Administering insulin to cats or dogs can sometimes be a tricky proposition, either because the human administering the dose is nervous and unsure of what they are doing or because the personality of the pet makes it not like to be messed with, or often a combination of both.
A veterinarian will prescribe the amount of insulin necessary for your pet and depending on the size and weight it may take two injections a day to keep your pet healthy. To get ready to administer the dose of insulin make sure your hands are clean and then take the bottle out of the refrigerator (insulin should be refrigerated) and roll it between your hands to mix the solution. For many animals a U-40 insulin syringe is used to inject the animal. A U-40 syringe is just the right size to give the most common dose on one fill of the syringe making dosing easy. Fill the syringe using good medical procedures making sure that no air is left in the syringe. If air bubbles are present tap the side of the syringe to float the bubbles to the top and then gently expel them by pushing on the plunger.
Now that the syringe is prepared the injection should be given just under the skin, slightly to one side or the other of your pet’s spine. Pinch up a fold of skin and put the needle into the fold. Then push on the plunger to deliver the dose of insulin. Carefully remove the needle and then safely dispose of it so no else is pricked or harmed by it. You should alternate right and left sides on your pet with each injection. You may be squeamish at first, but with a little practice giving your pet injections will become just another part of their routine care.