I buy moderately cheap one time use needles. SureComfort U-100 Insulin Syringes – 29 gauge – 3/10cc 1/2 inch – Box of 100 for $12 at http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.com. I really didn’t see the difference between the human needles and the ones labeled for pets. That are an extra $4+.
The needles work just the same and a u-100 needle is a u-100 needle.
But the thing to remember is that one time use needles are just that. One time use and nothing else. Some people reuse needles (because they are cheap). Every time you use a needle, the needle itself shrinks and begins to degrade. It will flake metal. So every time you stick your dog with the needle small shards of metal from the needle will flake off into your dog. Not to mention the needle becomes dull, the edge might become bent.
I won’t even get start on the possibility of infection you could cause your dog by reusing needles. So stop being a cheap ass and buy needles.
But just to scare you a bit here is a picture of how a needle degrades with use.
100 needles last 50 days. If you buy ten boxes of 100 needles that 1000 needles for $115 or so, that will last 500 days. That’s 11.5 cents a needle. Pretty cheap if you ask me.
Using 30 or 31g needles are much thinner and will help with painless injections (the higher the number the thinner the needle).
Walmart sells their ReliOn brand, a popular size for our dogs being 0.3cc, 5/16ths short needle, WITH half unit marks on the barrel which helps with dosing in fractions….a box of 100 is only $12.58