Safety Lancets for Your Diabetic Dog

We have looked at most of the other pieces of “equipment” that we use for our pups so today it is the safety lancet’s turn.  We are all familiar with regular lancets that come with our meter kits, but there is another (some say better) option.  The safety lancet…

Pictured below is the lancing device that we are all familiar with.  It’s the one that came with the meter.  It has various depth settings, yet often I see questions or comments that it just won’t go deep enough to get a good blood drop.

Now, let’s look at the safety lancet (pictured below). This is a one-time use lancing device that is, in my opinion, easier to use than any lancing device that I’ve ever tried.

I know that it looks a lot different than the others, but it couldn’t be more user friendly.  You just gently twist the white top off of the little device, press that end against the skin firmly and it fires all by itself.  Easy as that!

Here is a comparison of blood drops between the traditional lancing device set on maximum depth (blood drop on the left) and the safety lancet (21 gauge) which is the blood drop on the right in the picture below.  You'll notice that there is a significant difference between the two. 

Depending where on your pup’s body you test, you may not need the 21-gauge safety lancet.  I tested on the inside of the upper lip and the 28 gauge would work beautifully there.  Now if you test on a shaved spot on or around the tail area, you’ll likely want one of the lower gauge safety lancets.

The safety lancets come in the following gauges.  28-gauge, 23-gauge, 21-gauge.  Here is where I remind you that the lower the number on the gauge, the fatter the point on the lancet.  So, if your pup is thick skinned, you’ll want the 21-gauge safety lancet.  Some of you may remember the blog post about deciphering the numbers on the outside of a syringe box, and the lancet gauges are covered there also.You can find that blog post here: https://shoppettest.com/blog/syringes-for-beginners/

No matter where you test your pup, I will remind you here that a well hydrated pup is much less stingy with their blood!  Keeping your pup well hydrated has many benefits, easier testing just happens to be one of them.

Also remember to use ILOVEPETTEST at checkout for you discount when purchasing from the PetTest site!

Notice that for most of the products or groups that I mention, the text is linked to a website that you can purchase that item or a link to join the group mentioned. Just click on the colored text (red or blue, depending what device you are on) and it should take you right to the item or group. If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics that you’d like to see covered here, please feel free to comment below or send me an email at NancyForPetTest@PharmaSupply.com. As always, please “like” this blog post or any of the others that have helped you or just refreshed your memory. Look for new posts every Tuesday!

Until next time…