# What size needle/syringe is most important to have?



## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

I am hearing that 22 gauge needles are good to have. Should I be getting 18 gauge too? Or will 22 gauge needles work for most everything I need to give shots for? Also the person stated 22 gauge 1/2 inch to buy...I am only finding 3/4 inch or 1 inch not the 1/2 inch. Does this matter? I am new to goat raising and could use a bit of guidance here. Thank you! Tami


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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

I don't think it matters. I just wouldn't go as far in. 


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## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

Oh also I use 22s and they work really good and they aren't really thick so I don't think the shot hurts as badly


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I use basically two sizes at my farm. 18 gauge and 20 gauge. Both in 1 inch. You need the 18 gauge for thick meds like penicillin, Bose and Nuflor, and the 20 gauge works well for liquidy meds like banamine and vaccinations.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Oh thank you for letting me know this! I really appreciate this 4seasons and tenacross! Thank you so much! I am so new to this and just thought I should ask.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I like 20 gauge better than 22. You really want the medicine to come out easily. 18 gauge for the thicker stuff.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Karen is there a big difference between the 22 gauge and the 20 gauge in size? Do you use the 1 inch needles or smaller? 

Then the cc's.....for the syringe....what CC's should I buy? 3 and 5? Or different than that?

Thank you Karen! I appreciate this info!

Tami


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Yes there is. I find that only the real watery stuff goes through 22 well. You really want to be able to push the plunger easily. Nothing like struggling to get a shot in a jumpy goat when you can't push the plunger fast.

I use both 1 inch and half inch but 1 inch is fine.

I have 1cc, 3cc, 6cc, 12cc and 60cc. But I also had alpacas so kept every size on hand. You mainly use 3cc and 6cc. I really like the 1cc for dosing kids since they need such small amounts of meds.


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

I use the 1" needles and I keep on hand the 22, 20 and 18 gauge for the goats. I agree that using the 18 Gauge for thicker meds but I actually use the 22 gauge for finer things such as vitamin b or c shots. One thing to remember if using the 22 gauge over the 20 is if you have a big wiggly animal and if you do not feel very comfortable giving shots there is a chance that the moving animal could break the 22 gauge needle off in their skins. I saw this once when I worked at a vet clinic as a client of theirs had tried to use a 22 for an IM shot on a horse (on their own) and the horse spooked breaking the needle off. I have never seen this happen on a goat but I am sure it could happen depending on the animals and quality of the needle in use. 22 gauge is very commonly used for small animal shots (dogs cats etc.). 

On the cc's I always have on hand the 3, 6, 12, some 20's and a few 60's. The most needed would be 3, 6 and 12's in most cases. 

Hope this helps.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Wow thank you Karen and Day Dream Farms! I really appreciate this info! Yes this helps greatly! Thank you!! Learning this stuff is fun! Thank you! Tami


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

We use mostly 1" 18 gauge. And some 16 just for drawing out real thick stuff.
You can never have too many 3, 6 & 12 cc syringes on hand.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Thanks for letting me know Nancy! Do you keep 1 cc's for kids on hand as well? Or is the 3 cc's workable for kids too? I have two girls who are less than a month old....so will need syringes for them as well.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

3 cc syringe for kids. It IS nice to have a few 1cc around if you need to drop meds in their eyes.
As for the med cabinet, I always have penicillin, some nuflor & thiamine. Banamine too.
As for the thiamine it was a few years expired. When someone came down with what looked like polio I slammed high doses into her.
This year was the first confirmed case of cocci by way of fecal.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

farmerjon said:


> Then the cc's.....for the syringe....what CC's should I buy? 3 and 5? Or different than that?
> 
> Tami


I don't know if this has been mentioned, but buy luer lock syringes. They have a threaded area at the tip of the syringe that the needle screws onto and that prevents the needle from blowing off the syringe.


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## BCF_goats (Apr 21, 2014)

Does anyone know what to do after a needle has broken off into the skin? Scary stuff.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

I am all ears BCF.....do you know what to do? I'd like to know what to do in that case. Thanks for asking that!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

The 1cc are good for kids for meds like Banamine. The amount is so small, it is harder to get it right in a 3cc syringe. Like a 5 lb kid only gets .05cc of Banamine. Very hard to get that right in a 3cc syringe. The 1cc syringe has all those markings to do the very tiny dosages.

I'd be calling my vet if a needle broke off and you can't just pull it out.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Another question....do you use the aluminum hubs on the needles?? Or the plastic ones?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

The plastic ones are the cheapest for me so that is what I buy.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

where do you get your needles karen?


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I use 18 and 20 gauges...I also prefer 1/2 to 3/4 inch since almost everything I give is SQ. I recommend the luer lock syringes too...I buy all mine at TSC.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

I have month old twin does.....how long would I use the 1 cc vs the 3 cc syringes? I am debating if I should just get the 3 cc. I am not sure when you could start using the 3cc on them?


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I use 3cc,6cc and 12cc syringes. If I need less than 3cc, I just draw up less. It doesn't have the smaller increments but most of what i have given has been in 1/2 to 1cc or more anyway...


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I never have the 1 cc. syringes. Those have to be ordered or bought from the vet. I really don't give anything to my kids that would require them.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Oh, and I recycle syringes. I clean them out with bleach water after use and allow them to totally dry. I throw them away when the writing wears off...needles I throw out though, I do NOT re-use those.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Where is the least expensive place to buy needles and syringes? I am finding valley vet has 100 for 13 dollars and something and tractor supply charges seven something for just 24 of the same needle. I don't think I need 100 needles for 5 goats...but then again maybe I am wrong. Does anyone have suggestions on this?


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Oh thank you goathiker! That really helps me know what to do! I will only buy 3 and 6 cc then.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I get all my supplies from PBS Livestock.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

BCF_goats said:


> Does anyone know what to do after a needle has broken off into the skin? Scary stuff.


If I had a needle break off in my goat, I would be carefully locating it, depressing the tissue on either side, getting a hold of it with a pair of pliers and removing it. If, for whatever reason, that was not possible she would be on her way to the vet. This scenario is one reason why I will not buy needles longer than 1/2" - it's much harder to break off a 1/2" needle than it is a 1" needle.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

So another question.....do you all buy the needles and syringes separate or is it cheaper to buy them together? Sorry for all the questions....yikes!


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