Giving Kunekunes Shots

By:  Debra Allen

Allen’s Acres Farm

Some animal owners just cringe when thinking of giving their animals shots. The thing to realize though, is that most often a shot is relatively quick and painless, and usually the most effective method to give medications to an animal. Good animal husbandry requires us as owners to quickly address and alleviate health issues in our animals, so they can not only live, but thrive.

There are several things to consider before you even start:

Medications

Needles and syringes and related devices

Restraint

Injection technique

Types of injections

Injections sites

Consequences of poor technique

Record keeping

MEDICATIONS:

Some medications you will need to become familiar with for your Kunekunes are injectable wormers (such as ivermectin and Dectomax),antibiotics ( such as Excede, Draxxin, penicillin, LA200), Banamine, Oxytocin, Dexamethasone and more. Many medications are prescription only and available from a vet exclusively.

Before using any product, read the label OR the directions given to you by the vet.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers provide safe products that will effectively treat a health problem, provided they are stored and used according to label directions. Prior to licensing a product, research is conducted to determine the best injection site, route and dosage for the treatment of a particular condition in a particular species and class of animal. This research is required for product licensure and provides the information for the label instructions.

An approved medicine will have a label displaying:

the product name, the active ingredient and the concentration of the drug. Concentration is important! Iron dextran comes as 100 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml. A dose can change if the concentration is different.

product usage directions

instructions for preparation if needed

the formulation of the product, describing the contents of the package

warning statements describing hazards to human health and safety associated with handling the product and any restrictions on use Example: Regumate (used in horses) can cause serious problems in women as it easily is absorbed thru skin. It affects the menstrual cycle.

the withdrawal time, the recommended time between the last treatment and the slaughter of the animal for food (or sale of the milk)

precautions statements that will alert you to storage and safe handling requirements to maintain product stability and potency

indications statements describing the species, class of livestock and the disease conditions for which the product is to be used

dosage and administration statements describing the directions for use (e.g. how much, how often and for how long), the route of administration (e.g. IM, SQ, IV) and the intervals between treatments

cautions and contraindications statements warning about hazards to animal health and safety (e.g. potential adverse reactions). Example: Leptospirosis vaccine often causes a pig to be sore or go off feed for a day or so.

restricted uses, which are limitations for the use of the product (for example "Do not use in lactating cattle")

directions to read package insert for more detailed directions, which alerts you to take special care when using the product, or to the need to ask your veterinarian for more complete instructions

the expiry date, which is the date past which the unopened product should not be used

the lot number, which is a record of the manufacturer's production batch

Extra-Label Use of Drugs (ELUD)

Products used in any manner other than that recommended on the label are used in an extra-label (ELUD) manner. ELUD treatments can ONLY be done on the specific, written recommendation of your veterinarian, who will provide additional information needed to use a product in the manner they are recommending.

Label withdrawal times may not be correct or the product may not work as expected if label directions are not followed. ********DO NOT give anyone advice on any medication that is off label! Ever. This is actually illegal in the US. It is considered practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Too often this is seen when people advise giving injectable wormers to a pig by mouth. Just don’t do it. ********

AND….STORE MEDICATIONS PER PACKAGE DIRECTIONS! Many drugs become unusable if they get too hot, too cold, or are exposed to sunlight.

NEEDLES AND SYRINGES AND RELATED:

Choosing Needles

Use a sterile needle and for each animal.

Use single use disposable needles whenever possible. Reusing needles can transmit infections (such as Bovine Leukemia Virus) from animal to animal.

Use Luer Lock syringes and needles. These rotate into a locked position and rarely come apart during use.

Choose the smallest needle size (diameter) that is reasonable to use for the product type and volume to be injected. This will minimize tissue damage and reduce leakage of the product from the injection site.

Choose needles of the correct length for the type of injection you are giving and suitable for the size of animal being injected. Shorter needles (1/2 inch) can be used for subcutaneous injections; longer ones (1-1.5 inch)for intra-muscular injections. Smaller animals have smaller muscle masses and should be injected with needles of appropriate length to prevent injury to nerves and other tissues.

