Dog Yelps When Given Insulin: What should I do?

Dog Yelps When Given Insulin? If you have witness dog yelps when given insulin scenario you know how problematic and honestly sad it can be for the owner and the pet. It usually means that you are doing something wrong and that you need to adapt. Your pet needs insulin and you need to know how to administer it perfectly. Now you will find out.

Dog Yelps When Given Insulin: What should I do?

Dogs who suffer from type 1 diabetes need insulin injections

The first thing we need to explain is why a dog would need insulin shots. The answer is in diabetes type 1. What this means is that the beta cells in the pancreas of your dog are damaged and they are unable to produce insulin. This compound is used to control sugar blood levels. Dog yelps when given insulin refers to a dog crying when the injection is administrated.

The actual term for this diabetes in dogs is diabetes mellitus and it can affect all dogs and all dog breeds. The only treatment that will actually work is to give insulin injections to your dog on a daily basis.

Tips you can use to make injections painless

There are a few tips we would like to reveal at this point. You may know that most dogs will run away or they will get scared once they see the injection. They are scared, obviously and they have learned that this is the time for pain. Dogs don’t like taking injections, the same as humans. That’s why you need to implement these tips and make sure your dog gets his shot as quickly and without any pain if possible.

Hide the needle

This isn’t some tip that has been tested and approved by countless scientists from all over the world. It is one of those where many dog owners saw it works and has been shared among dog owners for years. The main idea is to hide a needle so your pet doesn’t see it at all. By using this method, he won’t be able to link the needle and the pain! Yes, your dog knows that the needle causes pain and he will try to avoid it at all cost. Sadly, if he sees the needle a couple of times (even once in some cases) he will link the two and you won’t be able to use this tip anymore.

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Give the insulin while your dog eats

You can try to give the insulin while your pet eats. There are 2 reasons why this is a good idea. The first one is that your pet will be occupied and even distracted. He will pay less attention to the needle and honestly you. Now you have more time to administer the injection and move. Don’t forget that you should be very fast so obviously use your dominant hand and practice if you are a newbie.

Do not give treats before the injection

Many dog owners believe that if they give treats to the dog before the injection, he will behave great. In reality, he will still try to escape and avoid the shot. You should do the opposite. If you give him a treat before the injection, he may link it to a bad experience or even wrestling and there is no point.

The second reason is that insulin will be absorbed perfectly when your dog eats so this is the best time to give him his injection.

Warm up the insulin

For most dogs, insulin injections are relatively painless. They feel a small pinch. However, if the insulin is cold, the injection will be painful. That’s why you need to heat it up. Ideally, you will take out the insulin from the refrigerator and let it warm up for 30 minutes before giving the injection. This is an ideal tip to use if your dog is sensitive to pinches and he experiences pain while the injection is being administered.

Some even recommend rolling the insulin bottle between the hands to speed up the warming process. If you use this tip alongside the second tip here, make sure you plan carefully and you keep track of when the insulin injection was administered.

Reward the dog afterward only

After everything is done, reward your dog and now you can use a treat. This is a very successful tip and it will mean that your dog behaved well and he should do the same the next time. Sadly, there will be the next time so you will definitely want to train your dog to accept the reality and doesn’t try to run away every single time he needs an insulin shot. You can even cuddle him after the injection for a few minutes. There is no need in telling you that you should dispose of an injection safely first.

Try new, painless injections

In the recent period of time, a new type of injection for this purpose appeared on the market. These are advertised as painless injections and they are specifically made for insulin shots in dogs. They are also designed to work with just one hand. You will cuddle your dog with one hand, remove the cap on the injection and press a plunger. After that, you will need to replace the safety cap and the cartridge inside.

These injections need between 1 and 1.5 seconds to be administered which is much quicker than a conventional injection. They have been very popular and they are great for all dogs. Keep in mind that there are a few options out on the market so you may want to find the one that works in your particular case.

The final word

A dog yelps when given insulin is sadly a common issue. You need to do anything you can and make sure the pain is eliminated or kept at a minimum. There are a lot of things you can do as you saw from these tips above. Try all of them and find a few that work perfectly for you and your pet.

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