Makayla Cozatt

Per.1
Mr. White
CP English 12

To Flight or Fight? That is the Question.

When you enter your Senior year at Santa Su, you come knowing that there will
be the Senior Project. For the past three years that I have spent here, I have been
brainstorming different ideas and I decided to settle on the different types of injections
that you can administer on large livestock. This project is also going to include the flight
or fight response in equine. Equine is the genus name for horses, mules, donkeys, and
zebras. In order to administer injections, you have to understand flight or fight
response. This project is a great balance between my passion for psychology, large
animals, specifically horses, and veterinarian work. For my project, I will be training a
five month old colt. He will have no former training on him and therefore his flight or
fight response will be strong. My goal, in the long run, is to be able to use my knowledge
from research to overcome his instincts. In order to understand the importance of
injections, majority of my research will be based on the proper ways to inject. His
instincts will tell him to avoid the needle, therefore I will need to make sure that I have a
vast knowledge of needles and injections before beginning. If I administer something
incorrectly or not as smoothly as possible, then he will have a bad image of veterinarian
work. A greater issue would be that the incorrect administering could result in health
issues.
My Senior Project research will be on veterinarian work, specifically
Subcutaneous, Intramuscular, and Intravenous injections on large animals. In this
paper, I will be talking about needle size and type, injection sites, disposal of sharps and
different teaching methods. The last category might confuse you a little bit. I mean what

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does teaching methods have to do with giving injections? Well I plan on, after all my
research, being able to pass my knowledge, through teaching, to fellow 4-H members or
just to get the information out there for future breeders. When I set the goal of passing
this information on, I realized that I do not know how to teach, trust me, Ive tried. I
decided that was going to be one of my learning curves, and for a shy person like me, it
was going to be a big challenge.
Vaccinating Responsibly
The main three types of injections include Intramuscular (IM), Subcutaneous
(SC, Sub-Q or SQ), and Intravenous (IV). Intramuscular means in the muscle, in each
species the IM injection is given in different places (British Medical Journal).
Subcutaneous means under the skin, the placement for this is generally in the neck but
also varies depending on the species (Heimann). Intravenous means in the vein, this is
an injection that should only be given by a veterinarian or a registered veterinary
technician also called a RVT (Ideal Needles). For an IM injection, the injection should
be in a clean, dry, well muscled spot; also IM injections are not recommended for small
rodents because of their lack of muscle (Heimann). For Sub-Q injections, they should be
given in loose skinned, clean, dry areas; and before injecting the drug, move the needle
tip away from the entrance and exit hole (British Medical Journal). For IV injections,
they are not to be done without a Veterinarian present (Ideal Needles).
Each of these injection types goes in a different spot for different species.
Whether it goes in the neck, rump, or thigh, it all depends on the animals species. Even
though there are different sites, the preparation is the same. Each needle should be
sterilized, if it is possible to use disposable needles, it should be done (Giving

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Medication to Animals by Injection). If the injection will be for feedlot cattle, needles
can be reused, but it should be changed every ten animals (Powell). The same rule
applies to sheep and goats (Sheep and Goat Injections). Cattle Injections should be
given in the neck, no matter if it is Subcutaneous, Intramuscular, or Intravenous
(Powell). Sheep and Goats will have smaller gauge needles, and the injections will be
given in the neck as well (Sheep and Goats). This is done so that the medication does not
cause an abscess in the meat, therefore damaging it (Giving Medications to Animals by
Injection).
In order to use needles responsibly, there needs to be an understanding of
disposing sharps. One instance where this was an issue, was where in one lab, they
would recap the needles and put the needle and syringe combination back in the
wrapper (Animal Care and Use Program). This method supplies three opportunities to
get poked by the needle (Animal Care and Use Program). An easy way to limit the
dangers of stabbing is to install a Sharps Container (Social Dos and Donts). The Sharps
company will come and pick up the Sharp container and replace it with another one
(Heimann). It is illegal to throw sharps in the trash or in red bags, they have to be
disposed of in a red sharps container (Social Dos and Donts). The difficult part of
keeping these laws known, is properly teaching how to handle sharps (Heimann)
In order to get this point across to numerous different places, teaching methods
have to be understood. If someone is trying to pass this information onto another,
teaching is a huge part. One way of teaching is by demonstration, which would mean
taking a needle, and probably a fake animal, and showing where the injections would go
(150 Teaching Methods). Another way to put on an interesting presentation is to dress

