Hello! I’m Dr. Mike. Today we’re going to learn how to prepare an Insulin Syringe to
inject your diabetic cat. We’ll visit Liza who has a diabetic cat on Insulin to watch her
prepare the syringe.
There are few things you need to know about preparing an Insulin Syringe to inject the
diabetic cat. There’s more than one type of Insulin syringe so be sure you use the right
one. If you use the wrong type of syringe your cat could get the wrong amount of Insulin,
and that could be very dangerous.
In this case Liza is using ProZinc, a U40 Insulin made just for cats. Therefore, she will be
using a U40 Syringe like this. You can see how the syringe is marked with numbers
indicating units of Insulin. Be sure you’re giving your cat the number of units prescribed
by your veterinarian. And by the way, don’t ever try to adjust your cat’s Insulin dosage
on your own. Always follow the advice of your veterinarian.
To prepare your cat’s Insulin dose, first take the Insulin vial out of the refrigerator and
gently role it between your hands to mix the Insulin. This also warms it up a little so the
injection will be more comfortable for your cat. Now take the syringe and remove the
caps from the plunger and the needle. Pull the plunger back to the number of units that
your veterinarian prescribed for your cat. Liza is going to inject four units of ProZinc so
she pulls the plunger back to the four unit mark.
Stick the needle to the Insulin Vial and push the plunger all the way in to inject air into
the vial. With the needle still inserted, turn the vial upside down. Look to make sure that
tip of the needle is all the way submerged in the liquid, so you won’t draw air into the
syringe. Now, slowly pull back the plunger again, but this time go a few units passed the
dose. You can see Liza’s drawing about seven units into the syringe. While you still have
the needle inserted in the vial, look for any air bubbles in the syringe. If your see any, just
tap the side of the syringe with your finger to release them. Now slowly push the plunger
into the prescribed dose, in this case, four units. Take your finger off the plunger and pull
the needle out of the vial. The syringe is now ready for injection.
I hope this information has been helpful. Now, to let you know how to fill the Insulin
Syringe, please watch our VetVid video The Easy Way to Give Your Diabetic Cat an
Insulin Injection. Thanks for watching.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services