Are you using a different needle to draw up the pen-g and then a new needle to inject her?

Also there are different size needles (different gauges) so I wonder if you need a different size needle as well.

It certainly sounds like you are doing it correctly by tenting her skin – you would certainly see and feel the needle coming out on the other side of her skin.

Do you know the gauge of the needles? Usually between 25 and 28 is what is used on rabbits for injections.

I’ve never given an injection to a rabbit (pigs, goats…yes but) anyways I couldn’t find a video of it, but here’s one on a cat…my weak attempt to help you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxKxpaQeGvQ

My only other advice is, can you grab the rabbit and head to the vet, and ask them to watch you give the needed-that way they can see what your doing?

Another thing I do is I usually sit on the floor and put the rabbit in between my legs facing away from me and make sure they are lying down (I guess you want to make sure the rabbit is restrained and this is the easiest way I know how – I also do sub-q fluids this way).

What size is your rabbit too? I find that the smaller rabbits can be more of a challenge to do injections on as they don’t have as much skin as the larger rabbits.

Are you trying to give the injections SQ (under the skin) or into the muscle (IM)?  Tenting is usually done for SQ injections but you are giving the injections in a “fatty” area- which makes me wonder which selivery method your vet recommended.  I am just asking to clarify how you are supposed to give injections to give best advice.

It is pretty easy when you are giving a SQ injection to poke thru the other side- it still happens to our vets once in a blue moon when giving vaccs SQ- no often at all, but not impossible.  For the injection that you are giving- how much and how much would you estimate that you see ozzing back out? 

Hmmm…okay that is odd that they are drawing the pen-g for you. This stuff has to be shaken up quite a bit before it is even syringed so I have to wonder if it’s settling – it also has to be refrigerated. It’s true that the pen-g is thick – it’s a white milky type liquid.

I wonder if the reason you are having problems is because of this – I cannot imagine you shaking up a syringe enough to get the liquid mixed.

A bottle of pen-g is not expensive at all either – maybe around $24.00 so I’m wondering if you would be better off getting a bottle and syringing it yourself.

Wow, that’s pricey for that amount in my opinion. What are your fears for drawing the needles yourself?

Also are you refrigerating the vials and warming them up before you do the injections?

As long as you are not giving the injections IV- a few air bubbles are not going to hurt anything.  The only issue would be that the air is taking up space that is meant to measure the Pen-G dose.  If you hold the syringe with the needle pointing at the ceiling and give it a few flicks with your finger that should move any air bubbles to the top of the syinge and then you can release the air thru the needle.

Alway make sure the needle hub is attached firmly to the syringe or you can get air bubbles into the injection that way also when you draw back on the syringe after poking.

i have no personal experience with giving shots, but i wonder if this is something you are expecting to do on a regular basis if it wouldn’t benefit you in some way to learn how to draw them yourself. the vet tech should be able to give you a good demonstration, or better yet, let you practice doing it yourself.

You could even go to a pharmacy, purchase a few syringes and needles and some sterile water or something else that comes in a needle-type-bottle and practice with that! A couple of bux and you’d be a pro, no wasting meds

Have you tried using multiple sites to give the injections? Inject half of it at one location and then inject the rest maybe an inch away. That might help keep all of injectate in.

If you really are unsure about the injections- it is a good idea to take her back and have it demo’d again and make sure they see your method.  And like someone else mentioned- either you or the vet clinic might have another pet you can practice giving sterile water injections to.  AT our clinic anybody that starts giving their pets insulin or allergy serum injections is usually demo’d on their pet and another healthy pet- so their pet does not get the brunt of it.  My dog has gotten sterile water injections before so a client could practice and feel comfortable.  We always offer the option of having them always done at the clinic- but like in your case frequent injections is not feasible- but we do everything we can to get the owner confident in administering pets care.

Oh I don’t think it would, we were just suggesting help to draw the needles yourself since you are having them predrawn at the vet and said you were scared to do that part yourself

I think that Sarita also mentioned you could save quite a bit of money drawing them yourself as a whole vial is about $25 and you are paying $50-$60 for the pre-drawn meds.

I have to wonder if because of the way it’s formulated that unless the injections are drawn up fresh the “powder” sets in those little syringes and it makes it hard to shake them adequately and that could be why that is happening. Could it be coming out too where the syringe and needle are attached instead of even being injected at all?

The vet shouldn’t charge you just to have a vet tech show you how to draw and give an injection. We had a a similar problem with drawing and injecting and so I called and said I was having problems. They just said to come by and someone would help. The problem I had the first time was the needle was just too big.

Also note, just in case they didnt’ tell you at the vets office – be sure to wipe up thoroughly any of the penicillin that gets on to the fur as it’s toxic if a bunny gets to it orally.

OMG SOooo true BB that’s such a good point!!!!!

Hmm.. I have no clue. I give my cat two insulin shots a day but I cant figure out what is wrong either. Sounds like your doing it right, tenting and angling it I mean. The bubbles arent that difficult either, but from what my vet told me, bubbles are only a huge deal if you inject into a vein. And their only problem with injecting under the skin is the bubble makes the measurement dose a tad off. Totally off topic but you’ll get used to the needles in no time. I always used to throw fits and get so scared getting shots at the doctors, but now i can watch lol.