Needle anxiety

Hello everyone! My husband and I found out this weekend that our 6 year old kitty, Banksy, has diabetes and we have to give him shots twice a day. I wasn't able to be there when the vet showed my husband how to administer the shot, but he's done about 4 times and is pretty good at it. He says the secret is to do it while Banksy is eating.

I have always had a fear of needles. I can't even watch someone getting a shot in real life or even on TV without getting queasy and having to look away. And while I kind of wish I could just let my husband handle it I know that isn't fair to him and also not always a possibility. So this morning I asked him to walk me through doing it. I tried. I lightly pinched some loose skin and when I put the needle in, Banksy flinched a bit, or maybe I imagined it, and I panicked which led to a complete breakdown. I could only sit on the floor and cry while my husband gave him the shot. All day when I tried to be rational about it, I just think about that needle and Banksy flinching and I just get sick to my stomach.

It's silly to feel this way because I know it's not hurting him. I know he needs it and we do it because we love him, and it really isn't a big deal. But none of that logic registers behind all of this emotion and fear. I want to be able to do this for him but I don't know how to overcome this anxiety. If anyone has any advise or coping mechanisms, I would greatly appreciate it. I just want to help take care of him.

Thanks in advance.

 

I was just like you when I first started. It is very challenging. Just remember, you are healing your kitteh. Without the insulin, he will die.

You just plain get used to it. For me it took a couple of weeks. And cat skin is not as sensitive as ours. If you treat is as a non-event, then so will your kitteh.

Be assertive and fairly quick:
- pull out the skin tent when he is eating
- plunge it on into the tent
- push out the dose
- hold it for a second, then you're done

If they are eating and you just go thru with it, the whole dosing situation becomes very routine and is just the opposite of traumatic. I use 5/16" needles so they never poke thru the other side of the tent. Leo has now been getting dosed for almost 3 years. He doesn't even think or care about it anymore.

I guarantee you, if I could do it you could too. And Theresa has learned how as well. It is a life giving treatment.

 

I agree....the only way to get over it is to just keep doing it and realize that it's saving your kitty's life.

One thing you can try is singing. Singing forces you to use a different part of your brain and can help keep your nerves from being passed on to Banksy. Take a few deep breaths, pick a song that makes you smile and go for it!!

We have our own version of "The Hokey Pokey song" here...."You are my Sunshine" is also a good one!!

The needles we use (most of us use 31 gauge) are only about the width of a human hair so they really don't cause any pain.

Remember, you're not doing this to hurt him....you're doing it to save his life!

 

I was never particularly needle phobic but I've been around animal medical stuff for a long time and I think I just "willed" myself through those early days and any discomfort I felt (mind over matter and so forth, or so I tell myself, lol).

Sometimes perception is worse than reality. As you've found, the insulin shots are probably harder on you than they are on the cat.

One thing you can do to try to increase your comfort around needles and gain a little confidence is to practice on a banana. Take an insulin syringe, put the proper number of units of "insulin" (use water instead) in it, and angle it at about 45 degrees into the banana and depress the plunger. Talk to yourself (or to your pet banana if that works better) in a soothing, reassuring voice and tell yourself that you're doing well, that you can do this (or sing as Chris suggested). Then get out of your head and just do it. Don't pause, stall, or overthink it. And then do it again. And again. And again.

It isn't perfect, but it will help you get a feel for having a syringe in your hand, and a needle. And every little bit helps, right?

I've got a friend who is similar to you, perhaps worse, and they've managed to give shots to my diabetic cats on occasion over the years. They still don't love doing it but admitted awhile back that it's not as bad as they thought. So hang there, there's hope!

 

I hate needles too. I can never look when I get a shot or blood drawn. But I can do these shots for Katie. I have probably done over 2,000 injections by now.
I think it helps me that the needles are so tiny and and are going into her fur, I dont see her skin. Some people shave a spot to help them, I couldnt do it, seeing the needle pierce the skin would freak me out even now. But you can do it.........really, you can. You would be surprised at what you can do when you have to. Just try not to overthink it.

 

Practice with an old needle with a little water in it on a piece of fabric a few times.

 

Yes, I remember I practiced with a stuffed animal. Even just the sheet on the bed, something you can"tent" works too.

 

If you haven’t been watching your husband, try just sitting there while he gives the shot. That, along with the practice and singing (it really helps) mentioned above, may help relieve the stress.

 

It's like any other thing a person feels "phobic" about: desensitizing by repeated exposure to the scary thing. You've been given good tips here and I hope you try them out. I know you'd want to keep your kitty safe and healthy if for any reason your husband can't be around at shot time. You'll feel so much more confident in many ways when you overcome this fear.

If you can "fake it until you feel it" and put on a clinical, business-like mask the first while it'll help a lot.

 

We too were shaking the first time we had to give Dweezy a shot, and neither of us is even remotely needle phobic!

I had trouble doing the tent method and my partner had to do all the AM and PM shots for about the first 5 days. Then I made myself do it as we had to share the injecting duties, and I was ok. Never VERY confident (I got much better when we moved away from injecting the scruff as Dwee didn't like it and apparently it's not the best area for absorption anyway), but I could at least do it.

It DOES get easier. The more you expose yourself, the better and you will start to feel more in control and more like you are helping and saving rather than messing up, feeling scared and helpless.

 

Could you post a sound clip of that?

 

I've never heard this lovely version, but some words might be...

You put the needle in
You take the needle out
You gently stroke the fur to check there's no insulin about
You cat just keeps on eating
While you throw the needle out
They didn't even notice

Ohhh, needle needle fur!
Ohhh, needle needle fur!

Your cat just keeps on eating
While you collapse on the floor
And they still do not notice

lol

 

Thank you all so much for the replies. I especially love the kitty hokey pokey song! So relatable! I will try singing to him the next time I attempt the shot. <3

 

I have been. I watch every time. He's like an old pro, though it's only been a few days. He makes it look so easy. Maybe I need to try faking confidence when I do it.

 

Absolutely!

I love Banksy's asymmetric facial colouring.

 

Where are you injecting? We started with Nigel's scruff and I was freaked. Now years later it's poking the ear that's tragic and tickling Noah's other ear with transdermal BUPE is the worst part of his day. I get Noah to lay on his side and do a partial tent on his back shoulder, easy as pie. I also switched to Monoject syringes, the best!!!

 

Hi, I totally get what you are feeling, I wasn't able to see a needle let alone use one, the first times I had to shoot, I didn't had anyone else to do it ( I envy you husband can do it ) so I really had to suck it up ( that probably helped ) It would take just a few minutes but I ended up sweating , still thinking that the needle is so much smaller and thinner than his claws made me think that if he could stand the rough playing with the other cats the needle shouldn't be a problem ( that helped with the part where I thought I was hurting him) and putting a hard face like is not big deal too ( I had to believe it so that he would also believe it ) talking a lot while doing it I think he started listening to me complaining a lot about my boss ( I think it was easier to act strong if I talked about not so nice things ) and of course I ended asking him for forgiveness after I did it

Where are you shooting? I found out that he accepted it better on the side, on the scruff he kind of moved or jumped and that was soo scary

 

When I tried, it was somewhere around his thigh. Everytime we move it so we don't hit the same place over and over. He doesn't seem to care where because he's too busy munching on his food.

We are using Easy Touch 30 gauge insulin syringes. The needles are small but my anxiety riddled memory makes me think they are much bigger.

Hearing from all of you has made me feel much better. I may try again tomorrow morning. I'm still nervous thinking about it but I think I can do it.

 

Thank you! He is the sweetest boy. We named him Banksy because his markings kind of look like graffiti art.