? Needles/syringe

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apple

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What to you use?

I asked the vet tech if they had any with 1/2 marks? Reply: no.

Can and would you order some? Reply: no.

Yet they don't use/carry the brand/kind/style I like to use when giving buprenex and they order those for me. I found it odd they won't order insulin needles for me.

I often request meds from a specific manufacturer because all generics are not created equal (different fillers can make the kitty sick). They order that willingly.

This baffles me. So I'm needing advice here.

I was given BD pet needles (cute paw print on the bag). 3/10 cc and the longer needle.

I was told specifically to use the longer needle, not the short needle because I may accidentally inject the insulin into muscle.

I went to the BD website and it clearly states "shorter needle is easier to control."

Ever more strongly discouraged was the use of the pen. Again BD website says it's more accurate.

What do you use to inject insulin into your cat?

Thank you in advance.
 
I use Relion 3/10cc 5/16" needles. It has 1/2 markings.

If I had longer needles, I would be poking all the way through the 'tent.' I would go with what you prefer.
 
apple said:
I was given BD pet needles (cute paw print on the bag). 3/10 cc and the longer needle.

I was told specifically to use the longer needle, not the short needle because I may accidentally inject the insulin into muscle.
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I have used the longer needle BDs. The BD's themselves are pretty good, but there are 1/2 marking versions available and I'm sad you're vet is not working with you on that. A lot of us order our stuff through https://www.adwdiabetes.com/ When I ordered mine, they ask for the doctor's office information and obtained the prescription on my behalf.

That being said, I find the longer needles much harder to control and would irritate Gordy when I used them. He would fight me more on those and actually had gotten bruised because he pulled away when the needle was in him. I also oftened poked through the 'tent' as well because I had to do everything quicker, leading to a lot of fur shots. The shorter ones are much easier.

I use these Monojects.
 
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Sorry it's so big couldn't figure out how to make it smaller. I order these from ADW in Florida.
 
I use the same ones as DebG above, I like this 5/16" shorter needle since the longer ones I used to use would sometimes come out the side of the tent if I wasn't very careful in putting it in exactly straight. Here is where I buy them: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/16367/carepoint-vet-u-100-pet-syringe-31g-half-unit.

Walmart sells ReliOn syringes many people here use with 1/2unit markings, but found the plunger too sticky to adjust very small increments.
 
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Bronx's dad said:
https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/16367/carepoint-vet-u-100-pet-syringe-31g-half-unit
Walmart sells ReliOn syringes many people here use with 1/2unit markings, but found the plunger too sticky to adjust very small increments.
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Yes, you do have to push the plunger back and forth to make it less sticky. I also learned if I need to push it up a teensy bit, I do not push, but I twist the plunger. I saw that on a video posted in a sticky on here about administering Lantus.
 
I order mine at the human pharmacy where I get all his supplies from. I use the BD 3/10 cc with half markings and the small needle. That said - the BD has a large variance when you are doing some fine dosing. I noticed .1u can be anywhere from 7-10 drops of insulin. But this is what I could get as the Monoject ones could no longer be ordered by the pharmacy. So I stuck with them. Truth be told I liked the Monoject better...felt better in my hand.

I personally like the smaller needle. The problem with the pen injection - is that you can only dose at whole units and I actually found I had insulin in his fur more when using the pen vs. drawing from the pen and injecting.
 
Remember that what is on the BD website is for humans, not for injecting cats. Length of needle is a personal preference. Pen needles can only do whole unit increments, great for humans, not for cats.
 
I use BD 0.3ml with 1/2 units markings and 31G 6mm needle.

The 1/2 marks help me with the dose and I find that the thinner and smaller needle make me easier to shoot but that's personal preference
 
Hi Apple,
Make sure that your BD pet syringes are for U-100 insulin (orange caps). Many syringes intended for pets are for U-40 insulin. Double check this! Both Lantus and Levemir are U-100 insulins.

I think that everyone here is happier with the 31 gauge, 3/10cc syringes with half-unit markings and the shorter, 5/16'' needle. 31 gauge is nice and thin (less painful), 3/10 cc means that the syringe is intended for doses of less than 30 units (so the barrel of the syringe is thinner and it is easier to see the markings).

