Vaccination needle broke off in friends colt!!

[minimomNC]

Question to Nathan, how is giving a vaccination practicing veterinarian medicine when anyone can buy them anywhere with nothing saying who can or cannot administer them?

And this is not meaning to argumentative, I truly want to know. So there is no sarcasm, anger, malicious intend, nothing other than curiosity.

 

[lilhorseladie]

I couldn't remember minimom what needles were made up. I wasn't sure they were magnetic, but anything was worth a shot. I definately would want that out. It could cause huge problems later on!

 

[Genie]

I tested our new needles with a magnet and they do not "grab".

It would not be a bad idea to have needles that are magnetic but then they likely would not be as medically correct as stainless.

I would really want that needle out though.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Giving any medication with a needle is practicing medicine. The thing is you can do whatever you want to your own horses, but to do so to someone else's violates state law. Everyone does it, and its not usually an issue until something like this happens. Then if the horse's owner were to sue the person who gave the vaccine, they are liable for malpractice and practicing without a license. NO insurance will cover you in this situation unless you are an employee of a veternarian who extends his/her malpractice insurance to cover you.

You can buy the drugs because you as an owner can do whatever you want to your own personal animals. Needles are restricted in some states, but those too you can generally purchase for your own use.

 

[Minimor]

Nathan is quite right, and this is a perfect example of why "you" or I should not give needles to horses owned by other people!

I look on giving vaccines as a routine procedure & have been vaccinating my own horses for over 30 years. 30 years ago it was common place for horse owners that were good at giving needles to help out friends or neighbors who were not so good at giving needles by going over & vaccinating their horses for them. I won't do that any more. Here 30 years ago we didn't hear people talk of lawsuits. Now is a different story! In our litigation happy world it would be financial suicide to give a vaccine to someone else's horse & have the needle break off or the horse get a serious reaction!

I've had needles bend but never break when vaccinating horses. I have thought, though, about the needle breaking and hoped that it never happens to me. It does happen often enough when vaccinating cattle. (I even know of someone that bought a cut of beef from the store & found a piece of needle in it! It was determined that the needle wasn't placed there maliciously--it was a vaccination needle that broke off & got left in the animal. Seems to me that they said that needle had migrated, because the cut of meat it was in wasn't from a vaccination area on the animal. But anyway, I don't think that they're making needles "cheap" or defective now, it's just one of those things that can happen and once in awhile does happen.

 

[Maxi'sMinis]

I agree with Nathan. I vaccinate my own and no others. I do work in an environment were we use a lot of needles. I purchase them myself. I have found that generic brands are not as sharp and they bend easy. So I only buy BD needles. They are real sharp. I also alway use another needle to draw up what ever you are injecting and only use a fresh sharp needle to inject the animal. When you go through even a rubber stopper it dulls the needle and then when you use it on the animal it has to rip instead of slice through the skin. That is just my take and preference. Horses are a moving target and a good clean stick instead of having to push through tough skin with a dull needle works best for me.

At least the needle is in the hip. I never vaccinate a horse in the hip it is too tough. It will possibly abcess.

Do most of you inject horses in the neck? I do.

 

[minimomNC]

Thank you for your answers, I do appreciate it. I personally let my vet vaccinate all of my horses but I do give them dormosadan for clipping when needed.

As for where, only in the hip with vaccinations, all of my minis tend to be sore when given in the neck, they aren't as bad when given in the hip, but I would rather they limp a bit on a hind leg then not be able to put their heads down to eat or drink. But I have found that giving them in the hip follow by a bit of banamine makes them all come through it much better.

As for abcessing, one of the worst I have ever seen was in the neck of an arabian mare at the injection site for a rabies vaccine. It left a large hole but eventually healed up pretty good.

 

[Katiean]

I have given my own horses and a friends horses shots. However, if a horse moves and is not well controlled I let go of the syringe. I would rather it fell to the ground then break. In the 40 years I have given shots I have never had one break. I have however, given myself a vaccine. I have also stitched my own horses and if someone asked me and they could not afford a vet I would do what I could for them. I have done this for others dogs. So, if I am practicing medicine with out a license so be it. But I have never done anything I was not asked to do. The thing is some needles are not well put together well. I used to work for BD. I am not saying their stuff is not good but when I was in the hospital I had an IV and when they removed it, the part that was in my arm fell off the hub when they cleared my skin. No ones fault it just didn't stay together. Sometimes these things just happen and I don't blame anyone. Everyone needs to quit blaiming the person that gave the shot.

 

[Minimor]

But I have never done anything I was not asked to do.

Doesn't matter if you're asked to do it or not, if the owner asks you to do something (vaccine, stitches) on their horse and something goes horribly wrong, that owner just might not care that he asked you to do it or not--and nor will the judicial system if he chooses to sue you.

Everyone needs to quit blaiming the person that gave the shot.

No one is blaming the person who gave the shot? All that was said is if someone other than a vet or the owner did give the shot he could have legal problems because of it. Of course these things can happen, but it pays to know that if they happen to someone else's horse and you gave the shot, it may not come out quite the same as if it were your own horse that you gave the shot to!
If someone's horse needs stitches and they cannot afford a vet, you would be further ahead to pay the vet on their behalf rather than treat their horse yourself!

 

[Leeana]

Ouch that has to hurt, there is no way i would leave it in there, just no way. Can you take her to the vet and put her out and go in get it out ? That is an idea i would run by my vet. Just no way would i feel comfortable leaving that needle in there.

Accidents happen and its no ones fault, its only your fault when you do not do something about it

 

[PaintedMeadows]

I asked my vet friend about this today and she said she would do the same as the vet already did. She said she would be concerned about trying to find it as that could cause way more damage and the possibility of introducing infection. She agrees with a drawing salve and bandage as that could not hurt but with it being a sterile needle she thinks it will be OK. In the neck she would be alot more concerned about getting it out. Just what she said.