Sclabs at injection sites?

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grapey

grapey

Member Since 2012
Even though I've been giving Lily her Lantus twice a day since April, I still feel most comfortable "shooting" her when her fur has been shaved in the shoulder area. But that's also made it easier to feel some scabs that seem to be forming at the areas where the needle goes in. I try to shoot in a different place each time so she's not forming a wound in one area.

Are these scabs normal? They feel gross (I can only see a couple). Most of the time, when I give Lily a shot, she barely notices, so I don't think I'm hurting her. Sometimes she gives a little squeak though and that breaks my heart :( I try to be careful.

Is this something I should worry about? Thank you! Overall she's doing well.
 
Are you sure its from the injections? Not flea bites or some other cause.

Another thought - what gauge syringe needlesare you using? The higher the number, the thinner the needle.
 
Good questions. My needles are 5/16ths of an inch, 30 gauge. I have to admit, I usually use each needle twice. But never more than twice. I've never drawn blood during a shot, and I think my technique is OK--tenting the skin while "pinching" to numb the area, angling the bezel (sp?) the right way. Definitely not fleas.

I wonder if these needles may be the culprit. They're the first needles I bought from King Soopers (Kroger). Usually I always use Walmart Relion needles, and I think those were 31 gauge.

She rarely gives the "squeak" of pain when I give her a shot, so that's why the scabs are surprising to me, because she is very patient about the shot.

Sorry about my sclabs typo :)

edit: oh my gosh, I just looked at those photos of the needle tips. Yikes. :( Well, I definitely will start using each one once. But I've been using them twice since her diagnosis and never had the scabs until recently.
 
It might be a combination of the new needles (they could be more delicate than the previous brand so damage more easily) and you using them twice. Try switching to using that batch of needles only once and see if the scabs improve.

She's not bothered by it, is she? No scratching, overgrooming, or anything along those lines?
 
Just wondering if this could be a skin reaction to the Lantus itself...?

There was a thread very recently about a cat that might have been having a reaction to Lantus ('itchy'? Or was it 'twitchy' (the reaction, I mean, not the name of the cat!)) and I think another person responded to the post by saying that their cat may also have had a reaction to Lantus (can't find thread at the moment though, sorry...)

I know the scabs on your cat aren't quite the same symptoms as others have described but it was just the fact that it was the same insulin that made me wonder....
 
Just had a thought - metal allergy? Different make of syringes, plus you were using twice - perhaps some metal contact that his body doesn't like?
 
I don't think it could be a Lantus allergy ... we've been using Lantus for 10 months, and it's always come from the same place (Costco pharmacy).

She doesn't seem to be bothered by the scabs. She doesn't excessively groom or scratch that area (or any other area on her body). Last two shots have been squeak-free.

I think maybe it is these Kroeger needles. They're almost gone anyway. I'll go back to the Relion 31 gauge and see how it goes from there. Also, I'm taking her to the vet for a curve on Wednesday, so I can get their opinion also.

She's such a good kitty--lets us poke her ears and back and still loves us anyway :)
 
Here's the post about twitching that Elizabeth and Bertie mentioned, however, it's worth noting that I now think Michelangelo might have Feline Hyperesthesia, which may or may not be caused by the Lantus. I'll have to get him checked by the vet to confirm/rule out this as well as try a different insulin to verify if it's the Lantus or just another issue Mikey has.
 
grapey said:
... Also, I'm taking her to the vet for a curve on Wednesday, ...
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Did we mention that you can do a curve at home, and save yourself the money? All you do is test from pre-shot to pre-shot, every 2 hours. They may take the numbers and throw it in a calculator, but you could give them the numbers.
 
I do curves at home usually, but she hasn't had one done at the vet since her diagnosis 10 months ago. I figured she's due for a checkup.
 
Just provide your vet with the spreadsheet when you go it. You've got the data on the glucose; the vet can check anything else.
 
BJM said:
Just provide your vet with the spreadsheet when you go it. You've got the data on the glucose; the vet can check anything else.
Click to expand...

BJM is right: if you've already got the curve data, then what's the point of duplicating it at the vet's where the numbers are going to be higher anyway?
 
The vet wasn't sure what the scabs were. She wasn't concerned. I think it's the new needles though. The scabs seem to be healing, and I don't see new ones appearing, so I'll go back to the Relion needles once these run out.

We do have to get a tooth pulled though. :(
 
Ok that's good on the sclabs ;) also the dental is a good idea as any infection can spike Blood glucose. You might notice a difference in her numbers after.
 
Yes, all good with the sclabs :) Her numbers were high at the vet, but back at home they're normal.

Now I'm all worried about how to keep my cats' teeth clean. I can't afford more of these $400 anesthesia cleanings.
 
Have you always fed wet food or did you feed dry before? My vet said its all to do with bacterial balance in their mouths and wet food is better for that..
 
grapey said:
...Now I'm all worried about how to keep my cats' teeth clean. I can't afford more of these $400 anesthesia cleanings.
Click to expand...

Pop over to Cat Info and scroll down until you see the dental discussion. Learning to brush the teeth will help reduce those future costs.
 
Ummmm. Please do not reuse a needle. The tips are lubricated and it will hurt the second time. Are u shootin bevel side up for a smoother shot. U also increase risk of infection by poking twice. A used needle is a dirty needle.
 
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