1. Medication Administration in Cats and Dogs
CTVT pages
*Skip section regarding IV catheters

2. Objectives
Understand how to safely and accurately administer medications to animals
Understand the equipment needed to administer medications to animals
Understand potential complications from medication administration
To perform an intramuscular injection

3. Routes of Medication Administration
Oral (PO)
Aural
Sublingual
Topical
Via feeding tube
Topical ophthalmic
Esophagostomy
Transdermal
Gastrostomy
Intranasal
Jejunostomy
Inhalation
Orogastric intubation
Nebulized or volatilized
Nasogastric intubation
Intratracheal
Rectal (PR)

4. Parenteral Routes: Needle Required
Intradermal (ID)
Subcutaneous (SC or SQ)
Intramuscular (IM)
Intravenous (IV)
Intraosseous (IO)
Intraperitoneal (IP)
Epidural/subdural
Intracardiac (IC)
Intramammary

5. Which Route is Best? Patient Factors Health conditions Temperament
Symptoms
Absorption rate of drug required
Temperament
Ease of administration for client
Drug Factors
Formulation of drug
Cost
Systemic vs. local effect desired

6. Other Factors to Consider
Does the medication require any special precautions to be followed during administration?
Examples:
Potential side effects of drug?
Pain at injection site
Vomiting/GI upset/constipation
Can it be combined with other prescribed meds?

7. Supplies Needed

8. Accurate Dosing Based on Syringe Size

9. Needles Needle gauge is determined by: Two needles are required:
Route of administration
Consistency of drug
Amount of drug
Two needles are required:
One to draw up the medication
One to administer the medication
Why is this? ______________________________

10. Process for Changing Needle
Draw up exact amount of drug
Use the same gauge needle as administration
Aspirate all drug into the syringe (out of needle)
This prevents _______ _________
Remove needle and replace with appropriate needle
Carefully ensure all air is out of the syringe by slowly depressing the plunger
Ensure accurate amount of medication

11. Injectable Drugs Supplied as: May be stored in:
1. Sterilized solutions
2. Sterilized suspensions
3. Powders that must be mixed, or _______________ with sterile solution
May be stored in:
Vials (single or multi-dose)
Ampules

13. Angle of Syringe is Important

14. Intradermal Injections
Indications for:
1. Local nerve block/desensitize skin
2. Allergy skin testing
Skin is usually shaved before this injection
Animals are usually sedated
Drug does not go _____________
Only effects localized area

15. Intradermal Administration

16. ID Injection Procedure
Skin is pulled taught and a gauge needle is attached to a syringe and inserted with the bevel up into the __________.
If allergy testing: A ________ volume of allergen is injected.
If locally anesthetizing skin: dose of drug based on weight
Two most common local anesthetics:
The injection site will look like a translucent lump if the injection is performed correctly
Referred to as a _________

17. Intramuscular Injections
Indications for IM injections:
Anesthetics/sedatives
Convenient route of administration for ____________ animals
Pain medications
Heartworm treatment
Appropriate route for injection of _______ volumes of medication
Generally, more painful for animals than SC or IV.
Why?

18. IM Injection Sites
Lumbosacral region 1. Epaxial muscles: ___________ to the dorsal spinous processes Hind limb 1. Semimembranosus/ semitendinosus muscles 2. Quadriceps muscle

19. Epaxial Injections
Deep IM injection into the third to fifth lumbar region of the epaxials are used to administer ______________ heartworm treatment
Drug name: _________________
Brand Name: Immiticide®

20. Hind Limb Injections Quadriceps: most cranial aspect of limb
Semimembranosus/ semitendinosus: small strap of muscle belly on the caudal aspect of limb
*Needle should always be directed away from the ___________ ____________.

21. IM Injection Procedure
Isolate the muscle between the fingers and thumb of non-dominant hand.
A 22 to 25 gauge needle attached to a syringe is embedded in the muscle at a ______ angle.
Once in the muscle, aspirate
What should you feel? _________________ _____________________
What do you do if you see blood in needle hub?
Inject the medication.
Massage the site for a few seconds after the injection to help distribute the liquid.
Exception:

22. Possible Complications from IM Injection
Tissue trauma
Nerve damage
*This is a painful injection route- be ready for the animal to react/move upon injection (have good restraint)
**Sometimes they do not react to the needle, but to the liquid being injected!

23. DRG Supplemental Reading
Page 497