Syringe Question

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Shana

Member Since 2017
Hey everyone! I'm new to the group & I posted an intro a couple days ago! Abby was diagnosed on 5/19 with diabetes and tested in at 484 for BG at the first vet I took her too. They recommended Novolin with 1u every 12hours. Idk the size of the syringes off hand bc I'm at work but I want to say they are 28 gauge but they sure are big!!! The ones at the vet had a tiny needle on it.

The second vet (I loved!!!) said no to the Novolin (which I unfortunately already purchased I don't think you can return RX products) gave me a new prescription for Lantus 1u every 12 hours. She tested in at 385 BG at this visit. I started Abby with it last night at 7pm. She gave me a script for 29 gauge needles.

Anyway I guess my question is, what length of needle should it be? I feel like when I pull up her skin, should that huge needle go all the way in? I'm just worried bc the one they used at the first vet was so small.
 
Welcome Shana and Abby!
I'm guessing your intro post did not actually post. Profile says this is your first one :). Regardless, welcome! Glad you are home testing. Have you looked at the Spreadsheet template most of us use? The Lantus community is a good size group so if you wanted any other advice as you move forward, they will ask for data. Bunch of data junkies around here :smuggrin:. Setting up your Signature can be super helpful too, it's where you will also put your Spreadsheet link. Gives a quick glance about Abby and helps those of us with bad memories ;): http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/

Nice to hear the Vet has you on 1.0U as starting dose too. I will still give you this since you're a new member and hope you never need it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Finally, your needle question. The gauge is the thickness of the needle. Most of us use 28g / 29g syringes. The usual length for syringes is 12.7mm (1/2 inch). Some do use shorter needles but they don't work too well for cats with thicker skin/coats. The insulin syringe is designed to deliver insulin to the subcutaneous (SubQ) level when properly tented/rolled. You could ask your Vet what length syringe they used if you think it is much shorter. If you're thinking it's thinner, they may have 31g syringes. Lower the number gauge the thicker the needle, higher is thinner.

Feel free to ask more questions! I hope I didn't sound too confusing :smuggrin:
 
Hello and Welcome! My Marbles is on Lantus as well. We started with the prescribed 28 gauge, 1/2 inch needle but read a number of posts referring to shorter needles with half unit markings. Ran it by my vet and she was perfectly fine with the switch. The half units are helpful as you adjust the dosage (in 0.5 unit increments). Marbles seems to prefer the shorter needle as well; he no longer flinches (doesn't even notice actually). He's super fluffy (Maine Coon) so the vet shaved a patch on his scruff when he was first diagnosed in order to help us get comfortable with the whole process, so the shorter needle was not an issue. His fur is growing back but slow enough that I've found my groove with the shorter needle and longer fur. I get my online here...

https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/5739/ulticare-u-100-vetrx-half-unit-insulin-syringes
https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/16367/carepoint-vet-u-100-pet-syringe-31g-half-unit
 
For me, that answer was what my cat and I liked best.
Vet gave us 29g, 1/2 inch and we didn't like them.

I asked vet to order 31g; 5/15 inch. Vet said no. I got them another place. I (and my cat) like them much better.

I think you have to find what works for you and your cat.
 
Most of us use 3/10ml, 30 or 31 gauge, 8mm (5/16) insulin syringes with half unit markings.....increases and decreases in dose are done in .25 unit increments (occasionally .5) but there aren't any syringes with .25 unit markings so the half unit markings are the best you can do

All these have half unit markings and are the correct syringes for Lantus and are available from ADW online:
UtiCare
Monoject
Carepoint
Sure Comfort
BD Ultra-Fine

They're also available at WalMart if you have one near you..Their Relion Brand 3/10ml, 3o or 31 gauge, 8mm insulin syringes all come with half unit markings and are only $12.58 for a box of 100 (although it seems a lot of WalMart employees don't realize that they DO come with half unit markings!!)
 
Thanks everyone!!! :) I am going to set up my signature tonight!!

The box that I have says 28 gauge (12.7 mm) needle. 3/10 cc. After looking it up, I believe the vet used 31g; 5/15 inch. They are so much smaller!! I have a walmart right up the street so I will have to stop tomorrow! When I practiced on her at the vet with saline water, she didn't even flinch.. With the ones I have here at home, she like wants to run away from me at dinner time.. Especially because she is on amoxicillin right now too :(

Also, Abby has been on insulin now for a full 24 hours. When should I start testing her blood and what is a good range of numbers for her to stay between? 120-200? I just got her monitor opened and ready to go. Does it take awhile for the insulin to kick in? I don't want to prick her if it won't make a difference yet.
 
