Please, please, help me, before I go mad and kill the dog!!

[IHateLivingHere]

Obviously, I wouldn't ever kill him - I love him passionately. But, at the moment, I'm at my wits end.

He's diabetic (mild Cushings) and has to be injected twice daily. The problem is, he HATES the injections and I've now tried nearly every trick in the book....

He turns into a crazy thing, wriggling, jumping, gobbing off at me, (but never growling or biting ). I have to get my daughter to try and hold him still, but she's not very good at it and he is like Houdini. This morning I had to resort to putting his lead on and pulling it tight through the handle of the cupboard, which I don't want to do because he'll end up even more scared of the injections.

I have had a diabetic dog before and am not scared/nervous about the injections, so it isn't anything I am doing that's making him this way. I try to keep as calm as possible and always give him a carrot afterwards, but he's driving me mad and I don't think we can go on like this for another 2 - 3 years (or however long we have).

I've told my vet about this and I think she thinks I'm exaggerating. I've asked about insulin pens, but he's on Caninsulin and it's not compatible with pens, apparently.

Any advice would be very welcome. Is it possible to SEDATE the dumb dog? I hate my life, every 12 hours....

What does he love? Is there anything foodwise that he is allowed that he adores? Or a toy like a squeeky?

He needs desensitizing to the whole experience, but to do that you need to change round what it all means and make it very positive and rewarding.

Dog treats and while he's eating jab him?

dietstarts have tried that - things only work once. I snook up on him and did it while he was asleep. Once. While he was eating. Once. In the bum. Once.

Wherethe He loves cheese, but am not sure he can have it now. Too old & deaf for squeaky toys and not driven by them like some dogs are. He's 11 - and not likely to make it to 12 at this rate!!

Is it worth getting a cloth muzzle as well, because although he's not growled or snapped yet, I wonder if that'll come next?

Can you ask your vet for a referral to a specialist in canine diabetes, and discuss with them your drug regime? Maybe there is a specialist non injectable alternative? Apologies if you have already been down this road.

Just seen this thread, but I would put peanut butter in a kong or something else stuffed really well into a kong and while he is licking it out, do the dirty deed! Good luck!

You need to start distraction techniques that have positive experiences to them so he doesn't start to associate the injections with a bad time. cats49 idea of a kong with food in to really occupy him is a great one - start using it as a treat without the injections, start handling his scruff at the same time in a similar way to when you inject but don't inject, just to get him used to routine. Although you have to be careful about the diet a little regular treat at the time of injecting isn't going to make a huge difference to the overall control. If he likes the controlled food you have him on you could always soak some of that and put it in the kong. A little cream cheese is also an option - half a teaspoon well placed in the Kong will keep him busy for a few minutes.

Unfortunately it just isn't going to be possible to sedate him twice a day to inject him. Desensitising him to the fear of the routine is going to be the best way to help him. Be consistant and repeat the routine lots and lots of times with him without the injection happening so that the times he does get a jab he doesn't know it is going to happen. The caninsulin needles are so fine they hardly notice them really so in time when the fear factor has gone he should be a lot easier to deal with.

Sympathy from here as I have to give my cat 3 tablets a day and she has had enough of them and has bitten me.

Thank you everyone for your answers

This morning I just gave up and took him to the vet, who then also had a mare with him. At least I know it's not just me....

beautiful girls and cats49 the kong sounds like a good idea and I'll go and get one tomorrow, along with some cream cheese, and I already have some peanut butter

I can't offer you any advice (although the Kong idea sounds a good one) but you have my sympathy. Memories of 2 of us trying to pin the dog down to give it ear drops a few years ago came to mind. We used to have to ensure the bedroom and garden doors were shut before we even got the bottle out (else the dog would hide under the bed/shed for hours) and as soon as it saw the bottle it would be shaking. Needless to say though for the vet the dog would stand there wagging his tail whilst he did it! Best of luck.

Hi,

Thought I'd give an update, (whilst crossing my fingers). We've been doing a routine of putting him on the table, holding him and then giving him a small cube of cheese and it seems to be working. It is much easier for my DD to hold him still at that height and he seems to be calmer. We've had 12 good injections on the trot, since last Saturday evening - I can't quite believe my luck

However, from Sunday evening, I'll be on my own until Tuesday evening, so keep your fingers crossed for me! I'm trying to find a 'holder' to come and help me for those ones at the moment.

Anyway, thanks for all your advice, I've also ordered a new kong as I can't find our old one, and that should arrive tomorrow.

Things can only get better