Sometimes it can be confusing to figure out which syringe should be purchased to use for injecting your pet. What do cc and mL and all the other markings mean? Well cc stands for cubic centimeter and is a measure of volume. mL stands for milliliter and is also a measure of volume. And amazingly enough, just to confuse things, 1 cc equals 1 mL. So when using U-100 insulin a syringe that is labeled 3/10 and either cc or mL means that it will hold 30 units of insulin and is 30% the volume of 1mL or 1 cc. An insulin syringe that is labeled 1/2 cc or mL will hold 50 units of insulin and is one half cc or mL in volume. The last common syringe size is 1mL or cc and this syringe will hold 100 units of insulin and holds 1mL or cc of volume.
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UltiGuard UltiCare U-40 Pet Insulin Syringes 29G 3/10cc 1/2″ 100/bx |
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UltiCare Vet Rx U-40 Insulin Syringes – 29 Gauge 1/2cc 1/2inch (12.7 mm) needle, 100 Single use syringes (10 packs). |
Find More U40 Pet Insulin Syringes Here
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.