I have to give insulin shots twice a day to my diabetic dog. The needles are really small and the vet said to use a new one for each shot. The box for the syringes says to not re-use them because they could lose their sharpness after one use, causing discomfort for the patient. I just have to sort of pinch up the skin over his shoulder and poke the needle in – I don’t have to find a vein or anything precise and the needle is so small there’s not even any bleeding.
So, is this a load of crap about not using the syringes more than once? I cannot see how after one time it wouldn’t be sharp enough for an under-the-skin shot. Is there much of an infection risk?
BTW, a month’s supply costs about $30. I’m partly cheap but I also don’t like to waste anything or get ripped off.
Well, I’m catsitting right now, and I have to give the cat an insulin shot twice a day. The owners use one needle a day. The cat doesn’t seem to mind in the evenings when I use the needle a second time. That should double the use of your syringes there…
I take insulin 5 times a day, once with a syringe and 4 times with a Novo pen. They both have about the same size needle. I usually don’t reuse mine because it does tend to hurt more on the second and subsequent uses; however, the first one tends to hurt, too, so when I run low and begin to reuse them whilst waiting for my prescription to be refilled, it’s not that big a difference. I’ve never had an infection at the injection sites, and I don’t sterilize the needles or my skin or anything.
I’d guess that your dog will let you know when it’s time to switch to a new needle.
Yeesh Kabeesh!
If you’re willing to go to the time, trouble and effort to give your dog (whom you obviously love very much, or else why would you do it?!) insulin shots twice a day, then don’t be so petty as to worry about whether the cost of the sharps is $15 or $30 per month.
(btw, I’m NOT flaming you, just hoping that you’ll see where I’m going with this)
He’s your friend! He counts on you!
To me, it’s worth the extra money to potentially NOT cause my friend discomfort or the risk of infection. Not to mention, the extra time and effort and EXPENSE you’d have to endure to insure that the needle that you use a second time was properly sterilized.
Grizz - according to Ethilrist the needles don’t need to be sterilized (or maybe the risk of infection is small).
I’ll probably continue using two per day, but I really wonder if that’s necessary. I’m suspicious that the syringe company is saying to use it just once for the same reason the shampoo’s direction is LATHER - RINSE - REPEAT when we know our hair isn’t going to get cleaner the second time.
The syringe company is not trying to steal your money. They are telling you the truth about the needles losing their sharpness even after only one use. Remember that these types of things are designed with humans in mind, and if you were a human diabetic and had to poke yourself multiple times a day (diabetics not only have to give themselves shots, but have to draw blood drops from themselves to measure their blood sugar as well), I’m sure you’d appreciate having to go through as little pain as possible. The company is trying to help by letting you know it is going to hurt more if you reuse the things.
Your vet has told you to use a fresh needle every time because it is proper aseptic technique, designed to reduce the incidence of infection.
So that’s two good reasons for following the instructions you’ve been given. I’m sure you’d feel bad if it did hurt your dog more, or if you did cause an infection, even if the chance of it is not great. If you want to spend less money, try shopping around for a place where you can get the needles cheaper. Wal-Marts usually have pharmacies, and their prices are pretty good.
(Disclosure: I am both a dog-lover and a staff member at a university school of public health, and therefore am biased towards compliance with medical instructions )
I’m a diabetic and I take insulin twice a day. I have, on occasion, run out of fresh needles and re-used a needle. I can tell a slight difference. I’m more concerned about infection, because diabetics generally have poor circulation and are notorious for healing slowly*. I’ve had several nasty bouts of abcesses and cellulitis** already, and I’m not really that anxious to go through THAT again, so I take pains to avoid risk factors, even such small risks as re-using needles.
*If you’ve noticed that you don’t heal as quickly as you used to, check for other diabetic warning signs:
What are the warning signs?
Type 1
sudden onset
frequent urination accompanied by unusual thirst
extreme hunger
rapid weight loss with easy tiring, weakness,and fatigue
irritability, nausea, and vomiting
Type 2
onset often gradual and undramatic
slow healing infections
tingling and numbness in legs, feet, or fingers
drowsiness and fatigue
sometimes thirst and increased urination.
