Location of insulin shot

Hi,
I'm just wondering if people alternate where they administer the insulin shot on their kitty's body. I've been administering insulin mainly in the middle of Beemer's upper back, but should I be rotating areas? Maybe to one side or the other?

Thanks!

 

I never shoot the same spot more than once in a week, I rotate thru both sides of his body. There is a good diagram of 'where to shoot' on This Page

 

Barb, that's a great link. :smile:

I shoot mostly in the scruff, but try to alternate sides and move the shot site around slightly. And sometimes I shoot along the side of the chest (now that Bert has more loose skin there (he's lost some weight)). I've also tried the flank but Bert almost took my fingers off... nailbite_smile :lol:

Some folks say they have absorption problems if they shoot in the scruff. I've never had that problem with Bert. But I have noticed that the insulin onset seems to be quicker if I shoot closer to the abdomen (although the over all drop from the insulin is the same). I don't know if any other folks have had this experience...?

Eliz

 

I usually shoot the scruff too - seems like the side would be sensitive. Problem w/PJ is she's so tiny (barely 7lbs) and her skin is so thin. I think I'll try the other areas and see how she responds.

 

I use the short needles, so as long as I have enough skin to tent, and make sure the needle only goes under the skin, avoiding going 'in' to the muscle, Frog never even notices the shot. (I just shoot sideways into the tent so it can't hit anything vital, but Frog LOVES his belly rubbed and handled, that might be why he doesn't mind)

When I first started, we used the ruff (per the vet of course) and I was having a lot of trouble, he didn't like it, was a huge fight to keep him still..... now..... he only balks for the ear pokes, doesn't notice or care about the actual shot except occasionally to 'ask' for it (usually when I'm running a bit late or had to skip... he lets me know)

ETA: Eliz, it actually even says on that page, that insulin absorption is more rapid from the abdomen than from the flank, that was why I decided to rotate around both sides flank. I'm guessing it is related to the presence of more blood in that area. The important thing is the rotation, not so much the exact location... if you shoot the exact same spot always it can develop scarring which leads to absorption issues. One other thing I've noticed, the 'closer to front' flank shots are much harder if the kitty is at all dehydrated, so something to watch for I guess.

 

Thanks everyone for the input - every you tube video/instructions I saw put the needle into the scruff, so I wasn't sure. I just tried to put it in another area of his body, but got nervous, and used the scruff again. Oh well...better luck next time!

 

This is interesting. We were never told to change or rotate spots.. I am left handed and my husband is right handed. That being said I know we rotate from the upper back or neck in that nook. I shoot him more towards the right and I have notice my husband more toward the left. Is this ok or should we change spots totally?

 

moochiec, I was doing the same us you - I was never injecting in the exact same spot on his neck/back every time, I would go lower/higher etc. However, it seems to be bothering him more and more (he's only been on insulin for a week), which made me explore whether it was OK to inject in other areas of his body. Maybe my cat gets sore in a large radius from the actual shot location. So if your kitty doesn't seem to be bothered, maybe it's not an issue - however other said the development of scar tissue in the same area could create absorption issues - whether or not this can happen if you rotate around a large area, I'm not sure.

However, I got a shot in this morning on Beemer's side, and he didn't seem bothers at all (well....he growled, but didn't flinch....so I should say less bothered). So I'd say it doesn't hurt to switch to an injection area which you know is also effective.

 

Just want to reassure folks new to FD that there is plenty of time to time to 'sort out'/'adapt'/'be creative with' the 'where to shoot' issue.

First off, the priority is to actually get the insulin into the cat. After that the refinements to the technique can be made over time - and if necessary. So, those of you who are new to this sugar dance please don't stress about it. Honestly.

In my earlier post in this thread I commented on my own observations about giving shots to my cat. And others will have their own observations once they've been monitoring their own cat for a while. Some folks shoot in the scruff for the entirety of the cat's life and never have a problem. Others may note, through observation of hometesting results, that alternative sites work a bit better. Or maybe it becomes apparent that the cat prefers shots 'here' or 'there'. Over time let your own experience be your guide. But there is no rush. Take a breath. Relax. As we often remind ourselves here: 'This is a marathon and not a sprint'... ;-) :smile:

Eliz

 

Well said, Elizabeth!

With Michelangelo, I started shooting in the scruff because that's where he had the most skin/fat/tissue for me to tent, but he was so tiny that it was impossibly hard and I was giving fur shots more often than not. I ended up switching to the flanks within the first couple of weeks or so because it was MUCH easier for me to shoot him there without having to try tenting him (I give "flat" shots like you would to a human). He really is not a fan of me giving him shots on his left side so I mostly give him shots on his right. Because of this, I have a "grid" mapped over his right side where I give his AM shots toward the front and his PM shots closer to the rear. Then, I move from closest to the spine and down the side throughout the week so I don't shoot him in the same place twice (it'd be easier if he'd let me shoot his left side more often :roll: ).

ECID, so some cats might not have any noticeable difference, but with Michelangelo, I have noticed a big difference in absorption rate between shots in his flanks and shots in his scruff. His flanks, the absorption rate varies slightly, but he mostly nadirs between 5-7 hours. With the scruff, his nadir is closer to 8-10 hours. When he's running lower numbers at pre-shot, I'll often shoot him in the scruff to take advantage of this delay if I'm worried about him dropping too low too fast.