Need to know how to give injections
- Thread starter Nickl
- Start date
Hi Nickl,
You should actually not be giving injections unless it is under the direction of a veterinarian. Did your cham go to a vet and they told you to give them? Calcium injections can be dangerous to give unless it's monitored very closely. That's about the only way you can actually cause toxicity from calcium. You can give liquid calcium orally (it's absorbed very well this way) for MBD, but you should not be giving injections.
You should actually not be giving injections unless it is under the direction of a veterinarian. Did your cham go to a vet and they told you to give them? Calcium injections can be dangerous to give unless it's monitored very closely. That's about the only way you can actually cause toxicity from calcium. You can give liquid calcium orally (it's absorbed very well this way) for MBD, but you should not be giving injections.
TreeTopChameleons
Established Member
Agreed, it is never a good idea to inject your own animals, injections are a very specialized skill set, and if done improperly can cause some pretty serious complications. Why not just take it to the vet, then you have the guarantee that it will be done correctly, and I'm sure the charge for that service would be minimal!
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
My vet had me do them at home too. Mine was in the leg just under the skin. I just wadded up the leg skin on the injection side, and did the deed, then kept pressure on it for 30 sec if i could (their skin is so thin some times the fluid just runs back out the hole), The vet had me alternate legs for each daily injection. I felt bad for the guy since he would have a dime sized black spot from color change at each injection for a few days 
Kate
Avid Member
My vet had me do them at home too. Mine was in the leg just under the skin. I just wadded up the leg skin on the injection side, and did the deed, then kept pressure on it for 30 sec if i could (their skin is so thin some times the fluid just runs back out the hole), The vet had me alternate legs for each daily injection. I felt bad for the guy since he would have a dime sized black spot from color change at each injection for a few days
In have had to do it on three occasions. Three different chams. But i wasnt sent home wit the meds and left to do it. Vet asked me to do it in front of him first. Good luck. Keep us updated.
Kate
Avid Member
If you have been shown then breath and go for it. If you are not confidant then don't . Go back to your vet and either have you do it again or ask them to do it. I poped it in under the skin at the top half of the outer aspect of the back leg. Once you bring the needle out massage the area with clean hands to stop it oozing out.
AngieL
Avid Member
Does bring a nurse help when you have to do things like that Kate? I did body piercing for a couple of years but I really don't think I could inject Teal'c.
Kate
Avid Member
Possably but I looked upon it as being necessary at the time. Reptile anatomy is very different to humans and I don't know much about reptiles. I take it that I did it right because none of the chams lost a leg or bled to death! The bad thing was taking the sharps to work for disposal. I think my colleagues believed me.lol
Even if you know how to give the injections correctly you should still not be doing it. Calcium injections can be dangerous and cause toxicity issues. Toxicity from calcium can be in the form of kidney failure or dystrophic mineralization - where the body is overwhelmed and out of balance with phosphorus so it make like crystals in all the body tissues in the wrong places. It can cause organ failure and pain. How many injections were you instructed to do and how often? You need to know the blood levels of phosphorus before injecting calcium to know how much of a risk that is. Usually there is only one or two injections at the beginning and only in severe cases. Otherwise you give liquid calcium orally, which is absorbed better than the injectable form according to some sources, and it is much safer because the body can excrete the excess easily before it causes problems.
Once a day for 2 days its done already though now I has to give him liquid calcium once a day for a week then once every 2 days for a week every 3 days and do on for 2 months then I have another check up
Kate
Avid Member
So you only had to do it twice? I was responding to title of thread. I have not injected calcium.
Yea it's calcium gluconate
