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Here’s how to give your dog a shot

By Wesley Coburn

YORK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06: A sheepdog, wet from a morning walk, sits in a field at the British National Sheep Dog Trials on August 6, 2016 in York, England. Some 150 of the best sheepdogs and handlers in the country competed in the event on the Castle Howard estate near York to win one of 15 places in the national team and to go on to represent England at the International trials. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
YORK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06: A sheepdog, wet from a morning walk, sits in a field at the British National Sheep Dog Trials on August 6, 2016 in York, England. Some 150 of the best sheepdogs and handlers in the country competed in the event on the Castle Howard estate near York to win one of 15 places in the national team and to go on to represent England at the International trials. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) /
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Did you know you can do this yourself and save money? Here’s how to give your dog a shot.

Most dogs in rural areas may go to the vet once or twice in their lives, to be spayed/neutered, for example, or if they have a life-threatening disease.

“But what about their shots?” you might be asking.

That’s simple: Their owners give them their shots, after buying the antibiotic (or whatever the case may be) from the local vet. It’s a common practice, as it’s a Very Important Skill for owners to know, and it saves quite a bit of money.

Here’s a quick guide to knowing how to give your dog a shot.

According to the 1995 Texas A&M Veterinary Assistant Handbook, dosages typically vary depending on the animal’s size.

The quantity of a dose for a drug or chemical may be measured in milligrams (mg), grams (g), milliliters (ml), cubic centimeters (cc), or ounces (oz). Milliliters and cubic centimeters are, confusingly, basically the same thing.

Solid weights are measured in grams, milligrams, ounces or pounds (lb), and the animal’s body weight is measured in pounds or kilograms (kg). One kg is 2.2 lbs, and one pound is 0.45 kg.

To convert kg to lbs, take the kilogram number and multiply by 2.2 lbs, and to go the other way, multiply the pounds by 0.45 kg.

If the medicine is considered a biological (vaccines, etc), then the same dose will be applied no matter what size of animal, and the dosage will be printed on the label – either mg per kg, cc per lb, oz per lb, or X tablets per lb.

To figure out what the proper dosage might be, take the mg/kg rate recommended, multiply by kg/2.2 lbs = total weight in pounds. Then you multiply that mg/lb ratio times the dog’s total body weight in pounds to get the total dose in mg.

The medicine should be stored in a cool, dark place – refrigerators are excellent.

Once it’s time to give the shot, here’s how to do so, according to the ninth edition of Carla Emery’s Encyclopedia of Country Living:

“force the air out of the needle before putting it into the bottle by pushing the plunger clear down.”

Then “feel your needle with as much as you need, measuring by the calibrations on the body of the needle as you pull back on the plunger,” Emery explains. If the plunger comes out, the process needs to be restarted from the beginning.

Once that’s done, you aim for a large muscle in the animal’s shoulder or rear thigh, avoiding bones. Have a helper nearby if necessary to keep the dog still. Be careful to make sure the needle comes out cleanly, and you’re all set.

Now you know how to give your dog a shot, and like anything else, practice makes perfect.

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