Injection site

[Tricky]

I've been injecting insulin on the back of the neck (scruff) for a year and a half. The cat is perfectly happy with the process, but I noticed a thickening of tissue building up in this area. It feels like a big pad of fat. I had it examined and biopsied and was indeed fat.

The vet told me she sees this on some animals, but I didn't think to ask if it was due to the repeated insulin injections? Wondered if anyone had any similar experiences?

 

[BJM]

That is a reason for rotating sites.

 

[Tricky]

That is a reason for rotating sites.

We did and have noticed a reduction in size quite quickly. I wish I 'd known this from the beginning ...

 

[Deborah & Muffy(GA) & Wendall]

You may want to stop injecting into the scruff. Feline injection site sarcomas are usually associated with vaccinations but can occur with other injection types including antibiotics, corticosteroids and insulin. The risk is less than with vaccines but it's still a risk. I would think that repeatedly injecting in the same area increases the risk.

Having just lost a cat (civie) to an interscapular fibrosarcoma, I had been doing a lot of reading on the subject and am glad I've always injected my diabetic cats in the flank and rotate sides and sites.