? 8/12 Phoenix, need help giving B-12 injections

[Scdal]

I really need some help. Last week, I asked my vet about B12 injections for Phoenix. He told me that for the first month he recommends giving a weekly injection. He ordered a vial of B-12 for me and said I could do this at home.
I picked up the vial at the clinic today. The vet had told me that he would show me how to do this. However, he was in his office and the receptionist just handed me the bag.

I took the needles out of the bag and they are large, not at all like an insulin needle. The directions said to give .5 units.
I thought .5 was going to be a small amount. However, she pointed out to me that .5 on this needle is about halfway down the needle. It looks like I will be giving him about a 2 inch amount of B12.
She never told me where to give the injection. Can I use the fatty area at the top of his hind leg?
Also, when should I give the injection? Should I wait a few hours after giving his insulin? I am alone here and completely terrified by the size of the needle and afraid of hurting him. I also concerned about air bubbles and what if I accidentally hit a vein or muscle? Please help me. I am really scared about doing this. I expected the vet to walk me through the steps of using the needle and giving the injection. Instead, I just got handed the bag. I had to take the needles out of the bag with the vial and ask questions about what to do. This really makes me mad that I wasn't provided any instructions.

 

[Our Dolly Girl (GA)]

I really need some help. Last week, I asked my vet about B12 injections for Phoenix. He told me that for the first month he recommends giving a weekly injection. He ordered a vial of B-12 for me and said I could do this at home.
I picked up the vial at the clinic today. The vet had told me that he would show me how to do this. However, he was in his office and the receptionist just handed me the bag.

I took the needles out of the bag and they are large, not at all like an insulin needle. The directions said to give .5 units.
I thought .5 was going to be a small amount. However, she pointed out to me that .5 on this needle is about halfway down the needle. It looks like I will be giving him about a 2 inch amount of B12.
She never told me where to give the injection. Can I use the fatty area at the top of his hind leg?
Also, when should I give the injection? Should I wait a few hours after giving his insulin? I am alone here and completely terrified by the size of the needle and afraid of hurting him. I also concerned about air bubbles and what if I accidentally hit a vein or muscle? Please help me. I am really scared about doing this. I expected the vet to walk me through the steps of using the needle and giving the injection. Instead, I just got handed the bag. I had to take the needles out of the bag with the vial and ask questions about what to do. This really makes me mad that I wasn't provided any instructions.

My advice would be to call the vet and tell them you need instructions on administering the B-12, that you have never done this before. The only thing I can tell you is that the injections are given subcutaneously, same as insulin. Wish I could offer more help but you need the vet to do that. It’s their job. Good luck.

 

[tiffmaxee]

It is a lot more but it doesn’t sting. It’s a sub-a injection and you can shoot wherever you want.

 

[Scdal]

My advice would be to call the vet and tell them you need instructions on administering the B-12, that you have never done this before. The only thing I can tell you is that the injections are given subcutaneously, same as insulin. Wish I could offer more help but you need the vet to do that. It’s their job. Good luck.

My vet is an hour and a half drive from me. Because of road construction, it took me 2 and a half hours just to get there. Right now, I am very angry. I am going to call them back in the morning and let them know how upset I am. The receptionist acted like it was no big deal. But once I got home and started thinking about giving this injection, I got scared to do it.

 

[Scdal]

It is a lot more but it doesn’t sting. It’s a sub-a injection and you can shoot wherever you want.

I am so scared to give the injection. I should have insisted that someone show me. I don't want to overdose him. I am so angry right now. It is half a days drive to the vet and back. It is my fault for not insisting to have someone show me.

 

[tiffmaxee]

It’s a sub- q injection. I gave it in the scruff to my cat that needed it.

 

[Our Dolly Girl (GA)]

I am so scared to give the injection. I should have insisted that someone show me. I don't want to overdose him. I am so angry right now. It is half a days drive to the vet and back. It is my fault for not insisting to have someone show me.

You won’t overdose with B-12. Any additional will get peed out. One day late will be fine. Wait until the morning so you can get instructions from the vet.

 

[Butters & Lyla]

I haven't given B12 but I have administered other meds to Butters subcutaneously with much larger needles, so I understand what you're saying about that and about there being so much more liquid relative to the size of his insulin dose. The fluid will come out much faster through the larger needle, though, so it won't necessarily take longer. The .5 is .5u or .5mL? I'm thinking they maybe gave you a 1cc or 1mL syringe.

As long as you're creating a nice tent with the skin, just like you do with insulin, you aren't going to hurt Phoenix. Does Phoenix react when he gets shots at the vet's? The vets use much larger needles than the insulin ones. The highest gauge (ie smallest) needle my vet uses is a 25g.

It may feel weird when you push the larger needle through Phoenix's skin. Be prepared to be met with some resistance until it goes through. Try to do it in one swift motion and don't think too hard about it. Remember, you are very experienced at giving him shots! Good luck!

 

[Scdal]

Thank you all for your help. The vet's office called me this morning to give me the results of his fecal sample. I had taken a urine and fecal sample to the vet with me yesterday. It was normal so that was good news.

The receptionist who called me today was the same one who waited on me at the vet yesterday. I told her that I didn't feel comfortable giving the B-12 with being unsure about the dose and other things. She was going to have someone call me today and walk me through it. I asked her if they could call me on Monday instead when I will be able to monitor Phoenix closely. So I am going to start his injections Monday.

Really with all the advice I got from all of you, I feel confident enough to go ahead and give him the shot. It doesn't hurt to go over it again with the vet to double check that I will be doing it correctly.

