Injection Help!!!

Hello

I am looking for some help.

Morris has broken his leg and had surgery and and external scaffold. We had Baytril and the first scaffold was fixed but he hated his oral antibiotic so much that he had a massive panic and kicked out and broke the scaffold... cue more surgery!

£1200 later and we have a well healing bunny, a week since surgery and we have had a check up and he was fine and healing well. The vet gave my penicillin injections to give him and explained how to do them (I have also seen them being done before).

The first one went fine, although I was surprised at the resistance of his skin. I have just tried to give him the second one and I think my nerves must be showing as he didn't like it at all and ran off before I managed to depress the plunger, he then played dead....

I am now worried I am doing it wrong!! Can anyone who has done injections help?

I am taking the skin at the scruff of his neck and pulling it away from his body till I have a bit like a tent then I am inserting the needle at an angle (not straight down) into the 'tent' of skin. I am just finding the resistance of his skin suprising and wondering if I just need to be more forceful..... help!!! Now have half and injection left - don't want to mess it up as I want to ensure he doesn't get an infection! I have another to do friday as well.... I am having to do them myself so any help welcome!!

Advice welcome! H

It sounds like you are doing everything right to me. Is it getting the needle actually in that your having problems with or pushing the plunger thingy? If its the getting it in the skin i think you just need to be confident and go for it. Are you doing it on the floor if he ran off? When i did Poppy's i put her on the work surface so she had nowhere to go.

Glad to hear bunny is healing, sounds like he's been in a bit of trouble recently bless him!!

you are indeed doing everything right. I know it is a bit nerve racking. I give my cats and dog their yearly boosters and the first time I too was very surprised at how hard it was to pierce the skin. My first try my dog almost got away with the needle stuck half in. As said above, just go for it. Of course make sure the skin is up away from the body and the angle is correct, but once you are certain, dont hesitate, just get in and out quick. After a while youll be a pro and the bun wont even realize hes been stuck

Thanks Guys, your support and advice is much appreciated!

I just called my emergency vet, she says half will do (thats about how much I managed to get in before he scampered off!), she did offer to do the rest if I took him in but I said I could afford the fee and she didn't rush to say they wouldn't charge or anything so I am not going to go in. She says half is within therapeutic levels and and should be fine. I am going to call my local vet tomorrow and get see if they can do the other shot on Friday, or just watch me do it. My mum has offered to come and do it if I want - she has done them before and says she can.

I had him on the floor simply because he had surgery originally and then broke his original scaffold when we where giving him baytril by struggling and I am terrified it will happen again - that cost us another £450, we are uninsured and all the surgery, x-rays, medicine and anaesthesia has taken us to a whopping £1200 so far, not what you need right before Christmas!!!

Stressing me out so much!!!!

Gosh, im not surprised it's stressed you out. It really is about just having the confidence-i was very nervous the first couple of times but it becomes second nature, if it will make u feel better tho wouldnt be a bad idea to do itnonce more in front of your vet.

I sympathise with your lack of insurance, i have it for mine but not Poppy's teeth which is where she has lots of problems-can all add up so quickly can't it!!