What is the best kind of syringe to buy for giving cattle shots and where is the best place to purchase one? There is so many kinds, need some help on this issue. Want a nice one that is idiot proof. (LOL) Thanks for replies.
What kind of Syringe should I buy?
- Thread starter rcstokes
- Start date
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I like the kind that has the needle that screws into the end, rather than just pushes onto the top. Also, before you buy it, pull the plunger out and make sure you can push it back in with one hand ~ too often I have not been able to, they are too long. Other than that I don't know what to tell you. I use disposable needles..... They are cheap enough really that you should be able to buy a variety of sizes, believe me ~ sooner or later you will use them. I buy mine from the feed store, they are cheaper than the clinic.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
What angie said. I will add use the shortest needles than you can for the job.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Yes. Threaded ones only. Several volume sizes that all fit the same size threads.
S&WSigma40VEShooter
Well-known member
I have two of these.
One is 30 years old and still works great, the other was given to me for christmas this year so I use both at the same time.
http://www.pbsanimalhealth.com/details/ ... -9842.html
One is 30 years old and still works great, the other was given to me for christmas this year so I use both at the same time.
http://www.pbsanimalhealth.com/details/ ... -9842.html
CowGirl005
Well-known member
I prefer the luer lock syringes for any injection. They work better than the ones where the needle just attaches to the hub. Also I like to use the smaller 3cc/mL syringes for injecting vaccines, B-vits, etc. I also prefer to use the needles that are 1 1/2inches over the 1inch needle length. JMO
S&WSigma40VEShooter
Well-known member
CowGirl005":31nc5vqo said:
To each his own I reckon. What happens if you have to give a 5cc shot and all you got is 3cc syringes then you gotta give two shots instead of one.
2/B or not 2/B
Well-known member
I've never had a problem with the push on needles myself. We have a plastic box with little sections, kind of like a tackle box, with several sizes of needles and syringes on hand. The size needle I consider all purpose for sub q shots is 18 gauge X 1". The size syringe you might find handy depends on how many cattle you work at one time. Just make sure you get a threaded syringe if you're using threaded needles and a push on syringe if you're using push on needles 
If you're working one or two at a time, a small syringe works great and is easier to handle. If you're working a quite a few, I think it's better to use a big syringe, like a 35 ml. You can switch out the needle as often as you want, but won't need to keep filling it as often. Angie is right that a big syringe is harder to use with one hand. I have small hands and sometimes have to use both to get the 35 ml started, but it's not really a problem.
If you're working one or two at a time, a small syringe works great and is easier to handle. If you're working a quite a few, I think it's better to use a big syringe, like a 35 ml. You can switch out the needle as often as you want, but won't need to keep filling it as often. Angie is right that a big syringe is harder to use with one hand. I have small hands and sometimes have to use both to get the 35 ml started, but it's not really a problem.
hillsdown
Well-known member
I use the disposable ones in sterilized individual packages when giving needles for illness or on an individual basis. I have all sizes from 3 ccs to 65 cc's.
For vaccinating alot of calves or cows I use the blue allflex automatic syringes that you can adjust the dosage, they have different colored ends that make it easy to differentiate between each vaccine. It makes it more convenient when doing a larger amount of cattle. Make sure you change the needles often so they do not become dull.
For vaccinating alot of calves or cows I use the blue allflex automatic syringes that you can adjust the dosage, they have different colored ends that make it easy to differentiate between each vaccine. It makes it more convenient when doing a larger amount of cattle. Make sure you change the needles often so they do not become dull.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
For vaccinations, the alfelx repeaters. The vet says they are the more reliable in consistant and accurate doses. The cheaper ones are less accurate. From experience, I'd say the vet is on the mark on that one. I like that they come in different colors for easy identify when doing multiple shots at vaccinations.
For things like vitamin shots, or calf treatments, I like the disposable syringes.
For treating a cow with LA200 or any thing else, I will go back to the repeater due to the large doses, and being less awkward than the large disposables..
As for needles, always steel needles, never disposable. Use different sizes for different things like SQ, IM and size of animal. IM on a cow needs to be atleast 1.5" long due to the thickness of the hide alone.
For things like vitamin shots, or calf treatments, I like the disposable syringes.
For treating a cow with LA200 or any thing else, I will go back to the repeater due to the large doses, and being less awkward than the large disposables..
As for needles, always steel needles, never disposable. Use different sizes for different things like SQ, IM and size of animal. IM on a cow needs to be atleast 1.5" long due to the thickness of the hide alone.
S&WSigma40VEShooter
Well-known member
All good advice.
randiliana
Well-known member
hillsdown":30hxbzhk said:
Same way we do it here. Disposables for sickness, allflex automatics for vaccines. And, I prefer the Allflex to the Heinenger type automatics. I find them much more accurate, and also easier to use, and they don't leak!
rcstokes":1l4igab0 said:
Which one is the best is going to depend on what you're giving a shot for. If you're doing mass vaccinations, go with some type of Allflex syringe because most of them will allow you to mount the bottle, will automatically refill, and don't usually malfunction. If you're talking about shooting an individual animal, the syringe isn't as important as the needle - for pencillin and equally thick medications, a simple disposable syringe plus a 16 guage needle works best, for Baytril and other medications that are of the same viscosity, the same disposable syringe plus an 18 guage needle works just fine. I have found that a Luer Lock syringe tends to prevent the needle from blowing off the syringe with thicker, more viscous medications when trying to inject an animal that is dead set against being treated, and time is of the essense - I would also suggest a 14 guage needle. Just remember that the smaller the needle size, the bigger the hole(bore), the faster the medication is delivered, and the more it hurts the animal when it is stuck in them.
