Are you tenting when you sub Q?
If so I know why it is not working for you.
You are driving the needle into the skin on the other side of the tent.
So - I want you to stop pinching the skin, pulling it up and inserting the needle. I want you to use the following method - I had to search for it - I wrote this a long time ago - try it - it is fast - efficient and works like a hot darn.
The actual post was on another topic, but the method I use is well written within the post.
Have a gander and let me know if you have further questions.
Bez>
------------------------------
What I wrote:
Sub Q injections in the neck - 7 way. I use it all the time.
Fresh needle on a regular basis - keeps the point sharp and prevents dragging in hair and dirt. Also prevents passing certain little germs from one animal to another. These are the biggest causes of problems in my opinion.
When you stick the animal in the neck, do not "tent" the skin.
Smack the needle area a couple of times hard with the back of your hand - numbs the sight and prevents them from jumping around.
Point the needle directly towards the ground - holding it like you are about to stab something with a knife in your fist - run your hand out and into the side of the animals neck and stab downward - almost parallel to the neck surface. Needle goes in under the skin and does not enter the meat. Ram the vaccine home with your thumb - unless you are using a gun which I doubt. That's another story.
Needle length should not exceed one inch - prevents bending and breakage. Stainless steel only please - stronger needle - but can be brittle. Plenty long enough to do the job.
Wife timed me doing a few animals a couple of days ago - ran em in the chute - did not bother to put them individually into the squeeze - stacked em tight and walked down the line hitting them as fast as the girls could supply me with needles - averaged about 8 - 10 seconds per injection. No lumps and no problems.
Tenting sometimes causes you to prick the skin on the opposite side of the needle entry point and that not only causes additional irritation, but can cause difficulties when the needle partially enters that same piece of skin and the exit hole of the needle is blocked - I suspect this has happened to at least a few folks from time to time.
We never get lumps from needling when I use this method. Not ever.
Whenever you see an animal in the field with a lump and you are concerned - run it into a squeeze and take the largest bore needle you have on site - and you should always have them - and stick it into the site. Just the needle - no syringe attached. Grab the lump and squeeze the heck out of it with said needle still in place. If nothing comes out fine - we will deal with that in a minute - if something comes out - grab a scalpel - and slice it open - on the bottom side - so it can drain. Squeeze the heck out of it.
If it is solid - cut from top to bottom - straight down through the middle of this lump and remove the "jelly" you will likely find. If you are so inclined you can give it a stitch or two when you are done.
Be aware the animal will resist this treatment - so just get on with it.
In almost all cases you should disinfect the site, spray on some type of fly repellant and so on.
Turn it out and forget about it - they heal nicely if left alone.
But, like others have said - if it was my animal I would find something more important to worry about - especially if the animal did not seem to be in any distress. It is usually nothing worth getting wrapped around the axles about.
Did I miss anything fellow readers?
Regards,
Bez
