Oral sedative for giving shots?

[Princess_Sparkles]

@keysfins

@Pocket Pony , can you explain a bit about using two needles? Do you mean that the vet uses one needle to draw up the medication from the dosing vial, then changes to a fresh needle to give the injection?

I always do this even though my mare is super wonderful with needles. I give Legend (IV) so it’s extra-important that she stand still. I always feel terrible if I don’t get it the first time, and I find a fresh, sharp needle makes it easier for me. Slides in nicer. I also struggle sometimes to get all the Legend out of the bottle (that stuff is $100 a dose, I want to get it all!) so I can pull out and reinsert for a new angle in the bottle and know that I’m putting a fresh needle on anyway, so I don’t have to worry about it being dull.

It could honestly be a bit of a mental thing with me, once I ran out and only had one needle left and I could not find the vein to save my life because I kept telling myself I only had one shot at it and the needle was already a bit dull from drawing up. It just makes me feel better about jabbing them when I know it is sharp.

[Pocket_Pony]

Yes, what Princess Sparkles said. One needle to draw into the syringe. Pop that one off and put a fresh one on to inject.

[Tee]

Sounds like you’ve solved your issues, but I wanted to share what I did. My gelding was horrible about shots of any type. But with his hock arthritis, I wanted to try Adequan. I was NOT looking forward to it at all.

However, being Morgan, he is a chow hound. I parked someone in front of him with a bowl of munchies and had them dole them out to him while I did the shot. He barely even noticed. (I pinch skin and slide the needle in quietly but quickly). Next shot, same thing. We’ve done a couple of round of Adequan now and when I start getting set up to draw for the shot, he starts drooling.

Pretty much the same way I taught him to clip (and yes, he drools now when he sees the clippers. Sigh).

[TequilaMockingbird]

My mare also used to be horrible for shots and for the vet in general. When I first bought her they had to blind fold and twitch her to pull a coggins.

I worked with her myself using a pen, rubbing alcohol etc. I basically pretended I was giving her a shot. I did it several times and then started to use a really sharp fountain pen. I used it exactly the way the vet would for an IV injection. I used a pen so I could practice it without having to worry about an actual needle. She was never bothered by it. I even did it with her loose in her stall and she totally ignored me. It seemed like what was actually upsetting her was being corned in her stall by a stranger/vet.

She’s perfectly fine for shots if she’s not in her stall. Worst case scenario the vet has someone walk her and they stick her while she’s walking. She never even notices the shot now.

I have used Dormosedan oral gel before for something else. It works extremely well but it did actually sedate my horse. it took about 45 minutes to take full effect.