So I'm a relatively new sugarcat mom, and have been giving shots for about two weeks. Several days ago I noticed that under her fur, snowflake (my diabetic cat) has little scabs and like, lumps (scar tissue?) around the areas I usually inject, so pretty much all around her mid back and around her shoulders (I try to move the site around because I wanted to avoid this problem!). I would've expected tiny scabs, but these scabs are about the diameter of a medium sized piece of kitty litter--maybe 2 or 3 times what I would've thought a needle injection scab would be. Since there are also what feels like little balls of scar tissue, I'm concerned. Have any of you experienced this before? I'm using ProZinc with U-40 29 gauge needles (what the vet gave me). Do I need tinier needles? Is she allergic to the ProZinc? Is this something any of you have experienced before??
bumps and scabs at injection site?
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Grayson & Lu
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Hi -
I've not experienced the scabs, but I wonder if you might be better off w/ a smaller (larger gauge) needle? Did your kitty have any skin issues before? My Grayson had the really bad dandruff associated w/ FD, and it may be just an after-effect of that, unless it's ONLY where you've been shooting. Do you use an alcohol wipe or saturated cotton ball before you shoot?
Not sure how many folks are around tonight, but if you don't have someone w/ some experience like this, we can "bump" you up so it will stay at the top of the posts.
I've not experienced the scabs, but I wonder if you might be better off w/ a smaller (larger gauge) needle? Did your kitty have any skin issues before? My Grayson had the really bad dandruff associated w/ FD, and it may be just an after-effect of that, unless it's ONLY where you've been shooting. Do you use an alcohol wipe or saturated cotton ball before you shoot?
Not sure how many folks are around tonight, but if you don't have someone w/ some experience like this, we can "bump" you up so it will stay at the top of the posts.
Teresa and Poopy
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No scab issues but I have noticed a few times when I'm shooting in an area um...less skinny I'll say...I've noticed the insulin sort of beads up under the skin. I'll massage Poopy for a moment or two and it dissipates.
I'm curious? Are you re-using the syringes? I remember reading a post where the vet said it was ok to do so and only gave the bean a few to use for a couple weeks. I never reuse a syringe.
I'm curious? Are you re-using the syringes? I remember reading a post where the vet said it was ok to do so and only gave the bean a few to use for a couple weeks. I never reuse a syringe.
She has had some environmental allergies that cause her to lick the hair off of a patch of her belly, but no skin issues like dandruff. I never re-use needles, but I do not wipe her with alcohol before shooting as I think it would just get in the hair and not on her skin. I try to massage the area after I shoot but, understandably, she usually wants to go somewhere else right after I give her her shot. Plus I can't usually find exactly where I shot. She's only 7 pounds (not super skinny, just a petite little girl cat), so I'm not shooting into fat or anything. I wonder if I'm not pushing the needle in far enough? I think the next time I get needles I'll try to get some U-100 needles with a higher gauge since I'm giving less than one unit shots anyways.
Teresa and Poopy
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The u40 needles will look humongous next to the u100 needles. :lol: At first I was afraid I'd be giving fur shots to Poopy, using such a short needle and him having medium length fur. But I really like the shorter needles - even with the occasional bump.
Are you pinching up the skin to make a tent to shoot into? As Poopy has been gaining weight (a good thing) it's getting tougher to make a tent. He's gone from family cabin size to pup tent. :lol:
If she's had skin issues before, licking off her fur, it could be a variety of things - not necessarily an allergy to the needles or insulin. Does she treat the shot sites any differently? Licking them more? Anything that you've noticed?
My civvie kitty will groom herself raw in spots - doesn't remove the fur but will get tiny scabs. I've not found anything that brings it on, or calms it down. It just is what it is. ECID though.
Are you pinching up the skin to make a tent to shoot into? As Poopy has been gaining weight (a good thing) it's getting tougher to make a tent. He's gone from family cabin size to pup tent. :lol:
If she's had skin issues before, licking off her fur, it could be a variety of things - not necessarily an allergy to the needles or insulin. Does she treat the shot sites any differently? Licking them more? Anything that you've noticed?
My civvie kitty will groom herself raw in spots - doesn't remove the fur but will get tiny scabs. I've not found anything that brings it on, or calms it down. It just is what it is. ECID though.
I did notice that when she groomed herself today, she managed to lick off the scabs, but not in an obsessive must-clean-scabs kind of way--I don't know if that makes sense? I imagine they must be itchy as they heal. I'm just concerned that the scabs/wounds seem larger than what I would think they would be from the size of the needles, and that there are little bump/lumps along with them :\
Jenn & Baxter
Very Active Member
I would diffently post this in health. There will be lot more views.
My vet told me to not use alcohol to clean the injection site. He said something about the alcohol irritating the skin. It's sounds like a little more then just irritation.
Do you notice any bleeding after the injection? A couple of times Baxter has bleed after a injection, but it happens only on one side. I was worried when I saw the blood.
I hope you find out what is causing Snowflakes problem. cat_pet_icon
My vet told me to not use alcohol to clean the injection site. He said something about the alcohol irritating the skin. It's sounds like a little more then just irritation.
Do you notice any bleeding after the injection? A couple of times Baxter has bleed after a injection, but it happens only on one side. I was worried when I saw the blood.
I hope you find out what is causing Snowflakes problem. cat_pet_icon
donnahc
Very Active Member
My late cat China had some skin issues and itchy allergy stuff. Usually in the spring. We went thru all kinds of food trials which didn’t work and got to the assumption it was an inhaled allergy.
I used to give her small (lowest dose tabs I could find, I wanna say possibly 5 mg) brewers yeast tabs and that usually cleared up her itchy belly before she started to lick and cause herself a brush burn.
I don’t know how brewer’s yeast would be for a diabetic, you’d have to check on that, but I know this treatment worked for her, she ate them crushed into her food, and it also helped my Mom’s dog who had a similar allergy problem on the skin on his belly.
I used to give her small (lowest dose tabs I could find, I wanna say possibly 5 mg) brewers yeast tabs and that usually cleared up her itchy belly before she started to lick and cause herself a brush burn.
I don’t know how brewer’s yeast would be for a diabetic, you’d have to check on that, but I know this treatment worked for her, she ate them crushed into her food, and it also helped my Mom’s dog who had a similar allergy problem on the skin on his belly.
Grayson & Lu
Very Active Member
I went the reverse route of "allergy" on my (GA) dog Murphy. She had HORRIBLE skin issues. We tried everything on the vet's Rx shelves, shampoos, brewer's yeast, you name it - nothing worked. A wholistic vet in CA suggested I try a wheat-free food (she had been eating Science Diet). Murphy's skin improved in a very short time on Nature's Recipe - both the vegeterian and venison were wheat-free. Easiest treatment, and we had overlooked it for several years (and hundreds of loads of stinky pet bedding in the laundry!) Sometimes it's the simplest things that make a difference.
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