4/6-Mochi amps 383 +1 362 +2 341

[David & Mochi]

Old thread here. I still don't know if I'm doing injections right. Keep watching videos, started to feel I wasn't pinching enough and maybe getting subdermal shots. I widened my pinch a little and angled needle more to 45 degree and she let out a cry for the first time so Idk if I hit muscle this time. She's been sleeping normally most of the day, but just now suddenly woke up abruptly hissed a couple times (don't know what at, it was like she woke up with some pain but didn't know where it was coming from), let out some wails and then threw up (just a little liquid/bile). Shes laying on the ground, doesn't seem like anything is wrong but I've never seen her randomly hiss out of the blue like that. I will prob make a follow up vet appointment and have them watch me give her injections with saline or something to make sure I'm doing it properly. I've always been a bit of a hypochondriac which doesn't help always thinking the worst.

Edited to add-still hasn't eaten, I laid down next to her and can hear her breath as she exhales. Finally drank some water although seemed hesitant at first and sounded like puffs of air from her nose while drinking and when she was down made a weird sound in her throat almost like restriction. Idk if any of that is new or just because I'm in hypervigilant mode atm. Was also doing a lot of what I would describe as exaggerated gulps after drinking. That isn't new on itself but it was a lot more than usual. Check her gums and still pink and she followed me outback so I don't think there's any emergency but idk what's going on. She also seems very jumpy and easily startled by random noises atm. I'm also wondering if today I gave the injection to close to her hind leg and into muscle but her bg today has acted like she didn't get any insulin and I know it wasn't a fur shot. She was meowing now when I pet her by her rear which she normally loves.

Finally ate a few bites at 3:40

 

[Brianna & Xander]

The injections really do take time to get used to. I found them really hard, especially at first. A few things that helped for me, but may not necessarily apply to your scenario:

• I felt like I got a lot of furshots. Having a little area shaved so I could see the skin helped immensely! No furshots anymore, unless he jumps off the needle.
• Some cats like them in different places. It seems like most people here prefer the scruff area and my guy hates it, so mine are always in the flank (alternating sides).
• Xander is also incredibly sensitive, so our (heh, I guess yours too) vet prescribed us some lidocaine cream. I put a layer on his bare skin that I'm going to inject in about a half hour ahead of time and it makes a massive difference.

I had been trying really hard to follow other people's actions on how to do it to a T (videos, etc) and I really struggled. I feel like when I just started kind of trying what made sense to me is when it clicked. I don't "tent" the skin the way I was shown with a big old chunk of flesh, etc. I basically just do a little pinch to pull a section of skin up away from the muscle, and inject at a 45° angle into the lower part of that lifted skin. Also definitely make sure that the bevel of the needle is upward (the "spoon" portion facing directly up, with the longest, sharpest part of the needle on the bottom). Apparently it makes a huge difference and can cause pain if it's not done that way.

I can't speak to the hissing upon waking, that's really strange! My guess would be a kitty nightmare or something, but I have no idea. Maybe someone else here will have a better idea about that.

 

[David & Mochi]

The injections really do take time to get used to. I found them really hard, especially at first. A few things that helped for me, but may not necessarily apply to your scenario:

• I felt like I got a lot of furshots. Having a little area shaved so I could see the skin helped immensely! No furshots anymore, unless he jumps off the needle.
• Some cats like them in different places. It seems like most people here prefer the scruff area and my guy hates it, so mine are always in the flank (alternating sides).
• Xander is also incredibly sensitive, so our (heh, I guess yours too) vet prescribed us some lidocaine cream. I put a layer on his bare skin that I'm going to inject in about a half hour ahead of time and it makes a massive difference.

I had been trying really hard to follow other people's actions on how to do it to a T (videos, etc) and I really struggled. I feel like when I just started kind of trying what made sense to me is when it clicked. I don't "tent" the skin the way I was shown with a big old chunk of flesh, etc. I basically just do a little pinch to pull a section of skin up away from the muscle, and inject at a 45° angle into the lower part of that lifted skin. Also definitely make sure that the bevel of the needle is upward (the "spoon" portion facing directly up, with the longest, sharpest part of the needle on the bottom). Apparently it makes a huge difference and can cause pain if it's not done that way.

