? Question About Solensia

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Snickers and Chrissy

Snickers and Chrissy

Member Since 2019
Hi, this is for anyone who gives their cat Solensia or who might just know regardless.

My vet lets me give Snickers Solensia at home, but it comes with a really big needle, and I asked if I had to use that specific needle, or can I use an insulin needle? She's actually a great vet and said she did not see specific recommendations on needle gauge in the prescribing info, but reached out to Zoetis, who make Solensia.

Zoetis told her: "The needles used in the study were either 22 gauge or 25 gauge. While there are no contraindications to the needle size, it would be advised to avoid an insulin syringe and use a regular syringe if possible."

So with that in mind, she is recommending the 22 or 25 gauge, and is giving me both to try. However, I still feel like it's probably okay to use my regular insulin syringe--BD Ultra Fine U-100,31g. But I don't want to use that if I'm wrong.

Does anyone use insulin syringes for their Solensia? Or can anyone offer input on this topic? Thanks!

Edited to add: In case this helps anyone later, I've decided to give the 1 mL of Solensia using the 25g syringe. I do think I could technically use an insulin needle, since there are no clear contraindications, but the amount of Solensia fluid is too much for a single insulin needle, so I'd have to administer more than one shot. Which would just be silly.
 
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I doubt the insulin syringes would be large enough for dosing Solensia.
30-units or 0.3 milliliters (ml), 50 units (0.5 ml), and 100 units (1 ml)

Is the vet giving you Terumo needles? They hurt less.
So does inserting the needle bevel up.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
I doubt the insulin syringes would be large enough for dosing Solensia.
30-units or 0.3 milliliters (ml), 50 units (0.5 ml), and 100 units (1 ml)

Is the vet giving you Terumo needles? They hurt less.
So does inserting the needle bevel up.
Click to expand...
Hi, thanks for your reply. I don't know if it's a Terumo needle. It didn't seem like that much liquid last time. Not nearly enough to fill a whole syringe. But admittedly I don't remember the exact dose. My vet gives me a vial with the exact dose in it, and then I just draw up everything in the vial and inject it.
 
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Depending on the weight of your cat, a Solensia dose is either 1 ml or 2 ml. An insulin syringe is not going to be big enough to hold the volume of the shot. You should be using 3 ml syringes with luer-lock needles for this one and changing the needle between drawing the shot and administering it. The vial stopper is thicker than the ones for insulin, so injecting with the same needle you used to draw the shot from the vial is going to make it more painful, and may even lead to the needle not penetrating the skin fully. It's not super-viscous, but definitely more so than water or insulin. Our Roxi is on it, and I would never use smaller than a 22g needle for it. There are heated discussions about needle gauge and shots, but 22g is the most commonly used in vet clinics. While many people always ask for the "smallest needle", you also need to be aware that studies have shown that those 25g needles can actually make a shot more painful, not less. The reason for this is that you have to push the injection with more force to get the liquid through the needle, which can actually create more trauma in the sub-q space, and therefore more pain.

Do also be aware that Solensia is not approved for at-home administration. There can be very serious consequences if you get any of it under your skin, which is why it isn't approved for giving outside of a clinic setting. Please be extremely careful when handling it, and also when handling the syringes and needles you use to give it.
 
manxcat419 said:
Depending on the weight of your cat, a Solensia dose is either 1 ml or 2 ml. An insulin syringe is not going to be big enough to hold the volume of the shot. You should be using 3 ml syringes with luer-lock needles for this one and changing the needle between drawing the shot and administering it. The vial stopper is thicker than the ones for insulin, so injecting with the same needle you used to draw the shot from the vial is going to make it more painful, and may even lead to the needle not penetrating the skin fully. It's not super-viscous, but definitely more so than water or insulin. Our Roxi is on it, and I would never use smaller than a 22g needle for it. There are heated discussions about needle gauge and shots, but 22g is the most commonly used in vet clinics. While many people always ask for the "smallest needle", you also need to be aware that studies have shown that those 25g needles can actually make a shot more painful, not less. The reason for this is that you have to push the injection with more force to get the liquid through the needle, which can actually create more trauma in the sub-q space, and therefore more pain.

Do also be aware that Solensia is not approved for at-home administration. There can be very serious consequences if you get any of it under your skin, which is why it isn't approved for giving outside of a clinic setting. Please be extremely careful when handling it, and also when handling the syringes and needles you use to give it.
Click to expand...
Hi, thanks for your detailed reply. Yes, I'm aware of the dangers of accidentally poking myself with the Solensia and had to sign a waiver to that affect. My vet's clinic approves it for at home use on a case by case basis. Since I already give insulin, and have given B-12 shots and sub q fluids, they were comfortable letting me do it.

I'm giving 1 mL of fluid, and it looks so small but now that I've gone back for a closer look at everything I see what everyone is saying. The insulin syringe can't hold the fluid. I see that now. It looks like it could but that's just a trick of the eye. Thanks for pointing that out. That alone answers my question.

Anyway, I used the 22g last time so this time I'm gonna try the 25g and see how it goes. Since the Solensia studies used both a 25g and a 22g, I'm comfortable with that. Thanks again. :)
 
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I'm late to this post as well, but I wanted to offer this information. My vet said that you can only puncture the stopper once. The jury is out with whether there is diminished efficacy with more than one puncture. You also have to give it right after it is drawn up. The manufacturer even states this. Being that it's a monoclonal antibody, it may be more sensitive to manipulation, and thus one vial shouldn't be placed in more than one syringe (I'm just guessing)? Anyway, we give it at home. My vet trusts us to do everything correctly, might be bc I'm a CVT. We use 25g needles.
 
Johann_marcel said:
I'm late to this post as well, but I wanted to offer this information. My vet said that you can only puncture the stopper once. The jury is out with whether there is diminished efficacy with more than one puncture. You also have to give it right after it is drawn up. The manufacturer even states this. Being that it's a monoclonal antibody, it may be more sensitive to manipulation, and thus one vial shouldn't be placed in more than one syringe (I'm just guessing)? Anyway, we give it at home. My vet trusts us to do everything correctly, might be bc I'm a CVT. We use 25g needles.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info! More knowledge is always better. My vet only gives me the vial with a single dose in it, so just one puncture per vial. But that's good to know for reference, as I wouldn't have thought of it. Also good to know you use the 25g needle. Thanks!
 
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