Pet owner Jodi Bates offers a clear explanation of how things work with U-40 insulin and syringes.

When using a U-40 syringe (along with U-40 insulin) there are:

12 units in a 3/10cc syringe (not 30)
20 units in a 1/2cc syringe (not 50
40 units in a 1cc syringe (not 100)

 
A bottle of U-40 insulin contains 40 units per cc; a bottle of U-100 insulin would contain 100 units per cc.

U-40 insulin syringes usually come with needles attached.  Needles come in standard lengths of 1/2 inch and 5/16 inch with sometimes converted to 12.7 mm and 8 mm respectively.  The next thing to know about a needle is the gauge.  Gauge is the measurement of how thick or big around the needle is.  Standard gauges are 29, 30 and 31 gauge needles.  The higher the number the smaller the needle, so a 29 gauge needle is bigger around and thicker than a 31 gauge needle.  However normally a 29 gauge needle is stiffer and less flexible than a higher gauge needle is.  Depending on how difficult it is to stick the needle in your pet you may need the thicker needle to get the job done. A U40 syringe in whatever size necessary is available to treat your pet.

How to tell if you have a Diabetic Dog

 Diabetes in dogs usually presents itself as an increased need by the dog to urinate and drink much more frequently than usual. In fact often a symptom is a housebroken dog suddenly having multiple accidents and not getting outside quickly enough.  What is happening is the high amount of sugar or glucose in the bloodstream is being leaked into the urine through the kidneys. This leakage takes water with it and the vicious cycle of excessive drinking and urinating is started.

 Another symptom of a diabetic dog is weight loss even though the dog is eating the same amount as always or even more than usual.  This happens because the action of insulin is impaired or more likely the amount of insulin produced by the animal is not enough to complete the process of moving the glucose from the blood and into the cells and tissues that need it for fuel.  Since the cells are never satiated in their need for glucose the animal’s brain keeps telling it to eat.

 Dogs that are obese are more at risk for diabetes than normal weight dogs. If you rub your dog’s side and you can’t feel the ribs, your dog needs to lose weight. Age is also a factor in developing diabetes and dogs that are older, usually 7 to 9 years old seem to develop diabetes more often than younger dogs.  Larger breeds seem to be more at risk than smaller breeds, but again if your dog is obese the breed size is not going to matter.

 Change in diet can be important to help the dog lose weight, but unlike cats once a dog develops diabetes it doesn’t seem to reverse itself with improved diet and exercise.  Diabetic dogs need to be treated with insulin to return them to good health and testing by your veterinarian will determine which type of insulin to use and how much of it to administer. Once you start injecting your dog with insulin regular testing is necessary to make sure the insulin dosage is correct and if the blood sugar levels are regulated properly. Human glucometers work well for this daily testing and are available from many different places.

 There are different types of insulin used from fast-acting to medium-acting to long-lasting and the regular testing will help tell which type works best for your dog.  Human type insulin is usually U 100 strength insulin and should be used with U 100 insulin  syringes to make dosing easier.  U 40 insulin syringes are also available for use with U 40 strength insulin and unless you like doing conversions and are comfortable with your math, make sure you use the insulin syringes that are matched to the same type of insulin you are using to treat your dog.

 Diabetic dogs can still enjoy a long life and a return to good health, but it will take a motivated owner and insulin injections to get there.

U 40 syringes were developed to be used with veterinary strengths of insulin and are predominately used as part of the treatment plan to manage diabetes in cats and dogs.

U 40 syringes are meant to only be used with U 40 insulin. Other insulin strengths are U100 and even U500 insulin.  U 40 insulin would have 40 units of insulin per mL or cc and is 40% the strength of the same volume of U100 insulin. It’s important to use the correct syringe with the same concentration of insulin to prevent overdosing your pet.

Normal doses for each injection is usually one full syringe of insulin, so you can see that if you use the incorrect insulin syringe with an incorrect insulin concentration it would be very easy to improperly medicate your pet.

Pet insulin syringes are usually one of the different sizes of U 40 insulin syringes. They commonly come in ½ ml or 1 ml sizes and are calibrated in U 40 insulin units. A U40 syringe is quite handy for injecting your pet and makes treatment of diabetes in animals easy to do at home.  It just takes a little practice to master the skill of giving injections.

The development of veterinarian strengths of insulin has allowed many pet owners to treat their pets using the pet insulin syringes and give their pets a return to health and a longer life.  Diabetes in animals is a growing problem that in previous years was handled by euthanizing the pet.

Diabetes in pets develops in the same way and for the same reasons that humans get diabetes.  Sometimes it is because the pancreas doesn’t secrete enough insulin to deal with blood sugar and other times the animal becomes insulin resistant and no matter how much insulin is secreted it is not enough to do the job of regulating blood sugar.

Veterinary insulin was developed to help manage diabetes in pets and the proper pet insulin syringe makes the job of giving injections easier.  Most pet insulin is of the U 40 insulin type, which means there are 40 units of insulin in one mL of insulin solution. Human insulin is typically of the U 100 type or 100 units of insulin per mL so unless the right syringe is used with the corresponding strength of insulin there can be issues of overdosing or even under-dosing with each injection.  It is possible to do conversions and use U 100 syringes with U 40 insulin, but the safest is to use the right pet insulin syringe that matches the insulin your veterinarian prescribed. So use a U40 syringe with U40 insulin and a U100 syringe with U100 insulin.

