Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 19:08:24 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]We had this out last year I think. I just have to say it seems quite wrong to stick a needle into a dog that you've already stuck into the rubber stoppers of a bottle or two. [/quote] I've also had some problems with vaccines in pre-loaded syringes surely no-one swaps needles with those before use?

[/quote]

Ah no, I've had no problems with those (but my experience is confined to the Fevaxyns) , in fact I rather like those all-metal needles.

[/quote] It is Fevaxyn I use!

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Wren — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:13:32 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Ah no, I've had no problems with those (but my experience is confined to the Fevaxyns) , in fact I rather like those all-metal needles.

[/quote]

I could never get the blooming caps off them!

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Wren — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:13:28 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Ah no, I've had no problems with those (but my experience is confined to the Fevaxyns) , in fact I rather like those all-metal needles.

[/quote]

I could never get the blooming caps off them!

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:08:42 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[/quote]

Ah no, I've had no problems with those (but my experience is confined to the Fevaxyns) , in fact I rather like those all-metal needles.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 11:05:09 GMT

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Rob Loxley — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 23:03:54 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Slightly off topic but how many dodgy hypodermic needles do people find with free syringes provided with vaccines?[/quote]

Never had any problems with the Nobivac ones

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 20:23:12 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]2.8p![/quote]

1.9p from IMS.

of 5.2p the cheapest from HS at list price.

Most practices spend thousands of pounds per year on consumables, we have more than halved that cost.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Rob Loxley — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:32:12 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]What is the actual cost of a needle[/quote]

2.8p!

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Clive Ansell — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:21:27 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

And yes, I know all about the farmer who owns one needle and sharpens it once a year. Been there.

[/quote]

Add to that list the vets and the low cost clinics that reuse needle, syringes and scalpel blades too. More than once I've seen 2 syringes one full of metacam and one of amox LA and a little squirted into each of a line of 5-6 cats.

What is the actual cost of a needle, and what is the difference between good ones and cheap ones?

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:08:44 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

[quote user="CatherineThomas"]I never use the needles on the free syringes to inject, I swap to a fresh needle after drawing it up. Then the needle is always sharp and very few animals react to the needle going in, which makes the clients much happier.[/quote]

Doesn't everybody do that?

[/quote]

No, and I honestly cannot remember a single animal reacting to a vacc. Important to take a firm pinch of skin.

[/quote]

We had this out last year I think. I just have to say it seems quite wrong to stick a needle into a dog that you've already stuck into the rubber stoppers of a bottle or two.

And yes, I know all about the farmer who owns one needle and sharpens it once a year. Been there.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:57:02 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Doesn't everybody do that?

[/quote]

No, and I honestly cannot remember a single animal reacting to a vacc. Important to take a firm pinch of skin.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Rob Loxley — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:59:58 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

[quote user="robloxley"]For the others e.g. IV catheters, nobody liked the Troges ones so we've gone for the Terumo ones which are still somewhat cheaper than we were paying for Jelco or Abbott.[/quote]

I'd rather buy what seems best than penny-pinch over the price.

[/quote]

Indeed; if we can buy Terumo ones on next-morning delivery from our wholesaler at the same price as some off-brand ones, then no question. It's just staggering quite how much markup the vet wholesalers put on consumables and human 'generic' drugs, though HS seem open to negotiation.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:47:52 GMT

Doesn't everybody do that?

I'd rather buy what seems best than penny-pinch over the price.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

CatherineThomas — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:19:40 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

Slightly off topic but how many dodgy hypodermic needles do people find with free syringes provided with vaccines? I invariably find one or two from a box of Pfizer (sorry Zoetis) syringes snag as they go through the skin. Apart from rubbing the tip across ones finger I don't know how you would tell this before you injected and of course that would break sterility. They are not branded other than with the Pfizer logo.

[/quote]

I never use the needles on the free syringes to inject, I swap to a fresh needle after drawing it up. Then the needle is always sharp and very few animals react to the needle going in, which makes the clients much happier.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:57:29 GMT

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Rob Loxley — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:44:37 GMT

Get your normal wholesaler to price match IMS - ours have matched 80% of their items.
For the others e.g. IV catheters, nobody liked the Troges ones so we've gone for the Terumo ones which are still somewhat cheaper than we were paying for Jelco or Abbott.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Anthony Dennison — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:21:10 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"] Just bought 150 IV cannulae in the 18/20/22G so I hope they are OK. Less than half the price of any others.[/quote]

Our head nurse did the same thing, switched on to the Tro-Can catheters as we could get them cheaper when buying everything from IMS. False economy; compared to the ones we were using before they were inferior. Hard to thread the cannula off the stylet, the cannulae would often burr the tip on entry, the bung wouls often stick and be impossible to get off (especially the 18G). Most vets were using at least twice the numbers they used to, so we switched back to our previous make (Versatus) as soon as they became cheaper.

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Laurence Webb — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 23:27:30 GMT

We have 3 different gauges of needles and have found bluntness to be a problem with all of them. The one that snapped was a green one. Their syringes seem OK though. We haven't brought it up with IMS - may do so if I get a spare few minutes. I doubt we'll try the needles again even if it is a batch problem. Once bitten twice shy...

Re: Tro-Can needles - a false economy!

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 23:02:18 GMT

Gosh. We have used some and found them absolutely fine. Just bought 150 IV cannulae in the 18/20/22G so I hope they are OK. Less than half the price of any others.

Have you spoken to IMS? They are usually really good with any problems. Maybe you got a bad batch?

Their disposable drapes are fantastic.