Typically 1/2 inch 20 or 22 gauge needles are good choices for iron shots in piglets, and many Sub Q injections. Use 1 inch 18 or 20 gauge needles for most thicker medications. Use 1&1/2 inch needles for IM injections on adult pigs. (Use 1&1/2 inch needles for any injections on boars with a significant boar shield).

Choose appropriate size syringes for the dose of medication you are giving. Use the smallest syringe possible so it gives you the best way to accurately measure a dose, especially when using partial doses (0.5 ml, or 0.2 ml). Know ahead of time how each syringe measurement is divided. Is it tenths? Two tenths? A half ml?

There are additional devices available to help give injections quickly and safely. Some of these are repeater guns, the Slap Shot, pole injectors, and darts. Research these and get advice/usage instructions from your vet or a kunekune mentor.

Volume of Product to Inject

Inject quantities no greater than that recommended on the label, at one body site.

Split large volumes into smaller amounts and inject at different locations. Generally for IM or Sub Q injections, inject no more than 5 mL per site.

When giving more than one injection if different medications, try to separate by at least 2-4 inches.

Mixing Products

Do not combine vaccines or products in the same bottle or syringe unless the label clearly states to do so. Mixing can adversely affect the products by changing the pH, the chemical composition, or by causing components of the drug to precipitate out of solution.

Shake or agitate products as directed on the label prior to use to ensure that they stay in proper suspension in the bottle.

RESTRAINT:

Restraining an animal appropriately is required. Not only for the safety of the owner, but the safety of the animal.

It also reduces the stress to the animal if they can’t fight or move around. Pigs are prey animals and their first instinct is to flee when put in an uncomfortable position. Plan your restraint ahead of time.

Food is a great distraction and some owners successfully give a shot simply by feeding , stepping close and …inject.

Most prefer some sort of enclosed space just in case a needle comes detached, you need to give more than one injection, or for other reasons. You can build an small pen, use pallets or pieces of plywood to corner an animal. I’ve successfully used a hog panel bent in a teardrop shape and closed at the open end with double ended snaps. Drop it over a pig, and they can’t get away. Spread some feed or treats and they’re happy.

We also use an actual pig scale. This not only restrains the pig but weighs it which is needed for medications like wormers in which the dosage is weight based.

You can trap a pig between a swing gate and a fence. Shut them in a stall and use a pig board to maneuver into a corner. Whatever works with the hands you have available. Note: a pig snare rarely works with kunekunes because their snouts are too short.

INJECTION TECHNIQUE:

General Principles for Administering Injections

Follow your veterinarian's directions for all injections.

Pick an area of clean, dry skin for injection. If you wish, you can swipe the area with alcohol.

Preparing the Product

Clean the bottle tops with a small amount of alcohol on a cotton swab or ball.

Only enter the bottle with a sterile needle. Never re-enter a bottle of injectable medicine with a needle that has already been used for an animal injection.

Remove all needles from bottles prior to storage.

Store all products according the label directions.

Using Clean Equipment

Wash your hands before and after handling medicinal products.

Use disposable syringes whenever possible.

If using reusable syringes, use only hot water (no soap or detergent) to rinse them before using modified live virus vaccines. Chemicals may destroy the live virus and inactivate the vaccine.

Use hot water and mild disinfectants to clean syringes for other types of injectable products.

After cleaning, sterilize reusable syringes before reusing by autoclaving (high temperature, pressurized steam cleaning technique).

TYPES OF INJECTIONS:

Intramuscular Injections

Choose muscle tissue of lesser value to consumers for IM injections. In cattle, for example, IM injections where possible, are often given in the neck area instead of the hip. Same for pigs.

Draw air into the syringe and inject the same volume of air into the bottle as the volume you plan to take out of the bottle to equalize the pressure. Failure to do so will make it difficult to withdraw the contents of the vial or bottle.