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nice, have a clear speaking voice, and have visual aids (Balance Sheet Presentation).
Powerpoints, worksheets, and handouts are also helpful in getting the message across
(150 Teaching Methods). These are some teaching methods that are very useful for
teaching people how to handle sharps and needles.
Passing It On
When I finished my research on needles and injections, I decided that I could use
this information in my everyday life. I am striving to be a large animal veterinary
technician, so I will have to know everything about injections. Through my research, I
have learned a lot. I now know where to inject equine, cattle, sheep, and goats. I also
have learned how to teach others about the needle and how to use it. Although it is very
important to know how to use the needle and properly perform injections, it is also
important to know how to work around animals.
I have been in 4-H for eleven years, through my experience I have learned how to
handle sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and equine. The one thing that I have not had the
chance to do, even though I have always wanted to, is to teach a foal, or baby horse, to
be open to veterinarian work. I have worked with numerous previously trained horses,
but I have not had the opportunity to work on, or with, a foal. Foals are completely
different from other horses. They have not been in the world for a long amount of time.
This is both a good and a bad thing. On the good side, they are open to new things and
have not learned to fear them. This is essential in my Senior Project. On the bad side,
they are very impressionable. This means that if you mess up once and create a bad
memory, they are more likely to remember and relate to that bad time. This is also
something that I will have to keep in mind during the training process.

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For my actual Senior Project, I will be teaching, or training, a colt. A colt is an
uncastrated, male horse under five years of age. My colt, JJ, is going to be five months at
the start of my project. Because he is so young, he is going to be very impressionable.
This is going to be a hurdle that I will have to overcome. I will use his curiosity to create
a positive image of veterinarian work in his mind. Every time the veterinarian comes out
to give him vaccinations, and boosters, I will reward JJ with grooming. He is too young
to develop a taste for treats, so grooming or walking is an alternative positive
reinforcement that I can use. I also can keep up to date on what is happening with him
because I am an intern at the veterinarian hospital that is vaccinating him. At this
veterinarian hospital, I am learning a great deal on injecting and different medications.
Every time I go to work, I think that this is the place where I want to work. Which
means that as graduation comes closer, I will have to finish this Senior Project. Although
I do not want to graduate, I know that throughout this Senior Research Paper I have
learned so much information that will aid me in my goal in life. I have learned different
injection sites, different types of injections, how to handle sharps, and how to pass on
my knowledge through teaching. This newly found information will, and has prepared
me for my life as a large animal veterinary technician.

Work Cited
1. "Animal Care & Use Program." Duke U. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
2. "Balance Sheet Presentation." From Models to Optimal Return Strategies
Handbook of Asset and Liability Management (2012): 19-27. Web.

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3. "Giving Medication To Animals By Injection." Giving Medication To
Animals By Injection. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
4. "Goats and Sheep (Mammalia, Artiodactyla)." Van Nostrand's Scientific
Encyclopedia (2005): n. pag. Web.
5. Heimann, Heinrich. "Intravitreal Injections: Techniques and
Sequelae."Essentials in Ophthalmology Medical Retina (2007): 67-87.
Essentials for Injecting Large Animals. Web.
6. Powell, Jeremy. Injection Site Management. Little Rock, Ark.?:
Cooperative Extension Service, U of Arkansas, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and
County Governments Cooperating, 2012. Web.
7. "Social DoS And DonTs." The Basics Anthropology (2005): 38-53. Do's
And Don'ts. Web.
8. "The Protection Of Laboratory Animals." The British Medical Journal
2.4681 (1950): 724-25. Web.
9. Use of Possible Uses for Ideal Needles." Ideal Needles (2009): n. pag.
2009. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
10. "150 Teaching Methods." 150 Teaching Methods. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept.
2015.