I’m sure I remember, as a child, being told that blowing high-pressure air onto the skin was highly dangerous as it could force air bubbles into the bloodstream and cause a clot. Was that a myth then?
The air is used to activate a piston that forces the fluid through a small opening and into the skin. The air doesn’t enter the body.
When I reported for basic training, they gave the new recruits a bunch of shots with those guns. They are pretty freaking far from painless.
Many injections can use the extremely small needles that are available today. When used correctly, you can feel them, but it is not correct to call what you feel pain.
From a slightly different perspective, I had to get my cat vaccinated over the summer. Three visits, each about two weeks apart, and each time they gave her a vaccine via needle and a vaccine via jet. She never reacted to the needle, but every time the jet was used she freaked out and tried to escape. It got to the point where I was actively having to fight her on the third trip to get her in and out of the vet. I’ve never seen that much terror on an animal in person.
So yeah, I figure they hurt.
I don’t know about the airguns. But I just got a flu shot a couple weeks back and I barely felt anything. Certainly no pain. It was less pain and pressure than being poked in the arm by a finger, which doesn’t hurt at all.
Needles for inoculation are **very **thin, as opposed to needles for drawing blood or plasma (plasma needles are fairly enormous).
Dr. McCoy never had any complaints. (well except that one time and it was himself)
Bosstone - I hardly think your cat freaking out at an airgun is an indication it was painful. They likely didn’t care for the sudden sound. My cat would do the same thing if I slammed a book shut suddenly.
I have taken to always asking for the smallest needle possible when I get a blood draw or a vaccination, which 95% of the medical folks will oblige me. I also cheat and use a lidocaine topical on the spot where the injection will be done about 20 minutes beforehand, which helps. It always baffles me that I have to ask for this smaller needle though, rather than them just offering it, or using it as a standard practice. Yes, I get that it will take a 30 seconds more in a blood draw to get the blood, and maybe a second more in an injection, but really? I have to ask for the friggin least painful needle? How about you put in my medical record that I’m a pussy so I can forego that embarrassment every time I show up…