Drawing back the needle plunger

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Tara and Austin (Aussie)

Tara and Austin (Aussie)

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I have been on this board a while, lurking around from post to post but don't usually say to much. As I read a lot of different people and cats routines - I notice that no one talks about drawing back on the needle plunger before giving a shot.

All the techs and numerous vets I've been to always stress (HIGHLY STRESS) that it is a must to pull back to make sure there is no blood from the veins that run across a cat's body. Stating that if you shoot into the blood it could be a quick drop in BGs.

What is the poll on shooting or drawing back and shooting? I can tell you I would prefer not to pull back at all, given that it just adds time on.

Thanks for any responses! :-D
 
I do not pull back the needle either. I tent the skin and use a short needle, shooting into the tent in the back of the neck so I'm really not going to hit a vein there. But if you feel safer drawing back, it doesn't seem to be a bad practice.
 
I tent the skin and shoot. But on people, I ALWAYS pull back. Shadow is so round, I don't worry about not getting her insulin into her sub-q tissue but if she was a skinny cat, I might be more worried. With liability issues in a vet's office, I can see why the techs all pull back.
 
Tent up skin, stick needle in, and press plunger. Most people here just do it that way.
 
No pull back required. There would be quite a lot of resistance if you were trying to shoot into a vein, but if you tent the skin it's not likely that you would be anywhere near a major blood vessel- especially if using a short needle.
 
4 yrs. Patches(GA), 5 1/2 yrs. Baby(GA), over 4 1/2 yrs. Hope, almost 7 yrs. Mishka, Vinnie in remission and Hope off insulin last 4 yrs.......never once have I pulled back on the plunger. That's 16 1/2+ years of shooting b.i.d..........I stick and shoot.
 
Somehow I knew the answers were going to look this way! Last night I stopped pulling back. I always tent the skin - he usually never notices I'm doing anything and is a great cat - I just started to think it was a step that was not necessary. Thanks everyone for your answers and experience!
 
Sorry I'm so late in joining the discussion.... I actually DO always draw back on the plunger. I know that I'm one of the very few that bothers to do it, but I'm glad that I do.

There was actually one time (about a year ago) when I drew back on the plunger and it filled with blood (approx 1-2 "units" on the syringe). I really wasn't paying much attention to what I was doing and before it even occurred to me that "hey, I should stop moving the plunger because there's blood in the syringe," I had already pushed the plunger halfway back down. I withdrew the needle, gave her some dry food and kept an eye on her for the next 5-6 hours. I don't remember what her BG numbers were, but the dry food kept her from getting very low.

To be fair, it's only happened that one time in the two years that she's been diabetic, but it gives me a little peace of mind, since I'm at the office during the day and sound asleep at night. I worry a little bit less about her having a hypo episode without me knowing it and being available to treat it. I also have an easy time with her shots, so it doesn't matter if I take the extra second or two to do it. She is incredibly cooperative at shot time -- I just have to call for her and she comes trotting into the bedroom -- to her place on the floor and lays down until we're done (and sometimes for several minutes afterward). So if I end up taking a little extra time for her shot (to pull back on the plunger), she really couldn't care less!
 
Kris, it is 12 yrs. this month that I found FDMB and you are the first person to post they drew back and got blood. AFAIK, you are also the first person to say they even do it.
 
as an FYI, there is a chance that one is hitting a very small capillary even when tenting as our (cats) bodies are full of them. most times we just go through these teeny tiny ones and some times not. It is no big deal if ya happen to hit one (and if you pull back on plunger) to get some blood. just pull back needle a little or push in some more. but these capillaries are not going to cause any problems if insulin is injected in them. they are so tiny I doubt you are injecting straight into them .if so, we would all be having major problems
 
Hope, that doesn't surprise me in the least -- I've always been kinda anal-retentive about.... well, everything! :lol:

The funny thing is that even when I got blood from her, she didn't flinch (but I absolutely panicked -- I have a "thing" about needles and blood -- if I'm not laying down when I have blood drawn for a doctor's appointment, I'll pass out).
 
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