It's best to start testing as soon as possible. If she's on amoxicillin, I assume that is for some infection. An infection can raise blood glucose levels, which means as the infection clears up those levels can fall. If you're making any diet changes, that can also lower glucose levels. You don't want to risk that the glucose levels fall TOO far and create a hypo event. The only way to do that is to monitor what her blood glucose levels are doing.
 
hello and welcome
its best to test before you give her a shot in the Am and Pm .. my cat is on Lantus as well, I test him then I give him his wet food and while he is distracted and chowing down, I give him his shot. if you can get another reading before you go to bed that would be good too, many cats go lower at night but the 2 most important tests are before each shot as you dont want to give them a shot if they are within the normal range they should be in .. if you are using a human meter normal BG for felines will read between 50-120 and if using one for pets normal BG will read between 70-150.
it can take a bit for their system to get used to being on the insulin and they may bounce around with the numbers for the first few days or so, my cat was just started last saturday and he has been bouncing all over since.
 
storm said:
hello and welcome
its best to test before you give her a shot in the Am and Pm .. my cat is on Lantus as well, I test him then I give him his wet food and while he is distracted and chowing down, I give him his shot. if you can get another reading before you go to bed that would be good too, many cats go lower at night but the 2 most important tests are before each shot as you dont want to give them a shot if they are within the normal range they should be in .. if you are using a human meter normal BG for felines will read between 50-120 and if using one for pets normal BG will read between 70-150.
it can take a bit for their system to get used to being on the insulin and they may bounce around with the numbers for the first few days or so, my cat was just started last saturday and he has been bouncing all over since.
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Hello! :)
I started the testing last night +5 hours into the insulin shot. She was 308. This AM she was 326.. and just now she was 401... ugh! The vet didn't say anything about not giving the shot if her numbers are in the normal range.. She did just start though this was her 4th injection. I know it will just take some time to get kind of normal! I am going to start my spread sheet tonight and keep it updated!!
 
Shana Martin said:
Hello! :)
I started the testing last night +5 hours into the insulin shot. She was 308. This AM she was 326.. and just now she was 401... ugh! The vet didn't say anything about not giving the shot if her numbers are in the normal range.. She did just start though this was her 4th injection. I know it will just take some time to get kind of normal! I am going to start my spread sheet tonight and keep it updated!!
Click to expand...

if she is in normal range you dont want to give a shot at all as she could go into Hypo which if not caught right away, can be fatal as the numbers will go below normal as Yong stated above. its good to keep a daily record of her numbers in the spreadsheet that way you can present the spreadsheet to your vet so they can see what the numbers are and decide from there how to proceed. i email a link of my boys SS directly to my vet every week so she can see his progress. with the infection she has that can also cause her numbers to be high so dont be surprised if they dont go down until the infection has cleared.

my boy is all over the place with his numbers too, from high 200's to upper 400's, he was started on 1 unit 2x daily but i have a feeling it may not be enough so after he has been on insulin for 10 days, my vet wants me to do a curve test which will have to wait until next weekend as the meter my vet insists i use for curves wont arrive until tuesday, i will give him his AM shot then test him every 2 hours until his PM shot just to see what the variance is in his numbers between shots are and to see when he peaks (lowest test number) before his numbers start to go up.
 
Chris & China said:
They're also available at WalMart if you have one near you..Their Relion Brand 3/10ml, 3o or 31 gauge, 8mm insulin syringes all come with half unit markings and are only $12.58 for a box of 100 (although it seems a lot of WalMart employees don't realize that they DO come with half unit markings!!)
Click to expand...

Not all walmarts carry the ones with half units. Our local one doesn't. I have been buying small packs from our local pharmacy when I needed half units because the markings are so small on the others I didn't trust trying to do halves on them.

Thanks for the links though, now I can order those and it will save me a bit of money! Was paying almost $9 for just 10! Gotta love small pharmacies, everything is higher lol
 
Meridith and Zeke said:
Not all walmarts carry the ones with half units. Our local one doesn't
Click to expand...

Actually, if you are buying the Relion 3/10ml insulin syringes, they do come with half unit marks, but a lot of pharmacists (and other pharmacy workers) don't know they do. If you have them open the box and look at them, they'll have half unit markings

I used to have a picture on my other computer that shows their advertising for their Relion insulin syringes....it specifically said "All Relion 3/10ml syringes come with half unit markings" (something about when using for children)
 
Chris & China said:
Actually, if you are buying the Relion 3/10ml insulin syringes, they do come with half unit marks, but a lot of pharmacists (and other pharmacy workers) don't know they do. If you have them open the box and look at them, they'll have half unit markings

I used to have a picture on my other computer that shows their advertising for their Relion insulin syringes....it specifically said "All Relion 3/10ml syringes come with half unit markings" (something about when using for children)
Click to expand...

I am using them, no half units marked. Not all walmart carry the same thing.
 
@Chris & China
Actually ours are 1/2ml, not the 3/10ml, but this is the smallest our walmart carries and the pharmacist said he can't order anything other then what he already has in Stock and none he carries has 1/2 units.
 

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Who knows, I really hate this county I live in. It is a high drug infested area and we are only waiting for my stepson to graduate next year so we can move. I doubt they really care, probably tell them to order online. I have to purchase from the little local pharmacy and they basically are almost $1 a piece.
 
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