VCP 411: Medicine Section

SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTIONS

• Generally, you can choose the subcutaneous (SQ) route when given a choice of either the intramuscular (IM) or SQ on the product label.
• Give SQ injections half way up the neck in front of the shoulder, or over the ribs well behind the shoulder.
• Use a 0.5 to 1 inch long needle.
• To give SQ injections for cattle, lift a fold of skin to make a skin "tent".
• Insert the needle through one side of the tent at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees relative to the surface of the body.
• For swine, it won't be possible to make a "tent", so slide the needle under the skin at an angle of about 30 degrees from parallel to the skin surface and inject.