Checking if you've hit a blood vessel?

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Harper'sHuman

Member Since 2012
Hello, all. I have a newly-diagnosed diabetic kitty, just home from almost two weeks at the vet. He's stronger now, which is the good news, but he's stronger now, so I've got to get up to speed on injection techniques in a hurry! My big problem is that when I first insert the needle, and then try the "pull back" technique to check for a blood vessel, the kitty cries and moves and the needle comes out. I understand that injection directly into a blood vessel can result in an overdose, but is there a way to make sure you aren't hitting one without having to do the pull back? Thanks, y'all!
 
So sorry! I'm still learning the lingo. My vet wants me to inject into the hip, but he's a skinny guy and there's not much to work with, so I'm trying the side of the abdomen where he has more loose skin to get a good 'tent". What I'm concerned about is drawing back the syringe plunger a bit when you first insert the needle to check for any blood to see if you've hit a blood vessel. That little delay gives him time to squirm away from the needle. I'll definitely check out the link, Sue, thanks for the suggestion. I know this will get easier as my skill level improves, but boy, this is a steep learning curve!!!
 
I've been injecting insulin since '90 with different cats so total over 22 years and I have never once pulled back on the plunger. You tent and you shoot.....either scruff or anywhere along the side down from the spine but not into the hip.
 
I'm pretty new to it too but My technique that works for me is to do it while she's eating, I pet her in this area a few times and pull up a few times so she thinks im petting her, grab the scruff and pull it up to form the tent, then I just poke, push the plunger, and then pet the area to make sure it's not wet( and to make her think I'm just petting her still) ... She never notices
 
While it is customary to always pull the plunger back after injection to see if there is any blood return, the importance in doing the drawback relates more to people. In a cat, gathering the skin and injecting into the fold should not have any veins, or vital areas that you could inject the insulin into.....just the skin. With people, the skin does not separate from the fat layer, so there is a higher chance that a vein or nerve could be hit causing insulin rush or nerve damage (temporary usually). We just have many more capillaries and nerve endings close to the skin's surface.... why we bruise and kitties don't and you don't see blood after removing the needle. If you should see blood after giving a cat an injection with an insulin needle, you could have put the needle in too far by pushing, didn't pull the skin together enough and shoot into the fold, or accidently injected into a muscle (since you are using his abdomen). Attempting to withdraw the plunger with a cat especially, will cause the needle to move around and be painful. If you want to drawback the plunger to ease your mind, use your thumb (nail) to pull back very slightly. You don't need much of a draw to determine if there is blood.

It does take awhile to figure out giving your cat his injections.....they all have their patience levels, but you'll get it!
 
I never pull back the plunger either but there have been a few times when a small drop of blood formed when I removed the needle. I was definitely tenting the skin enough because Charlie is fat and has A LOT to grab onto on his scruff. However, even when there's been a drop of blood a couple of times, nothing bad ever happened. Maybe I injected into fat rather than under the tissue? I don't know. I don't think I was hitting muscle. Point is, if pulling back on the plunger hurts your cat, I wouldn't worry about even doing it.
 
I am happy to see someone else with this question (though 4 years ago now!). My vet also instructed me to pull back on the syringe to make sure I was not hitting a blood vessel of some short. This is in addition to tenting the skin at the scruff of her neck between her shoulders where I give the injection. We are used to giving injections for administering sub-Q fluids, but we are new to pulling back on the syringe. This step is the one that causes Callao to squirm the most, so I was curious to know how important it is. Does anyone successfully do the pull back? Can you offer any tips?
 
One of the vets at our practice says to pull back a little on the syringe, the others say just shoot as fast as possible to get it done before kitty wriggles away (for any kind of sub-q shot). I didn't do the pull-back with insulin, and I don't do it with either Adequan or B12 either. Never had a problem with any of them, though I do make sure I get a good tent of skin. If your cat is objecting to the pull back, then I simply wouldn't do it - just make sure you've got a good tent of skin so you know you should be clear of any veins before you give the shot.
 
