Insulin injections are administered subcutaneously (under the skin). Please make sure that you double check your insulin dose before administration. You may need someone to help you hold your pet. Gently tent the skin over the shoulder blades. You will create a small “triangle” of skin. This is where you will administer the injection. Quickly insert your syringe. Pull the plunger back gently to make sure you do not draw back any blood or air. If you do, just remove the syringe and start over. If you do not have blood or air in the syringe, go ahead and push the plunger forward. Remove the syringe and you’re done!
Some veterinarians think that insulin is most readily absorbed when injected in the side of the chest or abdomen. You can give the shot while the dog is resting on his side. Laying your dog on his side is ideal if your dog tends to wiggle around during the procedure. Have your helper place a hand on his head and hindquarters to steady him in a prone position while you administer the shot. Choose a site between his front shoulder and rear leg where the skin is easily pulled away from the body.
Another easy place to give your dog insulin is along the top of his back. Choose a spot within 3/4 inch to 2 inches of the spine on either side and use your fingers to tent the skin while you inject the dosage. Giving your dog injections along his back is an easy way to vary the site each time to prevent soreness. Mentally divide the length of his back between the end of his shoulder blades to his hindquarters into three or four sections. Alternate the shot site along the length of his back on each side of the spine to keep him from getting sore.
Indulging her passion for vacation vagary through the written word on a full-time basis since 2010, travel funster Jodi Thornton-OConnell guides readers to the unexpected, quirky, and awe-inspiring.
Even if you dont like needles, giving your dog an insulin injection need not be a scary experience. Small, thin syringe needles and single-use pens make the job quick and painless. It is important to vary the site where you inject your dog so he does not become sore from repeated pokes. Choose the best sites along his body where the skin is easily pulled away from the muscle.
Loose skin at the back of the neck between the shoulders is one of the easiest places to give your dog his insulin. Hold the syringe in the hand that you write with and raise the fold of skin with the other. Insert the needle through the skin at a 45-degree angle, taking care not to push it out the other side. Make sure the needle is not into a blood vessel by pulling back slightly on the plunger. If you see blood come into the syringe, youll need to extract the needle and try again.
It’s important to rotate your injection sites so that you don’t build scar tissue in one area. There are two reasons for that. 1) Repeatedly injecting in the same spot will eventually build scar tissue which doesn’t absorb insulin and 2) injecting into scar tissue can hurt. I went by the saying, left side in the morning, right at night.
As always, please “like” this blog post or any of the others that have helped you or just refreshed your memory. Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!
I used the Flank area (see picture above) on days that numbers were in a good range at fasting (before meals). If I had a higher fasting number, I would use the side of the chest. The further off the spine I moved, the better the absorption and the better his numbers were on those higher fasting days. The point here is that I used my injection site in my favor to manage BG (Blood Glucose) and so can you. As you try new spots, be sure to track the results in your journal ( Journaling was the second topic that we covered, just scroll back to refresh your memory) so that you can refer back whenever you need to.
So far this week we have covered Syringes and How to inject your pup. That brings us to our last entry of the series which is where should you inject your pup for the best absorption. There are several safe injection sites and the only way to know which works best for you and your pup is to try them and see how your numbers are.
If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics that you’d like to see covered here, please feel free to comment below or send me an email at [email protected].
How to Administer Insulin to Your Dog at Home
Administering injectable medications to your pet can seem challenging. If your pup has been diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes, here’s a guide for giving your dog insulin injections.
Q: My newly adopted dog, Daisy, was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes. We will have to give her multiple shots throughout the day to control her sugar. How do you recommend I give insulin shots to her?
A: Administering injectable medications to your pet can seem challenging, but for many owners of pets with special needs, it’s just a part of the daily routine. Here are some tips to help you administer your dog’s insulin safely at home.
Approximately 1 in 300 dogs will develop diabetes during their lifetimes. As in humans, diabetes mellitus (or “sugar diabetes”) occurs when the body does not produce sufficient amounts of insulin required to break down and process vital sugars that are needed as nutrients. Without sufficient insulin, the unprocessed sugars accumulate in the blood and cannot reach the cells. Untreated diabetes can have serious consequences including excessive thirst and urination, weight loss despite increased appetite, cloudy eyes, and fatigue. And, in extreme cases, diabetes can be fatal.