That said, orders from ADW (link given to you above by several people) arrive very quickly. If you need a vet's prescription for syringes, ADW will call the vet's office. So place your order and if they need the vet's prescription, they will first call you and ask for your vet's phone number. I use the Monojects (see @CassAndGordy post above), but there are many brands available on ADW.
 
My local Walmart informed me that they are no longer going to be selling the ReliOn 3/10cc 31 gauge 5/16" insulin syringes. I just ordered the Sure Comfort brand on ADW. I hope I like them!
 
Karen & Lily said:
My local Walmart informed me that they are no longer going to be selling the ReliOn 3/10cc 31 gauge 5/16" insulin syringes. I just ordered the Sure Comfort brand on ADW. I hope I like them!
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My Sure Comforts moved very nicely, BUT they were pretty inconsistent with the markings, so keep an eye on that. I ended up doing calipers which is how I noticed it.
 
Regarding your vet discouraging the pen - are they recommending the vial instead or just saying not to inject directly with the pen but to use a syringe?
 
Camille and Cyclone said:
Regarding your vet discouraging the pen - are they recommending the vial instead or just saying not to inject directly with the pen but to use a syringe?
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Both.

Said the pen needle was too short to use safely in a cat and the insulin was placed in a vial and I draw from the vial.
 
apple said:
Both.

Said the pen needle was too short to use safely in a cat and the insulin was placed in a vial and I draw from the vial.
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You can also draw from the opposite side of the pen with a syringe, just do the opposite of what you would do with a vial (don't push air into the pen with the syringe)
 
Bronx's dad said:
You can also draw from the opposite side of the pen with a syringe, just do the opposite of what you would do with a vial (don't push air into the pen with the syringe)
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Exacly youwould use the pen like it was a small vial, and draw the insulin with the syringe, that way you can have the exact dose and not depend on the mecanism

I like the pen better because That way I have only one small amout of the insulin at use at a time while keep the rest untouched
 
Karen & Lily said:
My local Walmart informed me that they are no longer going to be selling the ReliOn 3/10cc 31 gauge 5/16" insulin syringes
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I asked tonight and mine said they would be continuing to carry them as long as they had people who were buying them

WalMart's "Relion" brand is so tied into them, I don't know why they'd discontinue a product they sell so much of
 
The pens are just mini-vials - there's the same little rubber seal under the cap as there is on the vial, it's just a bit smaller. Here's a pic of the end of an empty pen cartridge - the rubber seal on the cap looks white due to the flash.

LevPen4.jpg
 
Bronx's dad said:
You can also draw from the opposite side of the pen with a syringe, just do the opposite of what you would do with a vial (don't push air into the pen with the syringe)
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I don't understand what you mean by opposite. Would you please explain?
 
apple said:
I don't understand what you mean by opposite. Would you please explain?
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with vials, you are supposed to push air in first as to not create a vacuum (if drawing 2u, push 2u of air in 1st before turning upside down). with a pen, you want to keep the vacuum present so never push air in and make sure the syringe is fully seated before inserting into the pen (all syringes are not fully seated when you take them out of the package, so after sliding them up and back a few times, make sure it is fully forward before putting into the pen). better explained here:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...insulin-info-handling-drawing-fine-doses.151/
 
@Susan G - People either eyeball the doses that are "between the lines" ur use digital calipers to dose consistently. As several people have noted, if you line up several syringes, you'll see that there is some variability in where the lines are marked on the syringes.

 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
@Susan G - People either eyeball the doses that are "between the lines" ur use digital calipers to dose consistently. As several people have noted, if you line up several syringes, you'll see that there is some variability in where the lines are marked on the syringes.
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Ah ok. Gotcha thx. I just got a new pack of syringes and they are measured by whole numbers and increments of 1. My previous pack were increments of two which was tricky to figure out the 1 unit shot. I like these new ones not only for the increments of 1 but they are ultra fine and shorter length. It's not so easy to tent a big boy. Funny, I've only been doing this for two weeks and thought it was going to be impossible to test. But finding the right incentive i.e. Boiled chicken breast, was such a turning pt for us. Now when I start to get the strips and lancet ready he comes right up on the table. Thanks Jimmy mama loves you Pls give us some blue tonight!
 
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