Callao said:
I am happy to see someone else with this question (though 4 years ago now!). My vet also instructed me to pull back on the syringe to make sure I was not hitting a blood vessel of some short. This is in addition to tenting the skin at the scruff of her neck between her shoulders where I give the injection. We are used to giving injections for administering sub-Q fluids, but we are new to pulling back on the syringe. This step is the one that causes Callao to squirm the most, so I was curious to know how important it is. Does anyone successfully do the pull back? Can you offer any tips?
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I have been giving SQ fluids for many years and maybe a total of 5 times I have hit a blood vessel (I will see a little blood when I take the needle out no big deal if your needle is inserted properly and if you have a place to tent properly-I do the scruff/upper shoulders rotate sides/upper neck rotate sides )--I NEVER have pulled back--until I read this I never knew anyone did-there is a video that shows giving fluids-
I know you can do them in the side or lower part of the body but I have never had a cat appreciate that :stop::stop:
I have 2 cats they both get them daily (1 for 5 years now) never been a issue--
I am not comfortable offering advice but I am comfortable telling you what has worked for me for a total of about 20 years off and on (rescues shop cats etc)
I give my insulin shot in the upper area as well--if my cat is going to hate me whats the point? He hates it in the side or back end-
good luck!
 
We've never drawn back when doing fluids either - I know once or twice we hit a blood vessel of some sort because we'd get a little blood mixed with the fluids drip out after we were done instead of the small amount of the fluids that you usually get. Again, it was never much and I've never even considered that we might have hit a vein...I always thought we'd probably just caught a capillary from the small amount of blood and how easily it stopped again. I was able to do insulin shots pretty much anywhere on Rosa, but she's somehow a loosely put-together cat...always has been...so she has enough skin for me to grab on her flank without bothering her at all as well as in the shoulder/scruff areas.
 
Harper'sHuman said:
Hello, all. I have a newly-diagnosed diabetic kitty, just home from almost two weeks at the vet. He's stronger now, which is the good news, but he's stronger now, so I've got to get up to speed on injection techniques in a hurry! My big problem is that when I first insert the needle, and then try the "pull back" technique to check for a blood vessel...
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Hello,

My vet initially told me to give shots to my cat exactly as 'Harper's Human' described (ie. insert syringe, pull back to check for blood vessel, etc...). But I really struggled with that. So I went back to him and told him, and he basically said, "well, we always tell people this, but to be honest you don't really need to do it; it's hardly ever a problem in cats....." And that made life a lot easier!
I give shots the same way that most people here do, and in 9 years of giving shots to my cat there's never been a problem (touch wood/anti-jinx, ha-ha! :smuggrin: )

The only thing I would say is don't be in toooo much of a rush. If you really rush it you may be more likely to give a 'fur shot' (ie. get some of the insulin onto the fur instead of into the cat). I've got into the habit of inserting the syringe, counting for a few seconds, and then withdrawing the syringe. Those 'few seconds' give me time to check that I've inserted the syringe properly, and have fully depressed the plunger, etc.

Eliz
 
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Harper'sHuman said:
Hello, all. I have a newly-diagnosed diabetic kitty, just home from almost two weeks at the vet. He's stronger now, which is the good news, but he's stronger now, so I've got to get up to speed on injection techniques in a hurry! My big problem is that when I first insert the needle, and then try the "pull back" technique to check for a blood vessel, the kitty cries and moves and the needle comes out. I understand that injection directly into a blood vessel can result in an overdose, but is there a way to make sure you aren't hitting one without having to do the pull back? Thanks, y'all!
Click to expand...
My vet gave me Info sheet that said to pull back plunger to make sure you don't hit a vein too and I asked here cause miss kitty would cry cause I had to move needle around too much hitting nerves trying to check.i found out most people don't check just inject.so I just started just injecting too.it is a lot less painful but I was concerned about hitting a vein as well.it must not happen very often cause haven't heard anything on here about it?
 
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