Injections and Vitamin/Herbal mixtures
Oct 10, 2014 10:54:29 GMT 10
Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 10, 2014 10:54:29 GMT 10
Injections and Vitamin/Herbal mixtures
Numerous times I'm asked about how often various substances can be injected, as well as how long before a race it should be injected.
I must admit that I often struggle with answering these types of questions, mainly because in many instances the value or in other words the benefit gained by injecting the chosen substance can easily be outweighed by the harm that could result from the fact that a needle is being pushed into muscle tissue.
Not only that, but after injecting whatever substance decided upon, you now have in most instances at least 2 ml of it sitting inside the muscle tissue, and don't confuse injecting into meat, because that's what you are injecting into, with injecting something into a sponge.
It takes time for this substance to be absorbed into the muscle tissue, and in the process what actually happens to the muscle cells not only damaged by the needle penetrating them, but also by being flooded with the injected substance while damaged?
What if the substance being injected finishes up not in the muscle tissue, but between muscle sheaths which depending on what was injected could dramatically slowdown the absorption rate?
While we are on that subject; as most would realize a needle is a steel tube. Now you can't get a sharp needle point on a tube because of the hole in the middle. So the sharp point on the needle is provided by cutting the tube on an acute angle. However by doing so it also creates a sharp edge leading back from that sharp point on both sides of the needle.
Now this may not impact all that much on extremely fine needles, but it certainly comes into play on the larger size needles that need to be used for injecting oil based substances, such as some of the hormones injected to keep a bitch off season.
Due to these sharp edges there is some chance, Murphy's Law being what it is, that if used carelessly one of the sharp edges on the side of the needle could cut into a muscle sheath.
In fact over the years I have noted a number of greyhounds that I have checked over for injuries with permanent muscle damage due to just such an occurrence, and in some instances resulting in torn muscle tissue due to the damage to the muscle sheath by the injection not being noticed by the trainer, and the greyhound having been raced some 24 hours after the injection.
At the same time, the injection of an oil based substance into a thin overlay of muscle tissue such as the Biceps Femoris of the outer surface of the hind leg (a favorite injection site) can easily result in an area of muscle tissue that cramps locally, and could then tear along the meat grain of the muscle tissue directly alongside the injection site. Again I have seen a number of greyhounds where that has occurred, often resulting in a considerable loss of speed.
What of the nerve paths that run through and over various muscle areas? In particular the sciatic nerve where it runs down below the outer rear edge of the Biceps Femoris of hind limb which can easily be damaged if an oily substance was injected deep into this area.
Anyone that has ever been injected into their muscle tissue certainly knows that it hurts, and that often it still aches the next day. So how does that make the dog feel if it has been injected in both back legs, then is injected roughly in the same area again the next day, and on top of that then has to race the day after that.
Therefore from my point of view I can only say that if you are going to inject a substance into the muscle tissue of your racing greyhound it better be something that really is necessary or extremely worthwhile.
In the heading of this post I also mentioned vitamin and herbal mixtures. Please keep in mind when using the various vitamin mineral concoctions etc. etc. that manufacturers keep claiming will make your greyhound faster for longer and or healthier, that 90 percent of the time these have very little benefit when added to a good diet, and unfortunately in some instances the overuse of some herbal concoctions can cause damage to the greyhounds liver, and or kidneys.
Plus there has been enough research in regard to the human use of daily quantities of vitamins to prove that rather than do any good they often cause health issues.
Again from my point of view I firmly believe that when it comes to adding vitamin etc. mixtures to the diet more is certainly not better, and in many instances none at all does the job just nicely.
Cheers,
Tom
Numerous times I'm asked about how often various substances can be injected, as well as how long before a race it should be injected.
I must admit that I often struggle with answering these types of questions, mainly because in many instances the value or in other words the benefit gained by injecting the chosen substance can easily be outweighed by the harm that could result from the fact that a needle is being pushed into muscle tissue.
Not only that, but after injecting whatever substance decided upon, you now have in most instances at least 2 ml of it sitting inside the muscle tissue, and don't confuse injecting into meat, because that's what you are injecting into, with injecting something into a sponge.
It takes time for this substance to be absorbed into the muscle tissue, and in the process what actually happens to the muscle cells not only damaged by the needle penetrating them, but also by being flooded with the injected substance while damaged?
What if the substance being injected finishes up not in the muscle tissue, but between muscle sheaths which depending on what was injected could dramatically slowdown the absorption rate?
While we are on that subject; as most would realize a needle is a steel tube. Now you can't get a sharp needle point on a tube because of the hole in the middle. So the sharp point on the needle is provided by cutting the tube on an acute angle. However by doing so it also creates a sharp edge leading back from that sharp point on both sides of the needle.
Now this may not impact all that much on extremely fine needles, but it certainly comes into play on the larger size needles that need to be used for injecting oil based substances, such as some of the hormones injected to keep a bitch off season.
Due to these sharp edges there is some chance, Murphy's Law being what it is, that if used carelessly one of the sharp edges on the side of the needle could cut into a muscle sheath.
In fact over the years I have noted a number of greyhounds that I have checked over for injuries with permanent muscle damage due to just such an occurrence, and in some instances resulting in torn muscle tissue due to the damage to the muscle sheath by the injection not being noticed by the trainer, and the greyhound having been raced some 24 hours after the injection.
At the same time, the injection of an oil based substance into a thin overlay of muscle tissue such as the Biceps Femoris of the outer surface of the hind leg (a favorite injection site) can easily result in an area of muscle tissue that cramps locally, and could then tear along the meat grain of the muscle tissue directly alongside the injection site. Again I have seen a number of greyhounds where that has occurred, often resulting in a considerable loss of speed.
What of the nerve paths that run through and over various muscle areas? In particular the sciatic nerve where it runs down below the outer rear edge of the Biceps Femoris of hind limb which can easily be damaged if an oily substance was injected deep into this area.
Anyone that has ever been injected into their muscle tissue certainly knows that it hurts, and that often it still aches the next day. So how does that make the dog feel if it has been injected in both back legs, then is injected roughly in the same area again the next day, and on top of that then has to race the day after that.
Therefore from my point of view I can only say that if you are going to inject a substance into the muscle tissue of your racing greyhound it better be something that really is necessary or extremely worthwhile.
In the heading of this post I also mentioned vitamin and herbal mixtures. Please keep in mind when using the various vitamin mineral concoctions etc. etc. that manufacturers keep claiming will make your greyhound faster for longer and or healthier, that 90 percent of the time these have very little benefit when added to a good diet, and unfortunately in some instances the overuse of some herbal concoctions can cause damage to the greyhounds liver, and or kidneys.
Plus there has been enough research in regard to the human use of daily quantities of vitamins to prove that rather than do any good they often cause health issues.
Again from my point of view I firmly believe that when it comes to adding vitamin etc. mixtures to the diet more is certainly not better, and in many instances none at all does the job just nicely.
Cheers,
Tom
