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Many people think all injections in cattle need to be given with a 16 gauge needle. I've found that an 18 ga. works well with most cows and a 20 ga. works with calves. If you are injecting a medication that is especially thick, you may have to use a larger gauge needle. <p>A 16 ga. needle has a very large diameter. I had more of the medication leak out when I used a 16 ga. An 18 ga. is a size smaller than a 16, and the 20 ga. is a size smaller than the 18 ga. (although there is a special 19 ga. filter needle that you won't have a need to use). <p>If the medication is supposed to be given IM, that means you need to use at least a 1 1/4 inch long needle. <p>Rubbing the injection site immediately after withdrawing the needle, whether a SQ or IM injection, can help stop leakage. <p>Phil mentioned that anywhere forward of the shoulder is probably ok for injections. That statement needs to be clarified. There are large blood vessels and important nerves located in the neck of a cow. The neck is the best place for injections, but must be given in a specific part of the neck to be safe. <p>Here is a link to an article on giving injections to cows:
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