SQ and IM injections

​SQ & IM injections and vaccination

SQ injections

What are SQ injections?
- SQ injections are injections into the subcutaneous space of an animal, meaning under the surface of their skin
- there are various locations this can be done on the animal

Draw

Indicate on the cat the areas you could give a subQ injection

​SQ injection locations

Reorder

Reorder the following steps for giving an injection:

• Loosen the needle cap

• Tent the skin

• Insert the needle

• aspirate the needle

• Inject the solution

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Fill in the Blank

You can inject the fluid when you aspirate and feel...

Fun FYI

​SQ injections in birds

-SQ injection technique remains the same for all mammals, but in birds it differs greatly!
- For SQ injections in birds there is only one location they can be given, and there is no skin to tent

Open Ended

what supplies should you have prepared for a SQ injection/vaccination?

• Sterile syringes

• sterile needles of an appropriate size

• solution or vaccine being used for injection

• animal medical record

• appropriate restraint devices if needed

Supplies for SQ injections

Match

Match the following vaccine and their Boulden protocol location

• Rabies

• FVRCP

• FeLV

• DA2PPV

Right hind leg

Right front shoulder

Left hind leg

Right front shoulder

• Right hind leg

• Right front shoulder

• Left hind leg

• Right front shoulder

IM injections

• Intramuscular injections are given rather than subcutaneous because they can be absorbed more quickly, or if the animal is unwell, their body may not be able to absorb anything SQ.

• We often use this route for pre-medicating animals, analgesics, or antibiotics

Labelling

Label the locations for IM injections

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

triceps

Semimembranosus

quadriceps

lumbrosacral

IM injection placements

When giving an IM injection it is important to have the correct hand placement to ensure you are not hitting any bones such as the spine, pelvis, or femur, and that you are also not damaging any nerves such as the sciatic nerve.

Multiple Choice

What are the possible issues associated with IM injections?

• Pain

• local nerve irritation

• permanent nerve damage

• all of the above

Drag and Drop

The maximum IM volume small dogs/cats can get is

Placeholder

and the max volume medium/large dogs can get is ​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

2mL

3-5mL

5-6mL

1mL

0.5mL

10mL

The end