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 for your dog’s insulin, and the only way to know which works best for you and your pup is to try them and see how your numbers are.
The scruff of the neck is likely where you were shown to give your dog an insulin shot. It’s certainly the easiest place, but rarely the most effective. It doesn’t have great absorption and can build scar tissue quickly. Rarely do we suggest using the scruff for insulin injections, but on occasion it is the best place for some dogs. The only way to know is to try. For very active dogs that seem to “run out” of insulin toward the end of the 12 hours, we will often recommend the scruff for injections as it has a much slower absorption rate.
A lot of people have questions about where and how to give a dog an insulin shot. 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.
It’s important to rotate your dog’s insulin 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.
There are many people that say, “I can’t get any skin to tent except in the scruff.” I will suggest to you that while you are relaxing in the evening, watching TV and petting your pup, you gently grab some skin and tent it all over his/her body. This will give you a chance to build your confidence and will also desensitize your pup to the “tenting” sensation. When they are relaxed, you’ll be surprised how many places you can tent on their bodies. Another way to change your injection site is to just move about an inch downward from the scruff with each injection. Very soon, you’ll find that you’re at the shoulder area and well on your way to the spine or side of the chest. If you inject near the spine, just be sure that you are at least 1-2 inches off the spine for safety’s sake.
The “moral” of this story is that you can use dog’s insulin injection sites in your favor to manage this disease. You don’t have to stay in one place to be successful. I would recommend that when trying a new place, you do it in the morning and preferably on a day that you will be home to spot check the midday point of your insulin to be sure that the new injection spot wasn’t more efficient than you wanted it to be. Much like changing an insulin dose, you want to be around with any insulin increase so doing it in the morning of a day that you will be home is always best. Better safe than sorry.
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Until next time…