How to practice vaccines?

[biancaparsons]

I am pre-vet and trying to find a way to practice vaccines not on a live patient. I volunteered at a free clinic for pets of homeless individuals where tech work is primarily done by pre-vet and veterinary students. Some of the vet students taught me how to give vaccines, but I'm having some trouble. Pinching and poking is not an issue, but once I've poked and it's time to draw back and then inject I have a hard time knowing if my needle is in the right spot sub-q and making sure that I'm not going into muscle, fascia, etc. I tried to vaccinate a kitten and just couldn't be sure if my needle was in the other side of the skin or something else it shouldn't be. I poked her a couple of times and couldn't get it, so I told the other techs that someone else needed to do it for the poor kitten. So, does anyone know of ways to practice giving vaccines without having to use patients?

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[SnowJ]

I am pre-vet and trying to find a way to practice vaccines not on a live patient. I volunteered at a free clinic for pets of homeless individuals where tech work is primarily done by pre-vet and veterinary students. Some of the vet students taught me how to give vaccines, but I'm having some trouble. Pinching and poking is not an issue, but once I've poked and it's time to draw back and then inject I have a hard time knowing if my needle is in the right spot sub-q and making sure that I'm not going into muscle, fascia, etc. I tried to vaccinate a kitten and just couldn't be sure if my needle was in the other side of the skin or something else it shouldn't be. I poked her a couple of times and couldn't get it, so I told the other techs that someone else needed to do it for the poor kitten. So, does anyone know of ways to practice giving vaccines without having to use patients?

I would take a toothpick and practice with it on a stuffed animal if you can. otherwise a pillow would probably work well too.

If you have pinched the skin up and poked just into that space parallel to the body, then you shouldnt need to worry too much about getting into muscle. When you pull back you should get negative pressure- that lets you know you aren't poked through the other side of the skin or in a vein. If you start pushing it in and you have a lot of resistance, you may be in the skin instead of under it. Otherwise it should go in easy.
I recommend getting a syringe from a clinic if you can, or something similar to practice inserting the needle, pulling back, and then pushing in without adjusting your hand position. This will help your placement confidence since you wont have a bunch of needle movement as you adjust.

 

[that redhead]

I am pre-vet and trying to find a way to practice vaccines not on a live patient. I volunteered at a free clinic for pets of homeless individuals where tech work is primarily done by pre-vet and veterinary students. Some of the vet students taught me how to give vaccines, but I'm having some trouble. Pinching and poking is not an issue, but once I've poked and it's time to draw back and then inject I have a hard time knowing if my needle is in the right spot sub-q and making sure that I'm not going into muscle, fascia, etc. I tried to vaccinate a kitten and just couldn't be sure if my needle was in the other side of the skin or something else it shouldn't be. I poked her a couple of times and couldn't get it, so I told the other techs that someone else needed to do it for the poor kitten. So, does anyone know of ways to practice giving vaccines without having to use patients?

If you aspirate and get a big bubble of air that keeps coming, you’ve gone through to the other side. If you get negative pressure and can inject pretty smoothly/without a lot of resistance, you’re in a good spot. You’ll get the feel for it pretty quickly once you’re doing it. I’m not sure anything other than a live animal can give the same “experience” aside from maybe a cadaver.

Also, the smaller the animal, the harder it is! Instead of a kitten, get a gigantic Lab with a good layer of fat between the skin and the muscle