main forum
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