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 In5 
 
.ivtRSITY Of 
 
 iu-lNOIS LIB 
 
 AT URBANA-CHAMt rtiQI' 
 AGRICULTURE 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 https://archive.org/details/injectionsitesinOOunit 
 

 United States 
 Department of 
 Agriculture 
 
 Animal and 
 Plant Health 
 Inspection 
 Service 
 
 Veterinary 
 
 Services 
 
 
 in U.S. 
 
 Injection Sites 
 Beef Cow/Calf 
 
 Herds 
 
 Beef Cow/Calf Health and Productivity Audit 
 
 In 1992, 57.7 percent of the injections 
 cow/calf producers, their employees, and 
 families gave to beef cattle were in the 
 muscle, and 41.5 percent were given under 
 the skin. According to producers, the 
 percentages of injections delivered by their 
 veterinarians were similar (Figure 1). 
 
 The 1991 National Beef Quality Audit 1 
 identified injection site blemishes as the 
 second greatest concern to those who sell 
 beef, next to excess external fat. Their 
 primary concerns were the image blemishes 
 project about the wholesomeness and quality 
 of meat products and the 46 million dollar 
 losses in 1991 due to meat that had to be 
 trimmed from the top sirloin butt. The 
 quality audit identified the primary cause for 
 blemishes as injections given in the muscle of the 
 upper hip. 
 
 Figure 1 
 
 Injection Routes Used by Producers 
 and Veterinarians* 
 
 Percent of Injections 
 
 HI Other 
 1 1 Subcutaneous 
 
 Y//A Intramuscular 
 
 Figure 2 
 
 The beef industry has focused considerable 
 'resources toward correcting this problem, 
 currently 41 states have beef quality assurance 
 programs working to improve the situation. To 
 provide information on the interaction between 
 animal health and product wholesomeness, the 
 National Animal Health Monitoring System 
 (NAHMS) included questions on injection sites in 
 the 1992-93 Cow/Calf Health and Productivity 
 Audit (CHAPA). The questions were designed to 
 identify who was giving injections on cow/calf 
 operations and the location of injection sites on 
 the animal. In October 1992, the questions were 
 asked of 3,379 producers from operations 
 throughout the lower 48 states. Producers were 
 selected randomly so the study results would 
 
 Injection Sites Defined for the 
 
 Beef Cow/Calf Health and Productivity Audit 
 
 represent U.S. beef cow/calf producers. Figure 2 
 shows the injection sites referenced in the 
 questions. 
 
 1 G.C. Smith (ed.), The Final Report of the National Beef Quality Audit -1991. Colorado State University, Fort 
 Collins, CO, and Texas A & M University, College Station, TX. 
 
 August 1993 
 
Figure 3 
 
 Figure 4 
 
 Producer-Delivered Injections to Cattle 
 
 Veterinarian-Delivered Injections to Cattle 
 
 Yes 
 
 Percent of Operations Percent of Cows Percent of Operations 
 
 Percent ot Cows 
 
 Nearly 58 percent of U.S. beef 
 producers gave some injections to their 
 animals in the preceding 12 months. 
 Those operations accounted for 78.7 
 percent of the nation’s beef cows 
 (Figure 3). 
 
 Producers were also asked about 
 injections administered by their 
 veterinarians. Forty-two percent of 
 producers reported that some 
 injections had been given by 
 veterinarians on their operation in the 
 preceding 12 months (Figure 4). These 
 operations represented 52.8 percent of 
 the U.S. beef cow herd. 
 
 Figure 5 
 
 Preferred Sites by Route for Producer-Delivered Injections 
 
 Shoulder 
 Side/Rib 
 Upper Hip 
 Lower Hip 
 Rump Along Tall 
 Head 
 Neck 
 
 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 
 
 Of the producers giving injections, 
 
 79 percent gave some of them in the 
 muscle. As shown in Figure 5, the two most 
 commonly preferred sites were the upper hip (45.5 
 percent) and the neck (15.2 percent). Over 72 
 percent of producers giving injections in the muscle 
 preferred a site on the hind leg. Sixty-two percent 
 of the producers giving injections gave some under 
 the skin, and most of those (72.2 percent) chose 
 the neck as the primary site. 
 
 Just over 72 percent of the producers reported 
 that some injections given by veterinarians were 
 placed in the muscle. According to the producers, 
 the most commonly preferred site for muscle 
 injections given by a veterinarian was the upper hip 
 (32.2 percent), followed by the neck (28.2 percent) 
 and the shoulder (16.1 percent). 
 
 Nearly 58 percent of producers also reported 
 that at least some of the veterinarian-given 
 
 Percent of Operations 
 
 injections were placed under the skin. According 
 to producers, 80.1 percent of the veterinarians 
 selected the neck as the preferred site for 
 subcutaneous injections. 
 
 Collaborators in the CHAPA included the National 
 Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA) and State and 
 Federal Veterinary Medical Officers, and the National 
 Veterinary Services Laboratories (USDA:APHIS:VS). 
 For more information on the National Cow/Calf Health 
 and Productivity Audit and other NAHMS programs, 
 please contact: 
 
 National Animal Health 
 Monitoring System 
 USDA:APHIS:VS 
 555 South Howes, Suite 200 
 Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 
 (303) 490-7800 
 
 N131.793