Vaccination Sterile Protocols

[Bright Raven]

Changing needles between each animal you are vaccinating is a good practice.

I change needles but not the syringe. If I am using more than one vaccine, I label each syringe for the vaccine I am using.

I wonder if anyone has issues with using the same syringe between animals. I notice that I sometimes get bleed back into the syringe. BQA protocols state that you should pull the plunger back to determine if the needle is in the lumen of a blood vessel. I never do that. I am too focused on getting the job done. On occasion, I see evidence of contamination in the form of blood in the stem of the syringe. Obviously, the next animal vaccinated with that syringe is cross contaminated.

Is that a concern that anyone else shares?

 

[M-5]

not on a closed herd

That's my thoughts and not saying its what everyone should do.

 

[Bright Raven]

not on a closed herd

That's my thoughts and not saying its what everyone should do.

Good point. Thanks.

 

[M-5]

not on a closed herd

That's my thoughts and not saying its what everyone should do.

Good point. Thanks.

Now because I do bring calves in from time to time on those I will only use that syringe on them and throw it away after use. But for standard Vac I use multi dose guns and change needles only when they are dull. AGAIN THIS IS WHAT I DO and I am the only one responsible for it.

 

[TCRanch]

After we lost a cow to lymphosarcoma I switched to using disposable syringes/needles. It takes a lot of prep prior to working the cattle but actually makes it easier because every shot is ready and sorted into groups (cows vs. calves, etc). The only time I use my repeater syringe is with an isolated case. And we also have a closed herd.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I change needles between animals, at .7 cent a needle it's not worth the risk to me.

 

[wbvs58]

Ron, I have no problem with using the one syringe but if you were to get an obvious flashback of blood I would suggest changing the syringe, it would negate your good work of changing the needles.

Ken

PS, most of our vaccines are given SC so very little chance of blood flashback, usually occurs occaisionally with IM injections.

 

[Bright Raven]

Ron, I have no problem with using the one syringe but if you were to get an obvious flashback of blood I would suggest changing the syringe, it would negate your good work of changing the needles.

Ken

PS, most of our vaccines are given SC so very little chance of blood flashback, usually occurs occaisionally with IM injections.

Thanks. Most of the vaccines I use are subcutaneous. I notice the viral vaccines such as Leptoferm are IM.

 

[Bigfoot]

I used to use the same needle till it was so dull, it wouldn't work. I started a few years ago, using disposable syringes, with a new needle every time. Something being treated for illness, I throw the whole thing away.

 

[Cucumber35]

I use a new needle and syringe every time. More for convenience than anything. Load up the amount you need before hand when there's no stress and you can take your time, one less thing to do while you are working them through the chute. Saves time and seems much safer to cut down on the handling of sharps while dealing with everything else going on at that particular moment. Just grab a new one already prefilled out of the box, pull the cap, stick, put the cap back on and toss into a different container. Makes it easy to go back and count how many you did if you lose track. For the minimal expense it makes it worth it for me, especially if you don't have much help. If you have an extra set of hands available to change needles and draw up from the bottle and a lot of cattle to do it might not make sense to do it my way. But I feel like the time saved is worth a few dollars more plus I have no worries of cross contamination even though it's a closed herd.

 

[wbvs58]

I use a new needle and syringe every time. More for convenience than anything. Load up the amount you need before hand when there's no stress and you can take your time, one less thing to do while you are working them through the chute. Saves time and seems much safer to cut down on the handling of sharps while dealing with everything else going on at that particular moment. Just grab a new one already prefilled out of the box, pull the cap, stick, put the cap back on and toss into a different container. Makes it easy to go back and count how many you did if you lose track. For the minimal expense it makes it worth it for me, especially if you don't have much help. If you have an extra set of hands available to change needles and draw up from the bottle and a lot of cattle to do it might not make sense to do it my way. But I feel like the time saved is worth a few dollars more plus I have no worries of cross contamination even though it's a closed herd.

The only problem I have with that is many vaccines are a suspension and it is a lot easier to remix it by turning upside down in the bottle just before drawing out. Maybe if .5ml of air was drawn into the syringe as well when loading up it leaves space to rock the syringe and resuspend it then push the air out prior to injecting. Single dose Tetanus Toxoid vaccines in syringes are manufactured like this so they can be resuspended prior to use.

Ken