I’m in tears

I can not do this. Every freaking shot I give is a fur shot. I just got home...tested her BG and it’s 545. And so I feed and shoot and it’s all over the palm of my hand somehow. Please don’t send how to links...I’ve looked and read them all twice over. So now I’m going to have to try to sleep after feeding horses knowing she’s running that high. I’m in tears I am SO frustrated over this

 

Cries is fine. I cried my eyes plenty over a blasted ear test. One big cry over a fur shot and then a mighty howl over a B12 shot. I think if we don't bawl at some point we must have a stuffed animal !

High is better than low. You will get there.

Where do you try to shoot please?

Do you try to hoick up the fur and shoot into that. Soz . I am British so I think I mean gather up the fur to a small tunnel and shoot?

I do not do this.

I arm myself like a Major General. I place cat to his side . I get ready with syringe and a plunge into Ty at an angle of 30/45 degrees having parted a bit of fur.

Is your cat......furry....as in long hair?

For you and and and

and also

 

Ye

s I do all that. She’s super fluffy. I cut a spot out and you can’t even see it. I have some syringes that aren’t the right measurement but the dang needles appear to be attached

 

What syringes are you using? The specifics should be on the box or bag.
I'm looking for something like "Relion 3/10cc 31 gauge 5/16" length for U-100 insulin."

Sometimes the length and gauge make a difference. I've been doing this a long time and am STILL prone fur shots when I use longer needles. I much prefer the 5/16 inch "short" needles (also called 8mm).

 

No

way. I want longer and stronger. I pulled the string out of garbage and looked and needle was bent. It’s way WAY too tiny. My next post has pics of what I’m using. I’m using 31g 5/16

 

Trim a spot on her that you are able to see better

 

Olive being long hair and super thin, no scruff when she arrived it was impossible to tent her or roll the skin.

When she is eating try using fine tooth comb and part the hair, upper side of chest, don't worry about tenting (never worked me with 2 cats). When you see the skin just give shot, wait a second before pulling needle out. I use short needle syringes and go right to the hub with a bit of pressure so I know the needle is in.

 

I use buzzers to shave a spot so I can see the needle going in.
I've bent a few needles too. I don't push the needle in slow but I don't jam it in either. I found if I go too far/hard it bends the fine needle. Sometimes, it's just a faulty needle.
When Chuck was very skinny, I would pinch the skin and poke into the skin I was pinching, between my fingers.
For shots happen... We just had one the other day. I swear one throws off your confidence for a few shots. They're frustrating. Test for ketones and keep on dancing.

 

Just wanted to tell you not to give up. I felt the same way about BG testing. I was ready to just hang it up because I felt like all I was doing was hurting my kitty and messing up her ears, but I tried the vaseline trick for that, and that has made all of the difference. As far as her injections go, my cat is a shorthair, so I don't have any issues finding her skin, but what my Vet showed me was to pinch up the scruff of her neck (as if I were going to carry her by it,) and stick the needle into the fold in the middle of the pinch (if that makes any sense?) I do this while Sake is chowing down on her breakfast and dinner, and she doesn't even notice (she's a VERY voracious eater though ) Keep trying though, and you WILL find something that works for you, and when you do, it will just "click."

 

Hi Bobbi, I totally understand your frustration. I'm pretty much there with the BG testing, every time I even try to do it before feeding them is a freaking disaster. I can't watch another video of the chill cat mid-day just laying there and letting it happen. I can just tell you this: my guy did not like the shots at first, I literally had to ride him like a horse to hold him down, and 2 weeks later we are good. I can call him up on a barstool and he'll jump up for his shot. I don't tent, I pinch and scoot his fur out of the way until I see skin (he's medium haired) and stick the needle in as close to 45 degrees as I can. The needle goes in, the insulin goes in. I think all of us "newbies" on here on doing the best that we can. Let's stick with it together.

 

SHAVE a square of hair or have your vet do it. No reason to give fur shots if their is no fur! Could never have done it if vet hadn't shaved a spot.

 

Hang in there you will get the hang of it is hard at the begining but with practice it gets better, and think that a little insulin is better than no insulin, even if you don't get it right all the times you are already helping her.

Try shaving a spot that's what I had to do with Babu he has A LOT of hair so that's the only way I was able to do it, that way you are actually grabbing his skin so no fur shoots and you see exactly where you are shooting and you can use the small needles then

 

You've probably already heard this a million times but if not, maybe this will help:

Squallie has very dense, medium-length fur. The only way I know for sure I won't be giving a fur shot is by pinching a fold of skin (like I'm going to scruff him to pick him up, only just using a couple of fingers) and pull up; then I use the middle knuckle on my other hand's fore- or middle finger to make sure there is a "hollow" below where I'm pinching, and inject there, at a 40-45 degree angle. It also helps if you make sure that the bevel on the needle is facing upwards.



Don't let it get you down. Before you know it you'll be doing it all without even thinking about it!

 

I have heard most of it but thank you! There’s no way I can see the bezel of these needles tho they are that small. I have some 29g in order....hoping they’re substantially bigger than the 32g!!!

 

Ps...just wondering- why on the bezel facing upward?

 

I don't know, except it's supposed to make it slide in easier - no drag on the skin.

 

But it slid right through her FUR,,,real easy!

 

Awww! I’m typing between patients at work and did not notice the little kitty meme...so cute! Thanks for the smile!

 

You can do this.
I pull Diamond’s fur to make a “tent”. I stand over the top of him, part the fur a bit, grab fur, pull up, then pull skin over needle.

 

I think tonight I will try the grabbing fur. I saw someone else say this also! Thank you

 

I grabbed a 16g needle here at work and totally see why bezel up. I took photos...pretty self explanatory down it would slide along skin

 

That certainly does explain it!

 

I'd lend you Tylers bald bits

Blimey ! That looks like a screwdriver !

 

I’ve been telling people at work it’s what I’m going to use and OMGosh some have believed me!!!

 

I always pull the tent over the needle too, as I push in the needle. For me, I can actually feel it going in, which helps. Tessie has nice short hair though...I'm sure it's tough with a fluffy coat!

 

Lol maybe on a horse, not a cat.

 

Because insulin needles aee so small in diameter it really does not make any difference with the bevel orientation. It does make a difference with larger diameter needles like those used for subQ fluids since those are tryupicaly at an angle to the skin and you do not what the heal of the bevel to contact the skin before the point.

 

I was actually wondering that when I got home last night. That and aside from the fact there is no way I could see the bezel, I don’t have a microscope

 

OK feeling much better..I can’t seem to say thank you all enough on here. I know, I know...I’m going to be reprimanded for not fixing my ss...but here’s a graph showing Gretchen’s levels and the spike of those 2 misses. Now if her fur will quit stealing my shots we are on our road. This is 2 units am/pm, feeding and injecting as close to 11:30a/p as I can get.


PS all the spikes are fur grabbers :/

 

Oh...Zero keytones too

 

Fix yer ss fur grabber !

Kiddin' coz I couldn't resist.

 

Ok. Grade my ss. Please consider my brain and my time at this in your grade.
Comments on super highs are because in all this there’s been several fur shots...2 in a row on Tues I think it was

 

Grade for SS setup: A+

 

Spreadsheet looks great. Over time, please try to get as many nadir readings as possible. It will help you (and us) to measure effectiveness of the dose and whether to increase or decrease the dose.

 

If I can keep that dang fur from grabbing my shots! Seems like she was leveling out slowly and coming down then the fur misbehaved a few times ...

 

Big aplause on the SS! !!

And her numbers look quite nice considering she was diagnosed just a few days ago and all