I give my cat insulin shots once per day. The vet (a diabetic himself who now uses a pump) told me I can use the needles 2 or 3 times to save money. I pay $25 for a box of 100 needles so my cost is about $91 per year without reuse - so I use them once, thinking they may be more comfortable and this might avoid an infection.
My cat needs 1.5 units per day so a vial lasts over a year. The idea of passing bacteria into the vial and keeping it so long also bothers me.
Insulin expires one month after the vial is first used; then it begins to lose its potency. If I were you, Napier, I’d double check with the vet to see if it’s okay to use the same vial so long. Your kitty might be better off with slightly duller needles and fresher insulin.
I’m missing something here. You say, “a month’s supply [sufficient for about 61 injections] costs about $30. I’m partly cheap but I also don’t like to waste anything or get ripped off.” That’s about $0.50 for each needle or needle/syringe combination. Isn’t that a lot? I’m not a vet but have vaccinated a few dogs and I used needles designed for humans and that seemed to work just fine. What size syringes and needles do you use? I found one vendor (not known for low prices) who sells a box of 100 insulin syringes with needle (1/2cc 27gx1/2) for $15.39 (or less if you order in volume). That should work out to <$10/month. Why are your needles so expensive?
Speaking from the perspective of an ex-intraveinous illegal drug user I will admit that the needle does get dull after one or two injections. Many of the pock marcks that you see on the arms of i.v. drug users are caused, in part, by dull and bacteria laden needles. The other part being the ill reaction to the assorted substances cut into the drugs.
To be safe, I would not inject the dog more than three or four times without sterilizing the needles, of course, after a while it will be like a doberma n trying to “do it” with a mini toy poodle.
Hospital policy (at least where I worked) was to discard refrigerated insulin one month after the vial was first used. We always refrigerated insulin, and the home health agency I worked for always told patients to keep their insulin in the fridge.
I read this in the May, 2001 issue of RN Magazine (page 93): “According to the latest American Diabetes Association guidelines, neither opened nor unopened vials of insulin should be refrigerated. Temperatures below 36F can cause a loss of potency, as well as clumping, frosting, precipitation, or a change of color…
Keep in mind, though, that a vial that’s been opened and stored at room temperature loses its potency after 30 days…”
This is apparently taken directly from the ADA 2001 position statement. <shrug>
I use my needles twice, and have for … 20 years almost? I’ve never had any problems with them. Of course, when I was much poorer I used them 5 or 6 times, or more. I had to push so hard to force the needle through my skin that the pressure hurt. One reason (I guess) my legs have so many problems.
<shrug> is right, Holly. I’ve seen cites in the pharmacology literature stating that if stored between 40-50 degrees, insulin is good with no loss of potency, opened, for over 6 months. But the drug companies all say discard after 1 month. What’s the right thing to do? I store mine in a temperature controlled fridge, and if I’m behaving myself, my Humalog can last 3 months before I use it up. NPH goes out at a steady rate, of course. But I’m not gonna throw out Humalog after a month, that’s a $25 co-pay!
Personally, I suspect the pharmaceutical companies err on the side of caution (and profit) but I have no cite for that opinion. I tell my patients that if they’re not changing their meds or lifestyle, and their glucoses are not behaving normally, then consider the insulin might be too old.
Maybe KarlGauss, the board’s endocrinologist, has an opinion.
This makes sense to me. I do think that using the same vial for an entire year is much too long. A question to those who give insulin to their pets: do you check their blood glucose? (What’s the normal blood glucose for a dog or cat, anyway?)
One more remark about the syringes: I have one patient who gets two different types of insulin, which I mix in one syringe. This involves injecting air into one vial, drawing up the insulin from the other vial, then drawing up the insulin from the first vial. So, before the needle touches his skin, I’ve poked the needle through the top of a vial three times instead of the usual one. The needle is still sharp enough to not hurt him.
My opinion, therefore, is that reusing a needle once won’t make much difference as far as comfort goes. The risk of infection is another subject.
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