After filling the syringe with the product to be injected, point the syringe upwards and tap the barrel with your finger to make air bubbles move upwards into the syringe tip. Slowly and carefully push the plunger to eject the air bubbles from the syringe before injecting the product.

Give IM injections deep into a muscle. Use a needle long enough to penetrate skin, subcutaneous tissue and fat to reach the muscle. The needle should enter the skin perpendicular (90 degree angle) to the skin surface. Remember a kunekune boar may have a very thick boar shield.

Thick boar shield on a 12 year old boar

Insert the needle into the animal. Check that the needle is not in a blood vessel by pulling back on the plunger and observing for blood flow in the tip of the syringe. If blood appears, remove the needle and put it in a different location at least one inch away from the original injection site.

Subcutaneous Injections

Give injections in the kunekune half way up the neck in front of the shoulder.

To give SQ injections for cattle, lift a fold of skin to make a skin "tent". Insert the needle through one side of the tent at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees relative to the surface of the body. For swine, it won't be possible to make a "tent", so slide the needle under the skin at an angle of about 45 degrees from parallel to the skin surface and inject.

Intravenous Injections

For IV injections, get advice and training from your veterinarian, as this is a specialized technique that requires expertise and practice.

Multiple Injections

Choose different injection sites on the body (e.g. opposite sides of the neck) when repeating treatments over a number of days.

Place repeat injections at least 4 inches, or one hand-width from a previous injection site.

Iron injections:

Piglets are anemic by Day 3 of life due to the inability of sows to excrete iron in milk. Giving iron dextran by injection is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent anemia and resulting pneumonias. Iron dextran is a thin dark colored solution. Use a short (1/2 inch) needle and a smaller gauge (22). Usual dose is 100 mg. Thin solutions, especially when given with short needles, can leak out of the injection site. Use the Z track method if possible to minimize leakage. Google this for more info and photos. Basically, you use a finger to pull the skin/tissue to one side gently, inject the drug, and as you start to pull out the needle, release the skin. This seems to trap the medication better. Do not give iron in the leg. It can discolor the meat.

INJECTION SITES:

Kunekunes should be given shots only in the triangle area of the neck. Use both sides. Avoid the area of the spine. Do not use the legs. Giving injections in the legs/hams may cause discoloration or scarring of meat.

CONSEQUENCES OF POOR INJECTION TECHNIQUE:

Consequences of Poor Injection Techniques

Treatment failure, if product absorption is delayed or blocked.

Drug residues in meat or milk if the drug can not be absorbed and metabolized in a timely manner.

Animal suffering and incapacitation due to nerve damage and swelling from tissue reactions. Formation of abscesses due to introduction of bacteria into an injection site.

Excessive trim at slaughter due to abscess, scarring, broken needles.

Shock or death of the animal being treated, if medications unintentionally enter the bloodstream.

Accidental human injection.

RECORD KEEPING:

All treatments given to food animals should be permanently recorded to ensure withdrawal time requirements are met and to improve treatment decisions and success.

Keep permanent written records of treatments administered to individuals or groups of animals.

2. Record the animal's identification,

date(s) the treatment was given,

product name, amount given, the

route, site and time when meat or

milk will be ready for sale.

Have your veterinarian leave legible, written instructions for use when medications are being dispensed, especially if they are recommending the use of a product in a manner different than the label directions.

Save the box tops or labels of products used. This provides a list of product names, lot numbers and expiry dates. Record the date of use on the box top or label to provide a permanent record of when a particular product was used.

Keep a current package insert for products commonly used in a file or drawer for reference.

Hopefully this information will help you become more comfortable before you need to give your pigs injectable medications. And don’t be surprised if one or two of them are grumpy with you the next day. Watch for side effects like soreness, or going off feed. Check injection areas for swelling or drainage from injection site infection. It’s rare but can happen.

Being prepared helps not only the owner but also makes the treatment less stressful for the pig. And always remember to give treats. They are very food motivated and often don’t pay attention or even flinch at a shot if they are eating.