Optimiser 2ml Plastic V-Grip Injector / Vaccinator A10124

Directions Of Use

Optimiser Injector Set Up

Injecting Cattle:

• Injections should always be administered properly to minimize residues and injection-site lesions, and reduce risk of reactions and side effects.

Read the Label:

• It is important to read labels.  Label information changes and you can’t assume it’s the same as what you’ve become familiar with.
• Dosage or injection sites may change. Something that was given intramuscular (IM) in the past, or with an option for IM or subcutaneous injection, may now be labelled for subcutaneous use only.
• Subcutaneous products should be applied in the neck, rather than into any regions behind the neck. Occasionally, when you are giving multiple shots on a small calf and don’t have enough neck area, you can inject under the loose skin behind the shoulder. 
• Never put injections into the hindquarters. The rump was a traditional location for intramuscular injections, because it was the easiest place to reach when processing cattle through a race without catching them individually. It creates problems with tissue damage and abscesses in the best cuts of meat, however.

Proper Facilities:

• It can be difficult to give injections in the neck in a race situation, when animals stick their heads down under the next cow or move backward and forward in the old-style squeeze crushes. The newer crushes with neck extenders are helpful, reducing the risk of having your hand or arm injured, syringes smashed, or needles bent or broken. 

Cleanliness.

• Never inject through a dirty hide.  Make sure the site is clean and dry.
• Try to inject into a clean, dry area.  You obviously can’t shave them all, but you can make sure the area is as clean as possible. Not taking time to clean off the area could result in a lot of time spent treating an animal.
• If required, wash the area and then dry it as best you can.  If that’s not possible, you could inject into a cleaner area, like under the loose hide over the ribs, behind the elbow — in the girth area.
• If injection into dirty areas is necessary, always change needles before injecting the next animal.

Needle Length and Size:

• Choose appropriate needle size and length for the product given, taking the injection site into consideration. 
• A larger-diameter needle (no smaller than 16-gauge) is preferred for mature cattle with thick hides, because you’re less apt to bend or break the needle.  Calves have thinner skin, and a smaller-diameter needle (18-gauge) can be used.
• If the needle is too large, there’s more pain, and more chance of the product leaking back out through the larger hole.
• Needle size is dependent on many things, including consistency of the product. Some are thicker and hard to force through a small needle. With a thicker product, it takes too long to give the injection, or you may have to apply so much pressure that the needle and syringe come apart in some cases. If a product is more fluid (less viscous), a smaller-gauge needle can be used.
• Needle length is dictated by injection site and may also depend on the type of syringe used; longer needles are for intramuscular injections. For subcutaneous injections, when tenting the skin to slip the needle under, you’ll want a longer needle than what you’d use on a syringe gun that’s aimed at an angle into the hide.
• When injecting many cattle in a short time using a multiple-dose syringe, it’s easier to use a shorter needle placed at the proper angle, so there is minimal chance of entering muscle. Longer needles increase the chance that the product won’t be deposited subcutaneously.

Location & Dosage:

• When giving multiple injections to an animal, don’t put injections close together; space them at least 7-cm or more apart, or on different sides of the neck.
• Residues are a concern, so follow directions. Every time you inject an animal, there is possibility of reaction. To minimize this you need proper restraint, proper needle size and proper technique, so you can administer the appropriate amount in the appropriate number of locations.
• Make sure your multi dose syringe is giving an accurate dose each time. If it’s a big syringe and a small dose, such as 2mL, is it injecting the full 2mL, or is it off a little? For smaller increments, you might use a smaller syringe that’s more accurate.

Keep Records:

• Be systematic in how you give injections, and keep records. It helps if you consistently give a certain vaccine at the same site. Knowing that you give product A in the left side of the neck, rather than randomly on either side, will help you identify what might have caused a reaction. Occasionally, certain batches of a product are associated with reactions. If you don’t know where you gave the shot, you can’t determine if that product was associated with a problem.
• If giving more than one injection, always put the same vaccine in the same syringe. Mark syringes, or put color-coded tape on them so you never make a mistake.