Giving injections to snakes

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DarwinBrianT

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So I have to give my little albino Darwin antibiotic injections. He is about 1m long and I am looking for tips on the best way to do this. The vet wasn't very helpful at all. :cry: I had to ask him a lot of questions about how to inject a snake, I have no doubt my snake would be dead from me injecting it in the heart if I didn't ask the questions I did.

Thanks.
 
I think you should find a new vet if he can't tell you how to do the injection he has given you. It's fair simple though so don't stress. Just when you do inject, push your finger onto the spot you did the injection, and rub it a bit to make sure it all goes in. The way I did it, is injecting into the side of the snake where the muscle is.

I tried to find a diagram but its being crap this is the best I could do with where abouts to do it.

http://www.rcreptiles.com/blog/media/blogs/all/ball-python-baytril-injection.jpg I know its a ball python, but thats the general area, I did the same area on my spotty.

So its kind of offcenter from the middle of the back, into the meaty fleshy bits. Hopefully somone else chimes in to give more adives too. Don't worry, you aren't going to puncture the heart or lungs or anything. It's scary I know, but you can do it. I beleive!

Oh also, put the head of the snake into a pillow case, to try and keep him calm and still.
 
Its done by pinching the skin and inserting the needle under the skin. Its a two person job as one has to restrain the snake.
Maybe someone on the forum who lives near you can help you?
 
Thanks for the reply's. I would of put the needle at right angles to the snake if I hadn't of asked him, how do I know I'm not going to get it in the heart. He looked at me and said you wont the heart is too deep and I looked at the needle and said look how long it is I could get the heart..... that's when he said to go along the side of the snake that way you can't go too deep. I'm just lucky I asked.
 
Yeah you dont just go 'stabbing' it into the snake. Cause then you will puncure something, so what I did, is I went in at an angle like this \ but then I leveled it out so that it was going into the snake but along his body. Then you inject your stuff, and before you pull the needle out put your finger over the injection site press firmly for a little then rub the area. Then you should be all done.

- - - Updated - - -

You could also watch a few youtube videos, just to get an idea of what angle you go in at. It wouldn't matter if it was ball python or whatever, you just wanna see the method of how its done :)

I tried to draw a thing in paint to try and explain what I mean but....it was pretty terrible. Lol

Also I'm sure you know but, go between the scales. :)
 
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You might have to join the group. I have added the group in my last message. Its called Reptile Quarantine & virus Awareness.
 
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The vet in that video is one of the best reptile vets in the country. I'd be inclined to follow the direction in the video, especially if your vet seems a little disinterested in helping you.
 
Go towards the head as shown in the video because you need to go under the scales. You cant get under the scale going the other way.
 
Definitely do it with two people. I find the easiest way to do it is with one person restraining the snake inside a pillowcase, leaving only the injection site open to the other person doing the injecting.

For intramuscular injection: Inject in the first 1/3 of the snake. Feel for the thick back muscles that run alongside the spine, this is where you should aim to inject. Hold the syringe like a pen and inject at a fairly shallow angle between the scales, towards the head, into that thick back muscle. You don't need to stick the needle the whole way in, about 1/2 way is usually enough. Depending on what is most comfortable for you, use your thumb or other hand to slowly depress the plunger and then remove the needle. Gently rub the injection site.

Keep in mind that your snake may struggle in this time, so your helper should keep a firm grip and you should try to be as steady as possible. It's honestly not as scary as it first seems, the first couple of time can be a bit challenging but after a while you'll be a pro.
 
I had to give a snappy jungle injections last year, it was loads of fun. I found directing the pointy end into the corner of a pillowcase made things a bit easier,...
 
[MENTION=29644]littlemay[/MENTION]'s instructions are spot on. I also found it easier to put the whole snake in a bag, hold a hand over the opening with the part of the snake you're injecting exposed, and inject with the other hand.
 
I followed the same way as [MENTION=29644]littlemay[/MENTION] for my cranky jungle with a few differences. My vet told me to alternate sides of the body and move up and down with each injection in the area specified. I also disinfected the injection area before sticking the needle in.

I could of done this myself but it was much easier with another pair of hands. Basically I made my girlfriend the nurse so I held the snakes head and performed the injection while she held the other end and sterilised the area before I injected. I lost a bit of blood along the way but it was fairly easy.
 
Constrain the snake, you can make a tube out of almost any material, a rolled up newspaper with a couple of rubber bands will work just as well as snake tubes(use clear tubes for elapids please). This way you can hold the end of the tube and the snake with one hand. Wipe the area to be injected with a sterile swab, hold the syringe parallel to the snake, tilt the hypodermic toward the body and slide it under a scale and pierce the skin, dont push into the muscle but just go under the skin about 10mm. Slowly inject the antibiotic. Dont use the same site for the next injection.
 
Very helpful tips - for 2 different methods of delivering drugs - subcutaneous (under the skin) & intramuscular. Just make sure you ask the vet which method is required for the particular drug. It would also be worthwhile asking the vet what will happen if you accidentally inject into a blood vessel - this may or may not be a big deal depending on the drug. I can't tell you if this is likely in a snake - I imagine they have smaller vessels & this is less probable than in a human. If the vet thinks its warranted they'll teach you a simple technique (aspiration) to prevent it.

My useful tip is: if you're not used to handling a needle and syringe - practice with some water on an orange. Also, please dispose of the needle responsibly - don't just throw it in the trash - people freak when they find them.
 
Very helpful tips - for 2 different methods of delivering drugs - subcutaneous (under the skin) & intramuscular. Just make sure you ask the vet which method is required for the particular drug. It would also be worthwhile asking the vet what will happen if you accidentally inject into a blood vessel - this may or may not be a big deal depending on the drug. I can't tell you if this is likely in a snake - I imagine they have smaller vessels & this is less probable than in a human. If the vet thinks its warranted they'll teach you a simple technique (aspiration) to prevent it.

My useful tip is: if you're not used to handling a needle and syringe - practice with some water on an orange. Also, please dispose of the needle responsibly - don't just throw it in the trash - people freak when they find them.
Thank you for the reply.
He has given me baytril, its for a small bit of scale rot I want to get on top of.

Would that go just under the skin or into the muscle ??

I have to give it every 2 days, the vet did the first one so today will be my first one! I can't practice as he filled the needle with it before he gave it to me to take home.
 
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