Red spots near injection areas?

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Katlyn

Member Since 2012
Hi all. I am nervous to ask this question incase the answers are bad. Kitten turned insulin diabetic last December. I injected her just under shoulderblades. She is now swollen in this area esp on one side. Her IM examined her last month ,and told me to monitor the swelling. So, I am now rotating injection sites and avoiding the swollen area. I now notice red marks in the areasI inject her. I happened to show the vet tech at an injection demo appt. last month and she said she had no idea but to monitor. The marks went away because I avoided this area. But now I see more red marks in my new injection sites.The red marks look like little red bruises. I use a blotted alcohol pad to part the fur so I can see the skin. This is a tip suggested by the hospital tech. The alcohol dries quickly after and moves the fur. I can actually see what I am doing now. So, I am not sure if there have always been red spots or just that I can see the skin now. Is this an allergic reaction to insulin or silicone in the BD syringe? Am I hitting blood vessels? Am I bruising her when pulling fur up to tent? Am I shooting in wrong spot? Is the swelling scar tissue? It feels like thickened skin. I will be bringing her in for an exam and some testing soon, but I am looking for some help. These red marks have me very worried. Any input would be appreciated.
 
Hello there

Thats very odd.

What kind of syringes are you using? (brand and guage etc)
Are you holding the needle at a 45 degree angle to the body when you inject?
Do you reuse syringes?

However I would stop using those pads and maybe instead shave or trim the spots so you can see what you are doing. It could be an allergic reaction to the alcohol.

Wendy
 
Hi Wendy. The red spots started appearing before I started using the alcohol pads. I never resuse a needle ever. I use BD Insulin Syringes 31 guage. I am shooting at about a 45 degree angle to her tent. I had the tech shave the thickened tissue areas so I Know where to avoid. I use the fur to pull up the tent. I am very concerned and freaked out. I did notice that the BD box of syringes changed their packaging design a couple months ago. The needles have been smoother to push and the needles staighter. I have had to discard many a needle because it was not straight. Maybe they changed lube? Maybe I should buy some Monoject. Her red spots doubled in size from last night after her injection. I am completely getting freaked out. Do u think it is my shooting? Thanks again.
 
what size needle? Standard i think is around 12.7mm but you can also get short ones at 8mm. Can you tell me what exactly it says on the box.

Edited to add: do you rub the spot afterward?

Also you may want to let the syringe sit out of the fridge for a few minutes to warm to room temp first.
 
Hi again.. Sorry i forgot to post more detail.. The needles are 8mm in length. The capacity is 3/10 ml. The needle is short and ultra fine. And yes... I have been rubbing the spot sometimes to deflect from any pinch she felt. I just read on the BD website to not rub the area. This is something new I have been doing. I don't always rub though cuz alot of times she has already jumped and ran. The insulin is always room temp too.
 
have you shown this to the vet? my guess is that it is an allergic reaction, but to what? the insulin - the syringe - dunno - wonder if a vet or even a vet specialist might know the answer - and by specialist - one that understands skin/allergy issues - like a dermatologist maybe?

don't be scared to ask the question. I don't think the answer is going to be dire, rather I think there is something that doesn't agree with the cat and it's coming out in red spots - and it could be something as simple as a recent diet change, maybe there is something about the syringes that have a coating or something and sets off allergies - try calling BD and asking them....maybe they changed a formula.

Is this a new or different insulin you are using? maybe somethng is bad with the insulin and causing this reaction.

See lots of questions and my guess it is allergy related, but to what........
 
Gently press the area for a few seconds but dont rub it. Maybe try a longer needle or a slightly deeper angle - if you are going in too shallowly it might cause the issue. You want to get under the skin but not into the muscle.
 
Hi Hillary and Wendy..I am still using Lantus but this is a new bottle I opened maybe a month and a half ago. I thought a shorter needle was better meaning less plainful and less chance of hitting muscle. I will call BD and see if any changes have been made. I may order a new needle brand just incase. I am surprised that this problem is not more common on this forum. That makes me even more perplexed. My shooting style has changed a bit since I lost my sweet injection site.. Just below the shoulders. There was great loose skin there. My tents are barely tents now. So.. This may be a problem with me injecting. The area clears up quickly if it is left alone. That is a positive. I may have to start a process of elimination. I can get new insulin. I managed to get a pen script from the IM. Calling BD. ordering diff needle brand. And trying to shoot like Wendy said. I can have the IM look at it too. We have a vet skin dermatologist nearby but the person answering the phone practically hung up on me the other day. I can try again. I think all of Kitten's medical problems turned her off. I just do not want this to be causing Kitten pain by my lack of skill in shooting. She is acting healthy in general ,but she has been acting out during insulin shots again. That usually means she felt the shot recently.
 