Sorry for getting so stressed about giving a shot. A lot of my stress was due to the drive into Dallas.
I am really glad that I live in a rural area. Driving to the vet yesterday in Dallas traffic was horrible. There are five lanes in each direction and they were doing road construction. The traffic was inching along at 5 miles an hour and every lane was packed. Half of the traffic was 18 wheelers that move even slower. They really ought to have them use one lane to avoid piling up the traffic behind them. It took me two and a half hours to get to the vet. Sorry for my rant but it is nice to be back home just watching my ducks and my neighbor's horses. It is so quiet and relaxing.

 

[Butters & Lyla]

Excellent! I'm glad they will call and walk you through it. It's good that you posted when you were stressed. We're all here to help one another through those stressful times.

 

[carlascalico]

Good morning Dallas. Re: B-12 I am taking my cues from you since you gave good “olive oil advise”. Actually I just ordered the methylcobalamin B-12 from vita cost as another member suggested. My vet in Bay Area, California only gives the cyancobalamin injections. Didn’t offer to send home with me. Actually I preferred the methylcobalamin, this is liquid [easier for my cat and me]. 1 1/2 hours to vet in rural area. Bet it is I- 35 north towards Plano, flower mound? Or towards airport & Fort Worth? Early 80’s we lived in Trophy club close to Grapevine, Texas. Lake Grapevine. Grown up a bit I am sure, although in the day the usual advise we “ it’s only 10 minutes from here”. Yea, in a jet! Where is your emergency vet if you require? I will keep you posted on liquid b-12 and ask you to update on b-12 injections [which I am sure will work faster than sub].

 

[Summer and Susie (GA)]

Sounds like you have been through a nightmare, Susan. I would have been freaked about the traffic around the Dallas area too. It is a shame you don't have a vet closer to where you live. It also sounds like you are getting good advice from the folks on this site. Listen to them and then to your vet. It sounds like you are a lot like me when it comes to dealing with vet issues. Sometimes I am just too afraid to ask for additional advice and information but I am quickly learning that I need to be more assertive. If I am not comfortable with what a vet or technician says I need to make that clear. Anyway, I wish you confidence in these shots. I'm sure that once you give one or two you will feel better about the administration.

 

[Scdal]

Excellent! I'm glad they will call and walk you through it. It's good that you posted when you were stressed. We're all here to help one another through those stressful times.

Thank you, Lyla, for me it was a stressful day. Before I retired, I used to drive into Dallas for work every day. Fortunately, they let us come in early so we could leave early. I would get to work at 6 a.m. to avoid the traffic. The traffic here has gotten terrible no matter what direction you travel in.

 

[Scdal]

Good morning Dallas. Re: B-12 I am taking my cues from you since you gave good “olive oil advise”. Actually I just ordered the methylcobalamin B-12 from vita cost as another member suggested. My vet in Bay Area, California only gives the cyancobalamin injections. Didn’t offer to send home with me. Actually I preferred the methylcobalamin, this is liquid [easier for my cat and me]. 1 1/2 hours to vet in rural area. Bet it is I- 35 north towards Plano, flower mound? Or towards airport & Fort Worth? Early 80’s we lived in Trophy club close to Grapevine, Texas. Lake Grapevine. Grown up a bit I am sure, although in the day the usual advise we “ it’s only 10 minutes from here”. Yea, in a jet! Where is your emergency vet if you require? I will keep you posted on liquid b-12 and ask you to update on b-12 injections [which I am sure will work faster than sub].

Yes, please keep me posted on the B12. In regards to Dallas, you would be shocked. Going west from Dallas to Arlington and Ft. Worth is just one long continuous concrete jungle. The only way you know you have left Dallas is the roadsides designating the town you are in. You don't get out of the concrete jungle until you reach the I-20 split west of Ft. Worth heading to Abilene. The same is true for Plano and Frisco to the north. It is one long continuous town.
People are starting to build as far north as Mckinney now. To the east, you don't really get out of town until you reach Terrell.

 

[Scdal]

Sounds like you have been through a nightmare, Susan. I would have been freaked about the traffic around the Dallas area too. It is a shame you don't have a vet closer to where you live. It also sounds like you are getting good advice from the folks on this site. Listen to them and then to your vet. It sounds like you are a lot like me when it comes to dealing with vet issues. Sometimes I am just too afraid to ask for additional advice and information but I am quickly learning that I need to be more assertive. If I am not comfortable with what a vet or technician says I need to make that clear. Anyway, I wish you confidence in these shots. I'm sure that once you give one or two you will feel better about the administration.

Thank you, Summer, you are right. I should have been more assertive. The funny thing is I usually am. The older I get, the more I speak my mind. It is funny though, certain people and situations make you feel apprehensive about speaking your mind.

 

[Summer and Susie (GA)]

Thank you, Summer, you are right. I should have been more assertive. The funny thing is I usually am. The older I get, the more I speak my mind. It is funny though, certain people and situations make you feel apprehensive about speaking your mind.

I totally know what you are talking about. The apprehension when speaking to certain people. The feeling that we are going to look weak and vulnerable. I have social anxiety so that makes it twice as hard for me. But, the way I am trying to look at it now, is "what have I got to lose"? My cat, and I'm not willing to do that. When it comes to my sweet kitty I need to be assertive and questioning. I finally got to the point where I would ask for all copies of blood test and urinalysis results. I am being more assertive because this is my baby. Prayers for the confidence that you need to be more assertive with your Phoenix's care. And, those same prayers for me.