I can't speak to the hissing upon waking, that's really strange! My guess would be a kitty nightmare or something, but I have no idea. Maybe someone else here will have a better idea about that.

The first few shots, she didn't seem to mind at all or even notice, it wasnt until I tried doing the full chunk of flesh tent like you mentioned that she reacted. I was actually doing what you do which is just a little skin pinch but after watching videos worried I might not be getting into the fat layer but it's reassuring that worked for you and I can just make sure im lifting that little skin pinch slightly higher and angling the syringe properly. I do always look in the light to find the bevel and make sure the long part is on bottom but it is possible i rotated it when going to give the shot this morning. The hissing was weird, but I think it was because of pain and having just woke she didnt know what was going on because she immediately wailed and threw up after. I very well could be giving her too much wet food too fast, adding too much water to make it soupy etc so I'm going to try just addinh a couple wet morsels onto kibble and only a tbls of water and see if that helps and just keep that bowl separate from the bowl thats just kibble by itself so once shes eaten what she wants i can put it in fridge or throw out since it will spoil fast adding water to the dry.

 

[Briana + Binx]

Sorry to hear you're going through this, David. It really is such a learning curve when you're first starting out and I can say I went through a similar struggle of trying to understand if I was injecting correctly or not.

I would echo @Brianna & Xander's post above - all excellent points. I use alternating sides of the chest and no longer use the scruff, but that's where I started. I also shave patches to make it extra clear and certain that the needle is going in properly. The vet brought me in 4 different times for "retraining" sessions and while I think my confidence took a hit because of this, the first couple were definitely helpful. I don't pinch a big amount of skin, just enough to see a gap for the needle. I don't know about hitting any muscle, but I was always (and still am) worried about hitting something important. My vet did try to reassure me that there's enough space and protection that'd be a difficult thing to do, but I can 100% understand the worry - especially if Mochi yelped. I'm lucky, because Binx tolerates his needles well (we do them while he's eating), but even still I have gotten the odd yelp or two from him.

The more you do it, the more confident you'll be. There's a lot of trial with finding out what works best for you both, but you'll get there. Good luck and will be following to see how you get on!

 

[David & Mochi]

Sorry to hear you're going through this, David. It really is such a learning curve when you're first starting out and I can say I went through a similar struggle of trying to understand if I was injecting correctly or not.

I would echo @Brianna & Xander's post above - all excellent points. I use alternating sides of the chest and no longer use the scruff, but that's where I started. I also shave patches to make it extra clear and certain that the needle is going in properly. The vet brought me in 4 different times for "retraining" sessions and while I think my confidence took a hit because of this, the first couple were definitely helpful. I don't pinch a big amount of skin, just enough to see a gap for the needle. I don't know about hitting any muscle, but I was always (and still am) worried about hitting something important. My vet did try to reassure me that there's enough space and protection that'd be a difficult thing to do, but I can 100% understand the worry - especially if Mochi yelped. I'm lucky, because Binx tolerates his needles well (we do them while he's eating), but even still I have gotten the odd yelp or two from him.

The more you do it, the more confident you'll be. There's a lot of trial with finding out what works best for you both, but you'll get there. Good luck and will be following to see how you get on!

