Mini biting me at shot time

[esark33]

Hi everyone,

Mini isn't letting us give her the shot these days - she gnarls her teeth and starts biting. It used to be easier but now every shot is a huge battle. We already rotate the shot site between left and right scruff, use a 30 gauge 5/16" needle, pre-heat the syringe in our hand/mouth, and try to bribe her with treats. What else can we do?

Mini - 11 lb. PomChi (+more?) mix, diagnosed with diabetes and Cushings in February, recently lost her vision.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

Ed

[buddy]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Only thing I can think of is giving the shot for a while where there is no pain -- which is usually in the middle of the scruff of the neck. That area is often known as an inefficient area to deliver insulin, but you somehow have to get your dog back in a good mood. Also, I use 31 gauge needles -- that are even smaller then the 30 gauge -- I get at Walmart.

[Eddie]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

You might be able to try desensitising her a bit by doing a lot of pinching (gently) and poking around the injection sites without actually injecting ie just with your fingers or a pen or something, and then giving her treats every time so she builds a good association between treats and you poking around her neck without the stress of an actual injection.
(you'd need to factor in the treats into her diet so you don't just add lots of extra calories of course).

If it carries on, I would probably get a vet to check her over as well in case there is a physical change to the injection sites that has made it more painful for her.

Antonia

[Judi]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Jenny went through this. I broke down and bought a muzzle. For the first week the muzzle distracted her and that helped and truthfully, she had the muzzle on for less than a minute each time.

I continued with the treats and telling her how wonderful she was (even when she wasn't) and finally she realized that she was not going to win this battle so she no longer bites and is muzzle free.

we only give the duck jerky at shot time. It is her special treat

how does the skin feel where you are shooting? Is it lumpy feeling? If so there may be scar tissue there and that can hurt I think. You may need to go elsewhere.


Tara had suggested a little peanut butter on her paw to distract her and that worked twice.
hang in there. Judi

[esark33]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Also, I use 31 gauge needles -- that are even smaller then the 30 gauge -- I get at Walmart.

I just double checked - yep I'm using 31 gauge.

Antonia: I'll try some decoy pinches with treats, but I don't have high hopes... I also emailed our vet this morning so lets see what she suggests.

Judi: I was afraid a muzzle would be suggested. :/ I hate muzzling her, and naturally she hates being muzzled. It may come to that but I'd prefer exhausting all other avenues first.

Her neck skin doesn't feel lumpy, at least not related to the shots (there are a couple small skin growths that have always been there). Where else can we shoot for a small dog? Seems the flank would just make it easier for her to bite.

Lol...peanut butter distraction. I may try that.

[Eddie]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Where else can we shoot for a small dog? Seems the flank would just make it easier for her to bite.


We use the flank (though don't have the biting issue). Our vet said that it didn't really matter where we injected so long as we got it into him (though that might be a bit too much of a relaxed attitude since it seems some dogs process it differently depending on where it goes in).

Are you injecting as she eats? We always inject as Eddie eats and as he barely notices it.

[Judi]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

we did the flank for awhile on Jenny, I think she got more oomph out of her insulin there but that was when she started biting. She is a scruff only girl now.

Jenny is more sensitive on one side so I try to avoid it. I go top, side to rotate.

I make sure I angle the needle at 45 degrees and I do it as fast as possible saying things about JERKY! the entire time.

I think Natalie mentioned once that her Chris hated the feeling of tenting the skin. So they didn't tent.

I put Jenny on a counter because she knows on the counter she has to behave me. That is how we do ear medicine too. I've heard of some people putting their dogs in the kitchen sink.

Let us know if the peanut butter works! It was messy. On day 2 I just had it on a paper towel instead of her paw.

I dreaded the muzzle too but for us the thought of it was worse than the actuality. I'd get everything else ready, muzzle, shot, swoop off the muzzle and she'd look at me like what just happened?

Judi

[Monsters Momma]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Welcome!

I'm not sure I can add much, I was wondering if the vision loss and her biting occurred at the same time? It would make sense if she started biting after losing her vision, I would think, just from the fear of the unknown. Maybe you need to give her more cues the shot is coming like the pretend pinching or peanut butter etc that the others have suggested.

Sorry, I have anything but small dogs so I wouldn't be able to help there! Hope you get things figured out!
Mel

[farrwf]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Jenny went through this. I broke down and bought a muzzle.

• For the first week the muzzle distracted her and that helped and truthfully, she had the muzzle on for less than a minute each time.
• Tara had suggested a little peanut butter on her paw to distract her and that worked twice.
  hang in there.

Judi

Judi's on it. I had a helluva time giving O his shots when he was first diagnosed. Took a while for this slow one, but I finally figured out Otis needed to be focused on something other than me for the process to go smoothly.

THE SHOTS ARE NOT PAINFUL (at least for Otis, they aren't) I use 29 gauge syringes.

The "issue" was a violation of his personal space. He'd fight to the bitter end when he was focused on me while I was injecting him. I always won because I'm a whole lot bigger, but had a very angry Pug on my hands after the deed was done.


Solution: Make sure something else has O's attention while I give him the shot. For us that turned out to be a "sampler plate" of his Alpo Variety Snaps® cookies. I set the plate in front of him and he immediately goes to work snorting them in. I'm "in & out" with the shot before he's done and am massaging the shot area to help with the insulin absorption.


That's it. No more fights. This has worked well for about 2 1/2 years.

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Even though Abby does not bite, we have gone with the distraction route as well. I make sure she has a crunchy treat when she is getting a shot. Only that particular treat when I am administering the shot. She comes running, after she eats.... I am sure it is not because of the shot time, that is for sure.

Distraction is a wonderful thing.

Barb

[pgcor]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

I had to muzzle my Pip for awhile. I hated to do it too, but it got to be humiliating going to work with black & blue bites on my face and hands. Especially since everyone knew Pip was a min pin.

He did get used to the shots fairly quickly after that - as he finally got the message that this was going to happen bite or no bite! And he got treats!

[esark33]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

We inject after she eats - first giving her a warm-up treat to get her taste buds flowing, then shot (after a struggle), then another treat.

Maybe we should eliminate the pre-shot treat?

She definitely knows the shot is coming, so it's not catching her by surprise. We put her on the couch and rub her a bit, do the treat thing and talk her through it.

Also we don't go in 45 degrees - at 5/16" the needle is so short we just pinch the scruff and go straight down. This is how the vet showed us to do it.

It sounds like 'distraction' is the key. I hate to give her Beggin Strips, as they're super junk food, but they were her favorite treat... I'll try breaking up half a strip into little bits on a plate and try shooting her while she scarfs them down. If that doesn't work I'll try another distraction like peanut butter on the paw. Or have someone hold a squirrel a few yards away.

Last resort - muzzle.

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

I.d hold off on the beggin strips theres sugar in them and will cause his bg to spike.

" hold a squirrel a few yards away" thats tooo funny thanks for the laugh

[momofdecker]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

There is one member that I know of (and think there may be a few more) who use the inject ease for giving injections. Jane made a youtube video of how it was used for her dog Franklin. Not sure if it would help out or not but thought I'd put it out there.

Here is a link to the youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpYlddS2dFI

[esark33]

Re: Mini biting me at shot time

Don't want to jinx it but the plate of tasty distractions has worked through 4 feedings! Fingers crossed it continues...