 Usual symptoms of cat diabetes are increased urination and increased thirst which are caused by the condition of excessive high blood sugar which leaks through the kidneys into the urine. The glucose takes water with it and the cycle of increased thirst and increased urination is on. Another symptom is neuropathy of the back legs which causes the cat to walk on its hocks instead of the back feet. This is caused by nerve damage from the high blood glucose concentration over a period of time and if not treated can cripple the cat.

 Good websites that review symptoms and treatments are www.felinediabetes.com and http://www.fabcats.org. Both are comprehensive in discussing the disease and what to do about it.

 Treatments for diabetic cats involve several things. Some veterinarians believe that change in diet alone can reverse diabetes in cats and this may be true, but it will strict adherence to the diet. Also newly diagnosed diabetic cats that aren’t in a chronic diabetic condition have a greater chance of reversing the disease. The diet change is to completely stop feeding any dry cat food and switch to canned food exclusively.  Cats were created as obligate carnivores, which means that they get all the nutrients and amino acids they require from eating protein or meat only. They don’t really need carbohydrates or grain and vegetable based food at all. Dry food relies heavily on grain or cereal as the majority of its formulation and this high carbohydrate intake over time causes high blood sugar in cats.

 This diet change also means no more table scraps or human food as it converts to glucose very quickly and only adds to the high blood sugar problem. If your cat has a sweet tooth because you allow him to eat human food, realize you are contributing to the diabetes problem and you need to change your habits to help your cat recover.

 Besides diet the other parts of treatment involve increased exercise for the animal and more than likely using insulin syringes to give insulin injections and glucose monitoring. Glucose monitoring is done by taking a blood drop from the cat’s ear and testing it with glucose strips and a glucose meter. Insulin injections are given in the scruff of the cat and are usually done with U40 insulin syringes and U40 strength insulin. Your veterinarian will determine how much insulin to give in each injection and how often your cat will need injections. Regular glucose monitoring will determine the efficacy of the treatment and what changes, if any, need to be made.

 Changes in diet, glucose monitoring, U40 insulin injections with a U40 syringe and increased exercise can all happen at home and be structured by you the owner to fit the best schedule for your cat. Taking the responsibility to treat your cat yourself will reduce the cost of treatment and allow your cat to regain health and live out the rest of its nine lives.

 Injections should be given just under the skin which is known as subcutaneously. It is recommended to give the injections just to one side or the other of the middle of the back from somewhere just behind the shoulders to just in front of the hips.  You should also vary each time from side to side to even out the injection sites.

 Holding the U-40 insulin syringe in one hand, with your other hand pinch up a fold of skin and stick the needle into the middle of the fold, being careful not poke yourself. Then push the syringe plunger all the way in to push the insulin into your pet. When the syringe is empty, carefully remove the needle from your pet and dispose of it in a safe place.

 While the first few times will be nerve racking for you and your dog practice with the insulin syringes will soon make it second nature for both of you.

Diets high in carbohydrates and plant-based protein provide less than optimal metabolic benefits for your cat.  Do your cat a favor. Feed it meat. Avoid needing a U40 syringe and insulin for treating your cat.

The U 40 insulin syringe makes it easier to give the correct dose because it is calibrated specifically for U 40 insulin and a common dose is one full syringe of insulin. Only having to fill the syringe and not fill to a certain mark or do some type of math conversion makes the dosing a lot easier.  Some pets only need one insulin injection a day and other s will require two injections spaced out during the day.  Your veterinarian will determine a plan of treatment and adjust things from there depending on  how your pet responds to the initial injection schedule.

Hang in there, it might be nerve-wracking at first, but with the proper knowledge and instruction you can master use of a U40 syringe and be sure you are treating your pet correctly.

 Among the most popular syringes is the one made by Ulticare. They also have a UltiGuard Dispense & Dispose Container much like the sharps container you see in your doctor’s office for storing the used needles.

 Diabetes in pets is on the rise for many of the same reasons that humans get this disease.  A diet that resembles their masters’ and a lack of exercise.  Use these U40 insulin syringes to help your pet regain their health.

 Diabetes in animals occurs for the same reasons that it does in humans, not enough insulin in the blood to move the glucose to tissues needing it for energy.  It is diagnosed by your Veterinarian doing a blood and urine test to determine the glucose or sugar level in your pet.  Elevated glucose levels, along with other symptoms are an indication of a problem. Animals with diabetes exhibit symptoms of excessive thrist and urination, always seem to be hungry, but are losing weight.

 Treating your pet with insulin will not cure the diabetes, but can control or eliminate some of the complications of the disease and allow your pet to resume their previous happy lives.

 Your Veterinarian will prescribe the correct dosage of insulin for your pet.  The Vetsulin website (www.vetsulin.com) strongly recommends using only U 40 insulin syringes to administer vetsulin to your pet.  The website says that “Doses of insulin are measured in units. U-40 insulin contains 40 units/mL (1 mL = 1 cc). Use vetsulin^® with U-40 syringes only. Use of a syringe other than a U-40 syringe will result in incorrect dosing.”