Needles Question

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Renegaderem+Dainty

Renegaderem+Dainty

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Hey all, quick question. I am thinking of trying the u100 needles instead of the u40 for two reasons. The first being that it is really hard to guesstimate .3 of a unit, the second is that the syringes my vet sells me are very expensive. So my question is... Is ProZinc prediluted, meaning that the dose in both needles is the same or do I have to follow the conversion chart? Also, what gauge and needle length would be better? I had no idea there were so many options!
 
You have to use the conversion chart if you use the U100 needles. Do you have the conversion chart?

I use the U40s--so, I don't know much about the other options.

Good Luck!
 
If the u40s you have been using are working out okay, then just stay with the same gauge and length when you switch to the u100s. I'm using 40s that are 29g and 1/2 inch. But you will need to use the conversion chart to get the dose right.
Carl
 
I was perfectly happy with the U40 syringes until I started dosing smaller than 1 unit, it's very hard to read even then sometimes when you are dosing the odd #'s! I also didn't have a problem with the 1/2" needles cause I didn't know any better. My cat started fussing at me when I was giving her shot. I switched to the shorter 5/16" needles because of that & it worked out much better. It all depends on you & your cat. You might possibly be able to purchase a bag of the shorter needle syringes just to try out before you get a whole box & decide you don't like them. I know someone on here said they didn't like the short needles. And yes, you have to use the conversion chart to shoot U40 insulin with a U100 syringe. Be sure you have U40 insulin. There is some compounded PZI that comes in U100 strength. If you got is from your vet it probably is the ProZinc U40, it's in a green box & it will say on the bottle it's U40.
 
If you don't want to switch, you can order U40 needles off of hocks.com for less than half what you are paying at the vet.
 
I use U100s now and have for some time. LIke you, the U40 syringes I got from my vet were really expensive, as were the test strips and other things I could have gotten. I've gotten much better prices on U100s from places like Walmart. You do need to use the conversion chart, but I just keep mine taped to the wall where I store her supplies and refer to it each time I shoot. U100 syringes are very convenient when shooting smaller doses. I just could not read the U40s that well, especially for giving smaller increments. I like the convenience of being able to get them locally vs. online, as U100s can be purchased just about anywhere.
 
I really like the short needles, I found them way easier to use than the longer ones. Some don't like them though, but I don't know why!
 
Thank you all for you input! Sounds like I will be needing to convert it using the chart since it is the u40 version. I will try a shorter needle, I didn't even know that they had those. Dainty will probably appreciate the change!
 
I also liked the shorter needles much better. And the 1/2 unit markings were invaluable.(just check before you buy, walmarts in particular often gives people the wrong needles). Hocks on line is usually a good deal and reliable.
 
Another short needle fan here. I started with the usual 1/2" needles, but the shorter ones are much better. Less risky in terms of accidentally either poking through the skin (if you tent) or going into tissue if you jab like you are supposed to in the shot. I've had no problems with Walmart giving the right needles, but I know what the box looks like and carefully inspect the packages in the box before I buy to ensure they are all what I need.
 
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