This material is meant to help guide you in selecting injection sites and provides information regarding how to administer the insulin injections.This material is not intended to replace the professional advice of your veterinarian.

The illustration above is meant to give a general idea of where the suggested injection sites are located. Please visit with your veterinarian before attempting to administer injections to your pet. There is no good replacement for in-person instruction and personalized care for your dog.


Injection Site Selection
The best insulin injection sites are shown on the diagram above (and explained below):

• The side of the chest
• The flank (the fleshy part of a dog's side between the ribs and the leg)
• The side of the belly or the under side of the belly.
• The scruff, or the back of the neck.

Regardles of your chosen injection site - proper technique for injection is critical for the proper absorbtion of the insulin and control of your pet's condition. You want to be sure to inject the insulin into the fat layer, just below the skin - not into the muscle. But, be careful not to inject through the skin, to the other side. This will cause the insulin to be shot onto the skin, and will have no effect in treating your dog's condition.

Injecting Your Dog
Insulin use in companion animals, such as cats and dogs, utilizes a different unit of measurement than their human diabetic counterparts. Your vet will calculate your pet's insulin preparation using 40 UI/mL . This is very different from the same preparation and measurement used in humans. Some pet owners may try to replenish their supplies of insulin syringes from their local pharmacy. Pharmacies will carry U-100, 1mL and 50 IU/mL 0.5 mL syringes. Your local pharmacy will not stock U-40 syringes or U40 insulin. Always consult with your veterinarian if you have questions.

IMPORTANT NOTES: Using a U-100 (Human) Syringe with a 40 IU (small animal) preparation of insulin for your pet will result in the animal receiving 2.5 times less insulin than required. Using a U-40 syringe with a 100 IU preparation would result in the animal receiving 2.5 times the amount of insulin required which could result in fatal hypoglycemia.

- U100 Insulin syringes are packaged with an ORANGE CAP
- U40 Insulin syringes are packaged with a RED CAP

Usually, veterinarians will prescribe injections to be done twice per day, at feeding time (in the morning and then again in the evening).

Twice daily injections are preferred as it is difficult to regulate a dog's blood glucose with only one injection per day. Once-per-day injections are normally reserved for the use of long-acting insulin (works over a 24 hour period) or if the pet's owner does not have the ability to give the animal two injections per day.

Normally, injections should be given immediately after eating. If your pet has eaten only a part of its meal, or perhaps has eaten nothing, only half of the prescribed dosage should be given. If your pet has refused to eat more than 3 meals in a row, you should contact your veterinarian for advice.

• Take a few moments to pet and relax your pet prior to attempting the injection. This can help take the suprise out of the needle stick if your pet feels relaxed.
• Spend adequete time with your veterinarian learning how to administer the insulin and when. You want to be certain that you understand when and how to give your dog insulin.
• Warm the insulin before the injection. Diabetic humans have reported that cold insulin injections hurt, therefore it is safe to assume the same reaction in other animals. DO NOT USE HOT WATER OR A MICROWAVE TO WARM INSULIN. The entire bottle of insulin should not be brought to room temperature. Instead, simply fill your syringe to the proper dosage, and then warm by holding in your hand or resting on a counter or table top for a few minutes prior to injection.
• Praise your pet after you inject the insulin. This way, they'll learn to associate the experience with something pleasant. Many patients will become very tolerant after only a few days of injections.
• Vetsulin Pork insulin is approved for "once per day" dosing, but diabetes is difficult to regulate with only one injection per day. Some animals with early diagnosed diabetes mellitus may be able to tolerate once daily injections with Vetsulin, however, as more of the cells that produce insulin are lost, twice daily dosing may become necessary.

UltiMed offers a variety of products to aid you in the treatment of your pet's diabetes. UltiGuard All-In-One Insulin Syringe Dispense and Disposal solution is available in U-40. The UltiGuard comes in a variety of sizes, featuring the U-40 dosage markings made specifically for your small pet. And, the ingeniously designed container not only stores and dispenses the syringes, but is tamperproof as well, keeping family members and the environment safe.

• It is not necessary or desirable for you to try keeping your dog's blood glucose at "normal" levels of 80-120 mg/dL. This puts your pet at risk of hypoglycemia (very low blood glucose).
• Diabetic dogs can experience large day-to-day fluctuations in blood glucose levels, even if their food and insulin are kept constant. This is why it may take several months for the veterinarian to fine-tune your dog's insulin doses.
• It is best to inject insulin immediately after the dog has eaten. If the dog ate only some of its food, vomited or did not eat at all, your veterinarian may suggest that you decrease the insulin dose by half. Never skip the insulin dose entirely, but follow your veterinarian's advice. If your pet does not eat for three meals in a row, call your veterinarian before injecting insulin.
• If you inject your dog twice a day, try to give the insulin at the same general time each day, such as breakfast and dinner.
• If you are not sure whether an insulin injection should be given, call your veterinarian.
• Always praise your dog or give it a treat after injecting it, so that it associates the insulin therapy with a pleasant experience.
• Although Vetsulin® pork insulin is approved for once a day dosing, veterinarians generally do not favor once a day insulin therapy because it is hard to regulate a dog with only one daily injection. Once a day insulin therapy is used only when the owner is not able to give the dog two injections a day, or in those cases where a dog can be well regulated with one daily injection. Your veterinarian can recommend a proper dosing regimen for your dog.
• Unopened vials of insulin should be stored in the refrigerator. Write the date of opening on the vial label as a reminder to discard the vial after one month of use.