She doesn't like being bothered with while eating, but the first couple days worked well by getting on the ground with her post meal, lots of pets and light pinches without trying to shoot and then took the shots without any reaction. I just second guessed myself after watching more videos and it's reassuring to know that the smaller skin pinch has worked for you and brianna so I can go back to doing that since that's what originally worked on her side. I was just worried after watching more vids that the first method wasn't good enough to get into the fat layer.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Is she eating now? It’s really important she eats well

 

[David & Mochi]

Is she eating now? It’s really important she eats well

She's had a few small nibbles since then and seems to be feeling better mostly. She's always eaten small amounts at a time (well mostly sometimes she'll scarf some kibble) She seems to be a little tender near her backside (not spine, but I think I went too far back on a flank) around where the shot was this morning. I still think I was trying to transition her too quickly so I've just started added a spoonful of wet onto her dry a couple times a day. I'm assuming some combo of the pain from the shot and her upset stomach was what was going on earlier. She's had digestive issues pretty much most of her life and has been to the vet repeatedly for it but nothing specific was ever found, but all of the sensitive stomach/prescription food for it was super high carb and would give her issues with constipation. This last week is pretty much the first time trying to get her to eat some wet food, even when she seems to like the taste, she just wont eat much of it so I'm still letting her eat mostly kibble (just low carb now). There is still something respiratory going on that I'm seeing her new vet again for this week. The first vet said xray looks fine but I'm not convinced, she still shows signs of asthma or a nasal polyp.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Let us know how you get on the vet

 

[David & Mochi]

Let us know how you get on the vet

Will do! She ate well before pm shot and also woke up an hour later for a tiny snack. I also took a prompt from Tim & Pookey's remission video and ran across the room with her toy and she was chasing after us so she seems fine. I took some videos of her breathing while sleeping including how she breaths out of the side of her mouth slightly while upside down and emailed them to the vet, she seemed to not be concerned by it. The 1st vet said her heart also looked healthy in the x-ray/radiology report. I'm just on high alert after this last week but it doesn't hurt to get everything double checked just to be safe.

 

[Brianna & Xander]

The first few shots, she didn't seem to mind at all or even notice, it wasnt until I tried doing the full chunk of flesh tent like you mentioned that she reacted. I was actually doing what you do which is just a little skin pinch but after watching videos worried I might not be getting into the fat layer but it's reassuring that worked for you and I can just make sure im lifting that little skin pinch slightly higher and angling the syringe properly. I do always look in the light to find the bevel and make sure the long part is on bottom but it is possible i rotated it when going to give the shot this morning. The hissing was weird, but I think it was because of pain and having just woke she didnt know what was going on because she immediately wailed and threw up after. I very well could be giving her too much wet food too fast, adding too much water to make it soupy etc so I'm going to try just addinh a couple wet morsels onto kibble and only a tbls of water and see if that helps and just keep that bowl separate from the bowl thats just kibble by itself so once shes eaten what she wants i can put it in fridge or throw out since it will spoil fast adding water to the dry.

I wonder if maybe you just poked a muscle a little bit. That would hurt. Xander is so sensitive that he's upset even by the little skin poke (hence the lidocaine). He's never yelped before, but he did turn and try to bite my hand with an injection once. It was the very next day that I picked up some lidocaine. If she still seems to be really sensitive to the pokes after you adjust your method I'd highly recommend it! It's like $16 at Costco's pharmacy and lasts quite a while.

The fact that she got up and immediately threw up after sounds more to me like she just started to feel really yucky in her sleep and it woke her up and she was confused (like you said). It's disorienting and stressful when you wake up feeling super sick suddenly, so it makes sense to me. She probably just reacted automatically to the "thing" that woke her.

 

[David & Mochi]

I wonder if maybe you just poked a muscle a little bit. That would hurt. Xander is so sensitive that he's upset even by the little skin poke (hence the lidocaine). He's never yelped before, but he did turn and try to bite my hand with an injection once. It was the very next day that I picked up some lidocaine. If she still seems to be really sensitive to the pokes after you adjust your method I'd highly recommend it! It's like $16 at Costco's pharmacy and lasts quite a while.

The fact that she got up and immediately threw up after sounds more to me like she just started to feel really yucky in her sleep and it woke her up and she was confused (like you said). It's disorienting and stressful when you wake up feeling super sick suddenly, so it makes sense to me. She probably just reacted automatically to the "thing" that woke her.

Yeah it seems like it. The evening shot I went back to what I was doing before and it seemed fine, little movement from her but not much and no vocalization.