Oliver won't let me give him his shot, now what?

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Joelle & Ollie

Joelle & Ollie

Member Since 2018
I went to give Oliver his AM dose, and he bit me. Bit, scratched, bolted. Do I give him an hour to calm down and try again? Do I use the towel method to hold him down?

He growled and swiped at me during his PM dose last night, but he took it. This morning, he was NOT having it. Hell, he wouldn't even let me test his BG this morning. I don't know what to do and I feel like such a failure right now.

ANY and ALL advice is seriously appreciated...
 
If you can give him a while to calm down grab him see how he's acting see if he accepts just being pet is there somenthing bothering him?

If he's still not having it maybe try to use the towel method because with his DKA you do not want to skipp a shoot if possible
 
He freaked out as soon as I tried to tent his skin with the shot. He was happily being pet not even five minutes later. I don't know what happened? He came home Monday morning, let me give him that PM and yesterday AM without any kind of fuss, but last night he fought the shot, but let me get his BG without a fight. This morning, he was freaked out by both. Right now, he's laying next to me, getting pet and happily purring. Tried just barely pulling up the skin near his shoulder blades and he freaked out again, hissing and spitting and getting up to run away. I know I didn't hit anything the other night, nor did I do anything different last night than I did the two shots prior. I'll try the towel method and see if I can restrain him. I just hate stressing him out because he has a heart condition and I don't want to permanently cement insulin time as a bad thing for him. :/
 
Joelle Sullivan said:
He freaked out as soon as I tried to tent his skin with the shot. He was happily being pet not even five minutes later. I don't know what happened? He came home Monday morning, let me give him that PM and yesterday AM without any kind of fuss, but last night he fought the shot, but let me get his BG without a fight. This morning, he was freaked out by both. Right now, he's laying next to me, getting pet and happily purring. Tried just barely pulling up the skin near his shoulder blades and he freaked out again, hissing and spitting and getting up to run away. I know I didn't hit anything the other night, nor did I do anything different last night than I did the two shots prior. I'll try the towel method and see if I can restrain him. I just hate stressing him out because he has a heart condition and I don't want to permanently cement insulin time as a bad thing for him. :/
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Try a different shooting place a bit more on the side, Babu and one of my cyvies just won't accept the shoot between the shoulder blades (scruff)
 
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Here's a chart that may help finding a different spot to shoot
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Some cats really dislike the feeling of their skin being pulled into a tent. Instead of doing it that way, try holding the hair between the side of your thumb and your index finger and 'rolling' it softly toward the back of your hand. The hair will part leaving a clear shooting area. This method helps when kitty is long haired too which is how I learned many years ago - my first diabetic had long hair. My sweet little old man now has medium length which is easier too. He doesn't like 'tenting' either...
 
Does he have a microchip? That was the thing that tipped one of my old cats into hatred of vets forever. He may do better with the suggestions others gave.
 
Veronica & Babu-chiri said:
Here's a chart that may help finding a different spot to shoot
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Thank you so much! I'll definitely try another spot!

Bama Kitty Mom (AL) said:
Can you try to shoot while your cat is eating?
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I tried that and as soon as I tented his skin, he freaked out on me.

Squeaky and KT (GA) said:
Instead of doing it that way, try holding the hair between the side of your thumb and your index finger and 'rolling' it softly toward the back of your hand.
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I've attempted this and as soon as the needle touched his skin (it didn't even go in), he bolted from me.

majandra said:
Does he have a microchip?
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He does, yeah. Weird thing is, he'll let the vet do whatever he wants. He'll take his shots, his meds, all while purring up a storm. I'm thinking it's just anything akin to scruffing him, maybe. We don't know the situation he came from before we rescued him, but he's always been really sensitive to raised voices or any other kind of confrontational action.

Update: Attempted using a different site, he freaked as soon as he saw the needle coming toward him. Tried just using his fur between my thumb and index finger to get a shot at his skin, he hated that too. Used the towel, he actually calmed right down and didn't fight it at all? Idk what's up with him, but yeah.
 
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Part of the problem is that you're tense which he reads as a bad thing about to happen. Try this - sing! Sing anything, make up a silly song - just sing from time you're getting stuff out to shot given. Singing releases natural calming chemicals into the body - you relax, he relaxes. Just try it - yep you'll feel stupid but no one's going to call the looney bin. :)

HUGS - this will soon become second nature. I promise!
 
I'll definitely try that! I have generalized anxiety disorder, so I'm always tense. It's very possible that that's what it is rofl. Can't help the thoughts of possibly it hurting or accidentally nicking a muscle or vein or something (even though I know what I'm doing and trust myself not to hurt him beyond that little 2-second "OH MY GOD" moment). Singing has always been something that I've used to calm myself... I guess I just might've not been thinking about the worry as something possibly associated with my disorder cuz whenever one of the babies gets sick at all (even just a little hairball barfage), I go into mini-worry mode and revert back to my horse nursing days when we'd just give all the treatments right at the stable and 99/100 get 'em right as rain again. Lol
 
I've started singing to him with everything. Meds, BG tests and shots. With the meds and BG tests, he'll just sit there and purr away. He still won't take the shot without a little bit of a fuss if I don't towel him, but he lets me wrap him up for it and calms right down once he's burrito-ed and takes the poke without a bit of a problem. Could it just be that I'm less tense when I wrap him up? Because I definitely feel less tense when I wrap him up (no way for him to dart away and accidentally hurt himself if I've already got the needle in...) Before, during, and after wrap time, there's absolutely no sign of stress on his part unless I've attempted to give him his shot without the towel. Should I just continue to give him his shots this way until I'm a little more comfortable myself? Is there really any reason not to since it's not hurting him or stressing him out?
 
Joelle Sullivan said:
I've started singing to him with everything. Meds, BG tests and shots. With the meds and BG tests, he'll just sit there and purr away. He still won't take the shot without a little bit of a fuss if I don't towel him, but he lets me wrap him up for it and calms right down once he's burrito-ed and takes the poke without a bit of a problem. Could it just be that I'm less tense when I wrap him up? Because I definitely feel less tense when I wrap him up (no way for him to dart away and accidentally hurt himself if I've already got the needle in...) Before, during, and after wrap time, there's absolutely no sign of stress on his part unless I've attempted to give him his shot without the towel. Should I just continue to give him his shots this way until I'm a little more comfortable myself? Is there really any reason not to since it's not hurting him or stressing him out?
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Whatever works for you is the way to go. If you feel less tense, he'll feel less tense. :)
 
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