Syringe photos/recommendations

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dosgatos

dosgatos

Member Since 2010
Hello,

I need advice/recommendation for syringes for a micro dose cat who requires 0.1U or less.

Which syringe is everyone using?

I would be happy if you could upload a closeup photo of the syringe, too!

I will be buying from Total Diabetes Supply (one of a few shops that ship to Japan) (ADW & Walmart do not ship to Japan) and it seems they only carry

BD Ultra Fine
Sure Comfort
Easy Touch
Ulti Care
Ulti Care Ulti-Fine II
Ulti Care Ulti-Thin II
Comfort EZ
TRUEplus®

If you happen to use one of the above, please help! Thank you!
 
dosgatos said:
Hello,

I need advice/recommendation for syringes for a micro dose cat who requires 0.1U or less.

Which syringe is everyone using?

I would be happy if you could upload a closeup photo of the syringe, too!

I will be buying from Total Diabetes Supply (one of a few shops that ship to Japan) (ADW & Walmart do not ship to Japan) and it seems they only carry

BD Ultra Fine
Sure Comfort
Easy Touch
Ulti Care
Ulti Care Ulti-Fine II
Ulti Care Ulti-Thin II
Comfort EZ
TRUEplus®

If you happen to use one of the above, please help! Thank you!
Click to expand...
I have used the BD and the Sure Comfort. They were fine but not great.

The ones I like best of all are Thin Pro but as far as I can find they have only unit markings not half units.
 
I used BD with half unit marks 6mm, for micro dose kitties having the half unit mark this is a very important issue, and with the 6mm I found it easier to keep the plunger pressed while taking the syringe out, because you do not want to let it go before is out or you have the risk of pulling the drop of insulin back into the syringe.

Even though I ended measuring with a caliper and making a guide with marks for each dose (0.5, 0.25, 0.1, drop )that I placed on the fridge ( I shooted in the kitchen) because having it vertical helped me when measuring
 
This are photos of the syringe measuring 0.1 and a drop (the measure is where the plunger is)
sketch-1516840153311.png
sketch-1516840066853.png
 
dosgatos said:
Thank you for your reply. May I ask the reasons why the BD and the Sure Comfort were "fine but not great"?
Click to expand...
The needles were sometimes at a slight angle when I pulled it out of the package to use it. Also the plunger made it a bit harder - not as flat as some of them.

I also like that the Thin Pro are individually wrapped.
 
Noah uses a U40 insulin but I switched to Monoject U100, 29 gauge, 1/2 cc, 1/2" needle. The are many more lines, clearly printed and in 5+ years I've never had to use calipers or had a seal go bad.. Monojects can be hard to find, I hoard 500 at a time. The boxes labeled "Ultra Comfort" were made before Monoject merged or were bought out by Covidien.
 
Veronica & Babu-chiri said:
I used BD with half unit marks 6mm, for micro dose kitties having the half unit mark this is a very important issue, and with the 6mm I found it easier to keep the plunger pressed while taking the syringe out, because you do not want to let it go before is out or you have the risk of pulling the drop of insulin back into the syringe.

Even though I ended measuring with a caliper and making a guide with marks for each dose (0.5, 0.25, 0.1, drop )that I placed on the fridge ( I shooted in the kitchen) because having it vertical helped me when measuring
Click to expand...

Hi Veronica,
Thank you for your reply and the good pictures.
Yes, I am doing quite the same as you did using a scale called "crack measure". It is very good, too.
Now I am measuring 0.40(mm) from the top by holding the scale vertically like this.

IMG_0728.jpg


But it is getting really hard to see it with my eyes as I age.. I am wearing both a pair of reading glasses and a headband magnifier.
Akane is prone to hypo so it has been really tough..
Here in Japan, we do not have any half unit markings syringes so I have been importing Monoject from US with the help of our vet for years but recently I had a trouble with a shop I have been purchasing and now I am looking for an alternative. .

Thanks again for your reply! :)
 
JeanW said:
The needles were sometimes at a slight angle when I pulled it out of the package to use it. Also the plunger made it a bit harder - not as flat as some of them.

I also like that the Thin Pro are individually wrapped.
Click to expand...

Oh, I see...

I think I once used Thin Pro, too, and I liked it very much. I am sorry that Total Diabetes Supply doesn't carry them..
Thank you for your help !
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
Noah uses a U40 insulin but I switched to Monoject U100, 29 gauge, 1/2 cc, 1/2" needle. The are many more lines, clearly printed and in 5+ years I've never had to use calipers or had a seal go bad.. Monojects can be hard to find, I hoard 500 at a time. The boxes labeled "Ultra Comfort" were made before Monoject merged or were bought out by Covidien.
Click to expand...

