How to give an IM injection to a goat.

By Dr Dan Drake DVM

We asked Dr. Dan Drake DVM for some instructions on how to give an intramuscular injection to a goat.  Dr. Drake prefers to inject into the neck muscle.  He suggests to find the correct location for an IM shot, you want to be in front of the shoulder blade, below the Nuchal Ligament which runs down the back of the neck and above neck's vertebrae bones.  This location forms a triangle shaped area of muscle.  He recommends a 1 inch needle.

1. Hold the syringe barrel tightly and use your wrist to insert the needle into the muscle at a 90 degree angle.
2. Withdraw the plunger slightly to make sure that you have not hit a vein or vessel.
3. Depress the plunger slowly, then withdraw the needle at the same angle it went in.