? re-use needle on ear for BG test

Good morning,

I am testing more often, probably not enough, and have started to use a new needle for each test, I had been using 1 needle for several tests, a day or 2, and now have changed to new every time, just wanting to know if you should change every test or not due to cost. I use needles not lancets, therefore the cost is more. any advice would be appreciated.

k.

 

Why do you use needles instead of lancets? If they were not making a big enough hole, you can get a bigger gauge. 25-28 - anything in that range should help.

Needles seem like they would make it very hard for you to manage the poke and might be more painful for your cat?

 

I'm thinking sometimes newbie's call lancets ... needles?
If this is the case, yes you can use them repeatedly. I did for Tom anyway. Maybe 5 or 6 times. And not for lack of lancets at all. Just becuase I could.

 

The lancet never worked for me so I have always been usin needles and for me it is so much easier. I guess it is a matter of practice. Prop has never had her ear bruised even if I tested her up to 8 times a day sometimes. And yes I use the needles again and again, but after a while they are not sharp anymore and I need to change.

Or maybe I dont know the difference betweend lancet and needles. I think that lancet is the poke thing that comes with the bg tester or am I wrong?

 

You are correct, a lancet is what comes with a bg tester.

You can reuse the needle or lancet several times for testing.

 

ummm, the lancet is not the pencil like thing you put the needle 'lancet' in. the lancet is a small, more thumb tackish looking thing. you can use it freestyle or with the pen. i go freestlye.

 

I got plain needles, 30 ga, 5/16th inch, they do stay sharp for a while, and he doesn't mind the needle as much as he hated the lancet device, the clicking noise...so I will go ahead with using needles, and change it out every few days, I keep it in a cotton ball so it doesn't get scratches, which would hurt!

thanks for all the input!

 

I would still get Lancets, they are much easier to use if you get a bigger gauge. You don't have to use the device if it doesn't work for you, you can just freehand it like you are with the needle. It will be far less costly for you in the long run, as well.

 

I agree with freehanding with a lancet as they are cheap and easier to handle.

 

The lancet device is the pen-like thing that holds the lancet and what makes the lancet poke the skin.

Example:


A lancet is the individual thumbtack-like thing that is inserted into the device. It has a needle at one end that pokes the skin. A safety cap covers the needle end up you are ready to insert the lancet into the device.

Example:


Some lancet devices don't work very well for cats. Which one did you try? Did you try all the depth settings? The device pictured above, the blue AccuChek SoftClick, works really well. The lancets that go in the SofClick are 28 guage.

Many people here just freehand the little lancet instead of using the lancet device. A box of lancets is probably cheaper than a box of needles.

 

A box of 100 needles is less than 5.00 for me, I work at a hospital and get an employee discount...so they are cheaper for me to get, and I use a 30 ga, which is a very fine needle, I only need a tiny drop, we use the Freestyle Freedom Lite, which uses .3 microsomething of blood. And the short needle works for us.

 

I put the lancet thingy in the device but only as a holder. I do it freehand.

MJ&Donovan

 

Squeem I actually now after looking at your pictures think you guys are right. The lancet looks easier to control than the needle I use. My needle is 2,5 cm long, wich is 1 inch I think. I have just gotten so used to do it that way that I didn't think there was an easier way. Thanks, I now know what to get next time I new some new ones.

 

Just for informational purposes, there is a newer lancet device that is much smoother and does not make the loud clicking noise that many cats don't like in the beginning. It costs more than regular lancets but in my opinion it works so well it's worth the cost.

It's the One Touch Delica. http://www.onetouch.com/delica

My favorite before this was the one touch regular lancet that came with the ultras and minis but the delica has been great for all my kitties, even the ones who are diet controlled and only tested monthly.