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Needle length

abbymarysmokey

Wise Old Thumper
I'm interested to know what length needles people find best for sub-q injections in rabbits?

I use 5/8, but only because that's what my vet has always given me. They seem a little long for small, thin skinned rabbits though, and sometimes end up sticking straight through the 'tented' skin and out the other side!

Any thoughts?
 
I use 21G or 23G depending on what I am injecting - some stuff is too thick for the thinner needles.
5/8" is a good length for buns. When you 'tent' the skin to inject do you inject between your finger and thumb through the skin....this really helps me not poke out the otherside! A bit weird though feeling the liquid inside the skin.
 
I usually use 23 by 5/8 but obviously it varies depending on the bun and the substance being injected! I have the opposite problem to you, if I'm not assertive I don't put it in far enough and end up getting it intradermally and it popping back out again :oops:
 
I usually use 23g but sometimes 21g for thick liquids.

I do find the 5/8 needles fine for my larger rabbits (dwarf lop size-ish) and for older bucks who tend to have more skin around the neck area...but I have trouble with smaller young rabbits with paper thin skin, because you can't even feel the needle 'popping' through the skin.

Perhaps I'm just a bit heavy handed? :oops:
 
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