Syringes with Needles for B12 Injections

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Casey Warner

Casey Warner

Member Since 2018
Can someone tell me where I can get the 1cc syringes with needles for B12 injections? I've looked at some online stores, but I would like to have recommendations. It may be that a particular brand is better or worse than another. Or maybe a particular pharmacy is really slow to ship items out. Ideally, I was hoping to get the B12 and the syringes at the same place, but that's becoming problematic.

Also, are these syringes sometimes called Tuberculin syringes? I just want to make sure those are ok to use. The name is so weird that I wasn't sure.

And lastly, since we're on the topic of syringes, does anyone know where I can find 10cc oral syringes with an o-ring and slip tip (or very similar)? I did find a few places that have them, but would still like recommendations. I hate wasting money on something that appears to work and then turns out to be crappy.
 
I have no idea. My guess would be to start calling drug stores or maybe google??? Good luck in finding what you need and this post will bring your thread to the top of more eyes ;)
 
I thought about using an insulin syringe, they're certainly cheaper than anything else I've found. I haven't gotten the dosing info from the vet yet. I did find several conversion charts though, so at least I don't have to worry about that.

Interestingly, a lot of these online pharmacies have questionable websites. There was this one that had to be a mistake because it showed one syringe with a needle for $21.99. It didn't indicate that this was a box of 100 either. There was another site that had a 1cc syringe with needle, but the picture had markings up to 16. The product page indicates the syringe was marked in tenths of 1cc, so I can't figure out what the 16 is. Wrong picture?

It's also a shame that a vet clinic isn't willing to negotiate prices. I can go online and buy an individual syringe w/needle for about $0.12, yet the vet wants to charge over $0.50 each. I offer to split the difference and pay $0.25 and they aren't willing. So they'd rather make no profit than to make some profit. Strange business strategy.
 
You don't want to give B12 in pills? Vets used to tell me that the absorption when giving vitamins in pills is way worse, then when giving in injections, which turned out to be complete BS.
I think the deal was as usual - money. To buy injected B12 from them and not from somewhere else.
My kitty had very low levels of B12 and B9 (folate). I bought B12 and B9 from Sunday Naturals. They have B12 in 500ug pills and B9 in 400ug pills. For few months I simple added half of each pill every other day to his food. And after few weeks the levels were perfectly fine and I saved him the painful injections. Also the B12 from Sunday Naturals is a natural form of B12, which is Methylcobalamin. The injectable one comes usually as the Cyanocobalamin which is a synthetic form of Vitamin B12.
 
You didn’t mention the medical issue for which you’re supplementing or the dosage needed, but for GI issues, the standard B12 cyanocobalamin dose for cats is 250 micrograms (typically shown as 250ug or 250mcg).

Injectable cyanocobalamin is available in 1000mcg/ml strength, which conveniently is the 25 mark on a 3/10cc insulin syringe. (Using a different strength would obviously require drawing to a different mark on the syringe.)

I had several cats over the years who needed B12 supplementation and, like Larry, I too always used insulin syringes for the injections. Given the GI issues the cats were experiencing, injections ensured the cats received the full dose. Oral supplementation ran the risk of being vomited up or not fully digested. The insulin syringe needles are so thin that the cats hardly noticed the injections.

Methylcobalamin, a different form of B12, is commonly used for neuropathy in diabetic cats.

Cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin are different forms of B12 and each works better for certain conditions; the choice of which to use depends on the condition you’re treating.

I’ve purchased non-insulin syringes and needles multiple places, including jefferspet.com (they have a pretty good variety).
 
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Also, if you are giving B12 for neuropathy, it needs to be methyl B12 and as far as I know, does not come in an injectable form. Many members give their cats Zobaline or Vitacost brands of methyl B12 which are ordered online.
 
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