I have been using Monoject, too, 31G, 3/10cc, 8mm needle, Covidien one. Aren't they good? :)
I am sorry that I had a trouble with Diabetic Promotions. They sell Monojects but Total Diabetes Supply does not. Have to find an alternative.. or should I order Monoject at Diabetic Promotions again even though I am very angry ....... :banghead:

Thank you for your reply!
 
dosgatos said:
Hi Veronica,
Thank you for your reply and the good pictures.
Yes, I am doing quite the same as you did using a scale called "crack measure". It is very good, too.
Now I am measuring 0.40(mm) from the top by holding the scale vertically like this.

View attachment 39223

But it is getting really hard to see it with my eyes as I age.. I am wearing both a pair of reading glasses and a headband magnifier.
Akane is prone to hypo so it has been really tough..
Here in Japan, we do not have any half unit markings syringes so I have been importing Monoject from US with the help of our vet for years but recently I had a trouble with a shop I have been purchasing and now I am looking for an alternative. .

Thanks again for your reply! :)
Click to expand...

I think that with your scale it is not so necessary that you have the half markings, after all you have all the mesures in there, your scale is a lot more professional than mine.

And I totally agree that is hard to see, I also bought some reading glasses with a lot of magnification ( I can't really use them for reading or anything else). With BD (and probably others ) I always try to use as reference the actual top of the syringe (not considering the needle), because there's some slight variation in the cero markings and with micro doses that can make a difference.

Also I don't know if you have already discover it but, if you turn the plunger instead of pressing it is easier to throw away a drop at a time ( is useful when you only have like two drops and need to throw only one)
 
dosgatos said:
Hi Veronica,
Thank you for your reply and the good pictures.
Yes, I am doing quite the same as you did using a scale called "crack measure". It is very good, too.
Now I am measuring 0.40(mm) from the top by holding the scale vertically like this.

View attachment 39223

But it is getting really hard to see it with my eyes as I age.. I am wearing both a pair of reading glasses and a headband magnifier.
Akane is prone to hypo so it has been really tough..
Here in Japan, we do not have any half unit markings syringes so I have been importing Monoject from US with the help of our vet for years but recently I had a trouble with a shop I have been purchasing and now I am looking for an alternative. .

Thanks again for your reply! :)
Click to expand...
Where did you get your scale - the crack measure?
 
Veronica & Babu-chiri said:
With BD (and probably others ) I always try to use as reference the actual top of the syringe (not considering the needle), because there's some slight variation in the cero markings and with micro doses that can make a difference.
Click to expand...

I noticed that, too, and have been very careful.
I am trying to measure his current dose 0.40mm from "the ceiling" (I do not know what to call it) (what do you call it??) where the top of the plunger (black rubber part) stops when you push.
Is it the same place you mentioned? I always wanted to talk about it with someone.

With this BD, "the ceiling" is almost the same line as the upper line of zero so I measure my cat's dose from that line using "crack measure".
I hope you understand what I am trying to explain...

IMG_0752.JPG
IMG_0756.JPG


With Monoject, it was easier to see "the ceiling" because its plastic body is clearer and the top of the plunger is flatter. His dose was 1.00mm then.

P1010877.JPG


Anyway this is what I am doing for my little one..

You are right. With this "crack measure", I am now able to use syringes without half unit marking.
Thanks for the tip for throwing away a drop. I am doing it, too, but when the plunger is tight, often it's all gone!
 
dosgatos said:
I am trying to measure his current dose 0.40mm from "the ceiling" (I do not know what to call it) (what do you call it??) where the top of the plunger (black rubber part) stops when you push.
Is it the same place you mentioned? I always wanted to talk about it with someone.
Click to expand...

I think it is, I just marked it on the photos (I hope they look ok because I'm at the office so I had to improvise a little and I think they got a little bit blurry), but actually consistency is more important than accuracy so as long as you are consistent and therefore giving the same dose every time is ok, and in the case of microdoses as long as you know you are giving one more drop or one less is also ok, you are still reducing or upping the dose

01 Unit.jpg
Drop.jpg
 
Monojects also have a softer feel. The tabs at the top where you place your fingers to keep the syringe from sliding away are much larger and made of something much softer than any other syringe I've used. BD has pretty much taken over the hospital market in North America, the rest of us probably make up less than 1% of users.
Just a thought. People can afford heroin but can't pop the extra 29 cents for a syringe so they use a dirty syringe? It's a strange world.
 
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