honestly, I don't think it is your shooting technique - I mean seriously - it is a tiny needle a small amount of insulin, it doesn't take much to inject it - I never angled, I never checked to see which way the hole was facing, etc. I just shot Maui in her flank area - left, right, right, left, just tented and shot, was it right, wrong, who knows, it worked.

before changing everything, try changing one thing to see if that fixes the problem - like first, your technique - don't pinch after - if still happening, then change the syringe - i highly doubt it is the insulin - as it seems to working ok for her and it;s more a surface reaction than internal...besides insulin is too expensive to toss out without reason.....just my two cents
 
Hi Hillary. I think if it was the insulin..it would not clear up as fast. I think it is a topical problem like u said. I used to pull up the tent more by the skin but now I use the fur more. Less skin to pull up. She absolutely hates being injected in the flank area. She went nuts every injection. That is why I went for a vet tech demo recently. I was desparate to find other areas to shoot and avoid more scar tissue. Now She has these red marks. I thought it was a fluke at first like maybe I hit a blood vessel or pinched too hard. But every injection brings a new pea size red mark. And the mark grows every injection. She is really acting out so much as she actually attacked me during an inhaler treatment. She went for my throat and scratched me up good. The new injection issue is setting her off. U said not to pinch afterwards.. The BD site said the same thing. Not sure what that means though.
 
well I was thinking by pinching you could be bruising - but if she is acting up after each injection, it sounds like something is definitely wrong.

have you shot in the scruff? that is another area option.

I really think you need to get a vet specialist to look at this and help you figure out what is going on. i don't want to see things get worse - it reminds me of my allergy to pencillin - at first I got a rash two weeks after taking it - the next time I took pencillin - I got red spots all over my body in two days - and after going to a doctor realized it was an allergic reaction, that if I take it again will continue to get worse.

I don't want to see that happen here and it even could be the ingredients in the insulin you are using that are causing it too - and changing insulins to another type like levimer or prozinc may be needed.

just something else to consider, but really can only do so with help from a professional.
 
Thanks Hillary. She is being seen soon by her hospital IM. She needs a Fructosamine and her spots can be looked at then. Kitten just vomited also. Third time in 2 1/2 weeks. That may be a clue. I was blaming vomiting on the Sucralfate but maybe it relates to the red spot mystery. Did u vomit with your allergic reaction? She is acting very alert and peaceful. She really does not want to be bothered in general and she gets cranky. But overall she is one heck of a trooper.
 
it was a long time ago when I took pencillin - according to the doctor it starts with rashes, red spots and can escalate to not being able to breathe. I don't think I vomited when I took it.

good luck with the vet andhope you get answers.
 
Update on the red spots: The red spots stopped when I stopped rubbing the area after injecting! I am so relieved. I wonder why that happens? Thanks to all who responded. Much appreciated.
 
Hillary & Maui said:
I really think you need to get a vet specialist to look at this and help you figure out what is going on. i don't want to see things get worse - it reminds me of my allergy to pencillin - at first I got a rash two weeks after taking it - the next time I took pencillin - I got red spots all over my body in two days - and after going to a doctor realized it was an allergic reaction, that if I take it again will continue to get worse.
Click to expand...

A similar thing happened to me with naproxen sodium (alleve). It took 5 different doctors over a year before I figured out what was wrong with me. When I told the latest doctor what had been causing the progressively worsening swelling and blistering in my throat and on my face, he simply said, "Huh! Good thing you found out because I was getting worried the next time you had another 'attack,' you would go into anaphylactic shock." ohmygod_smile It's not just vets that can be bad for health.... :roll:

As for rubbing the injection site, the reason you don't want to do this is that it can cause uneven absorption and those red dots you were seeing. ;-)
 
Oh my that is scary regarding the uneven absorption. I did not even do it with that much pressure or for that long. Crazy. I am just very glad it stopped. I never even connected the two until I read on BD's website ( I use their syringes) to not rub the injection site. It did not say why though. My eyes bugged out when I read it! thanks again everyone!
 
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