It is not just a person's prerogative to receive injections with a medicine. Animals are also often prescribed medications in injections. And if it is quite simple to inject a medicine into a cat or dog intramuscularly, then the owners of small pets, in particular, rats, find themselves in a difficult situation.
Instructions
Step 1
Try to find someone to help you inject the rat. After all, the animal is quite small and nimble, so getting into the muscle correctly alone can be problematic. Ideally, your helper should hold the rat with its muzzle towards itself and its tail towards you. According to the rules, the tail should be in the direction of the person who is giving the injection.
Step 2
It is best to cover the eyes of the rat with your hand, then it will be less nervous and twitchy. Be sure to place the animal on a stable surface - most importantly, never inject by weight. An intramuscular injection is given to a rat, usually in the paw. The subcutaneous is usually placed at the withers.
Step 3
Prepare the skin surface for the procedure - wipe with either an alcohol wipe or a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. Pull back the rat's paw and place the injection in the thickest part of the thigh. Insert the syringe against the grain, but do not get carried away: the needle should not go too deep. Another rule of drug administration is to do it slowly, because in the case of a sharp administration of the drug, the animal may experience severe pain.
Step 4
The injection is placed under the withers in the same way as intramuscularly. Pull back the skin at the withers and gently insert the needle. Do not forget about slow administration of the drug. If a seal appears at the injection site, do not be alarmed. Massage this place a little, and the seal will dissolve on its own.
Step 5
Pay special attention to the choice of the syringe. Due to the fact that the rat is a small animal, the amount of the drug prescribed for it is equal to tenths of a milligram. Therefore, the syringes should also be small. As a rule, so-called insulin syringes are chosen for injections of this kind. They are thin in the body and in the needle. This means that the skin of the animal will be less injured.
Step 6
Be sure to purchase enough syringes in advance. This is due to the fact that rats are usually prescribed two or three doses of the drug per day. However, some veterinarians claim that the same syringe can be used. But only if you give the injection with one drug and one rat.
