Owners of private pig farms often face a problem when their four-legged pets get sick and require careful care. Many people immediately turn to veterinarians, but sometimes there is a need for home treatment. Vaccination of an animal is considered the most difficult process, especially for people without veterinary education. Let's figure out how to give an injection to a sick piglet, and what needs to be prepared for this.
What will you need?
Before giving your pig an injection, you need to prepare a number of auxiliary tools. For vaccination you will need:
- sterile gloves;
- syringe and needle;
- necessary medications;
- alcohol;
- fleece.
Before self-vaccination, pay attention to the expiration date of the drug. If you do not do this, you may inadvertently inject your piglet with expired medicine. The results of such an error will be fatal.
Note! Beginning owners of domestic pig farms who are faced with the problem of vaccination for the first time are recommended to consult a veterinarian or get an injection under his supervision.
How to inject a pig yourself
If you have a pig on your farm that urgently needs an injection, try to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:
- determine the age of the pig;
- if it is an adult, the optimal area for the injection is the inner thigh or loin. The injection is given intramuscularly, there should be no problems with this;
- Little pigs are given injections behind the ear. This method is the safest, both for the owner and for the pet itself. It is enough to pull the skin in the indicated place, and then insert the needle into its base.
Try not to overdo it, otherwise the animal will feel pain and begin to struggle. This will complicate the vaccination process, and in some cases can lead to traumatic situations. When administering the drug intramuscularly, try to choose places with the most developed muscles. The needle is inserted at a right angle to the base of the skin, and its insertion is carried out with one quick, confident press.
Before the injection, do not forget to prepare the animal. Preparation consists of securely securing the pet's body so that it does not break out and cause mayhem. To do this, do the following:
- It is enough to hold a young, small pig firmly in your hands. Any friend who is not afraid to help you in this matter can handle this;
- an adult cannot be secured using human force. To do this, you will need a strong rope, which should be passed through the patient's mouth. The ends of the rope are tied to a massive object that the animal cannot move by its own efforts.
Possible mistakes
Often, piglet owners do not approach the vaccination process seriously, which is why they make a lot of mistakes. This can cause injury to both the “veterinarian” himself and his “patient”. Among the most common mistakes are:
- The injection site is chosen at random, as a result of which the needle enters a nerve or large blood vessels. This is extremely painful for the animal, and its behavior in such situations sharply gets out of control;
- the animal is in an excited state, and the injection only adds aggressiveness to its behavior;
- old syringes or needles are used for vaccination, which is unacceptable in any case;
- the injection site is not disinfected with alcohol, as a result of which harmful bacteria enter the pet’s body;
- the animal is administered a drug that has not been approved by the leading veterinarian. This behavior is unacceptable, because you will not be able to calculate the correct dosage.
To avoid such mistakes, vaccinate after careful preparation. Don’t be lazy to spend a couple of minutes on this matter, because the consequences can be extremely unpleasant. Try to vaccinate the animal in the presence of the owner or the person bringing him food. The animal will feel safe, and the vaccination will go smoothly, without incidents.
Remember that a pig is a living creature that feels pain and fear just like an ordinary person.Treat her with love and she will love you back.