CowGirl005
Well-known member
S&WSigma40VEShooter":10l05b1y said:
I also have 5cc, 10cc & 20cc luer lock syringes on hand in those cases. Its not often I need them, but I have them so I do not have to stick em more than once.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Like most others, we use the automatic bottle mount syringe. Love them.
We also have the 6, 12, 20 & 35cc luer lock syringes. I never heard of a "threaded" needle or "non-threaded". We use the same needles on luer lock or slip lock syringes.
Vet & university & BQA recommends 3/4" for SQ & 1" for IM, and 1.5" for IM homone injections.
16 gauge for thick oil base meds, 18 ga for normal shots & occasionally 20 ga for calves using thin product, like BoSe.
We also have the 6, 12, 20 & 35cc luer lock syringes. I never heard of a "threaded" needle or "non-threaded". We use the same needles on luer lock or slip lock syringes.
Vet & university & BQA recommends 3/4" for SQ & 1" for IM, and 1.5" for IM homone injections.
16 gauge for thick oil base meds, 18 ga for normal shots & occasionally 20 ga for calves using thin product, like BoSe.
mtncows
Well-known member
Look at All-flex automatic fill type. Jeffers.com has these.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Luer-tip, Luer-lok, it doesn't matter to me - I use whatever I've got on hand. I never used multi-dose syringes, even when I was in active veterinary practice.
However, let me put this forward for y'all to consider, and hope you learn from MY mistake. I knew better, but it was the old 'do as I say, not as I do' situation.
If you're processing a bunch of stocker/feeder calves, maybe you don't need to use a fresh, sterile needle for each injection, and you can go in and out of the vaccine bottle multiple times with a used needle until it gets so dull you can't shove it through the next calf's skin. BUT! If you're working adult cows or potential replacement heifers, you're 'rolling the dice', and risking the spread of diseases through your herd.
I'd lost an older cow to lymphosarcoma - tumors of the lymphatic system, caused by Bovine Leukosis Virus - about once a year for the past 10 years, and it finally bothered my farm manager(wife) enough that we tested the entire cowherd and replacement heifers. Out of 44 adult cows, only 4 were not infected with BLV; only 1 of 10 weanling heifers we were holding back as possible replacements was infected.
BLV infection rate in my herd is close to 90%.
Well, it's kind of late to 'close the barn door' now, but I'm now doing what I should have been doing all along - and what I always recommended to my clients. 'Clean' cows/heifers get a fresh, new, sterile needle for every injection, I don't go in and out of the bottle of vaccine/medicine with a used needle, and 'clean' animals get a fresh, new OB sleeve when we're preg-checking or breeding by AI.
'Dirty' cows? The damage is done; I'll re-use needles/OB sleeves on them - but I don't go back into a bottle of vaccine/medicine with a needle that's been used to inject a BLV-positive cow.
All the research indicates that completely cleaning up a BLV-infected herd with infection rate higher than 40% is difficult to accomplish without splitting them into 'clean' and 'dirty' herds. I don't have sufficient land or facilities to do that, so I'm instituting best practices to minimize MY role in spreading the infection.
Most attention to BLV status has been directed at dairy cattle, but it's pretty widely distributed in beef herds across the US, as well.
More info here: https://www.msu.edu/~mdr/vol14no1/erskine.html
However, let me put this forward for y'all to consider, and hope you learn from MY mistake. I knew better, but it was the old 'do as I say, not as I do' situation.
If you're processing a bunch of stocker/feeder calves, maybe you don't need to use a fresh, sterile needle for each injection, and you can go in and out of the vaccine bottle multiple times with a used needle until it gets so dull you can't shove it through the next calf's skin. BUT! If you're working adult cows or potential replacement heifers, you're 'rolling the dice', and risking the spread of diseases through your herd.
I'd lost an older cow to lymphosarcoma - tumors of the lymphatic system, caused by Bovine Leukosis Virus - about once a year for the past 10 years, and it finally bothered my farm manager(wife) enough that we tested the entire cowherd and replacement heifers. Out of 44 adult cows, only 4 were not infected with BLV; only 1 of 10 weanling heifers we were holding back as possible replacements was infected.
BLV infection rate in my herd is close to 90%.
Well, it's kind of late to 'close the barn door' now, but I'm now doing what I should have been doing all along - and what I always recommended to my clients. 'Clean' cows/heifers get a fresh, new, sterile needle for every injection, I don't go in and out of the bottle of vaccine/medicine with a used needle, and 'clean' animals get a fresh, new OB sleeve when we're preg-checking or breeding by AI.
'Dirty' cows? The damage is done; I'll re-use needles/OB sleeves on them - but I don't go back into a bottle of vaccine/medicine with a needle that's been used to inject a BLV-positive cow.
All the research indicates that completely cleaning up a BLV-infected herd with infection rate higher than 40% is difficult to accomplish without splitting them into 'clean' and 'dirty' herds. I don't have sufficient land or facilities to do that, so I'm instituting best practices to minimize MY role in spreading the infection.
Most attention to BLV status has been directed at dairy cattle, but it's pretty widely distributed in beef herds across the US, as well.
More info here: https://www.msu.edu/~mdr/vol14no1/erskine.html
