One of the most difficult parts of managing a pet's diabetes is giving the insulin shots. Most people discover, however, that their dog or cat barely flinches when the needle is inserted into their pet's skin. Similar to people learning to inject themselves for the first time, and you're likely to make some mistakes at first. One common mistake is not inserting the needle in far enough which causes the insulin to leak out from under the skin so not all the insulin is injected. Another common mistake is not removing the air bubbles from the syringe.
Some people fail to mix the insulin properly before they withdraw it from the vial.
A little practice will help you overcome these problems. Your veterinarian can guide you through the steps and teach you the proper techniques. Although injections may seem difficult, more people seem to have trouble collecting urine from their pet to test for blood-sugar levels and ketones. Knowing your pet's blood-sugar level is important. These daily readings will help you know how much insulin to inject and the amount of food to feed your pet, thereby helping you control your pet's diabetes.