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How often do you change needles?
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<blockquote data-quote="Lucky_P" data-source="post: 1748773" data-attributes="member: 12607"><p>New needle for each animal here. No in-and-out of a bottle with a needle that's been in an animal. </p><p></p><p>OK. Here's my story, starting back around 2006... we only had ~ 40 cows at the time. Was losing at least one or two cows to lymphosarcoma every year. Wife said, "We've gotta do something about this!" I bled and tested every female on the place... 40 of 44 adult cows were BLV-positive; 1 of 4 replacement heifers was BLV positive. </p><p>I used to use the same needle 'til it got too dull to stick another cow, in and out of the bottle, over and over. As a veterinarian, I KNEW BETTER, but like so many other folks, I was lazy. I have no doubt that *I* was responsible for the high incidence of BLV and lymphosarcoma in my herd. </p><p>But, I didn't want to sell down and just start over with 7 animals, so... from that day on, no female animal - cow or heifer - that had a prayer of staying on the farm got stuck with a needle that had been in another animal. Sure... I could have continued to re-use needles on animals that I knew were already BLV-infected, but it was time to make the change in a positive way, and without changing for each animal, the likelihood that someone (ME) would slip up and stick a 'clean' animal with a 'dirty' needle. </p><p>I did, however, re-use needles on steers and heifers that I knew were destined for a feedlot... somebody would be eating them before BLV status or lymphosarcoma ever became an issue. </p><p></p><p>No in-and-out of a bottle of vaccine or medication with a needle that's been in an animal... insert a clean, sterile needle in the bottle, draw out the appropriate dose, uncouple, and put a new needle on the syringe for the injection. I will use the same needle, in some instances, for multiple injections on the same animal... say, a heifer receiving a MLV vaccine and a Clostridial bacterin... I'll give the MLV injection, then switch that needle over to the syringe containing the Clostridial bacterin. </p><p></p><p>Disposable needles are cheap. Is it a PITA to have to change needles between animals? Yeah... but it's the RIGHT THING TO DO. </p><p>If you live in an area where anaplasmosis is endemic, or have anaplasmosis in your herd, think about this... KSU researchers did a little project where they had a parasitemic cow... just on the brink of breaking with clinical anaplasmosis... they stuck a needle in her(10 times), mimicking giving injections, then stuck 10 Anaplasma-negative cows with those needles. 6 of 10 cows became infected. </p><p></p><p>If all I had were stocker/feeder animals... I might just fall back into the old use the needle 'til it's dull deal... might even invest in a pistol-grip syringe... but for a cow-calf operation... I think it's a no-no.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lucky_P, post: 1748773, member: 12607"] New needle for each animal here. No in-and-out of a bottle with a needle that's been in an animal. OK. Here's my story, starting back around 2006... we only had ~ 40 cows at the time. Was losing at least one or two cows to lymphosarcoma every year. Wife said, "We've gotta do something about this!" I bled and tested every female on the place... 40 of 44 adult cows were BLV-positive; 1 of 4 replacement heifers was BLV positive. I used to use the same needle 'til it got too dull to stick another cow, in and out of the bottle, over and over. As a veterinarian, I KNEW BETTER, but like so many other folks, I was lazy. I have no doubt that *I* was responsible for the high incidence of BLV and lymphosarcoma in my herd. But, I didn't want to sell down and just start over with 7 animals, so... from that day on, no female animal - cow or heifer - that had a prayer of staying on the farm got stuck with a needle that had been in another animal. Sure... I could have continued to re-use needles on animals that I knew were already BLV-infected, but it was time to make the change in a positive way, and without changing for each animal, the likelihood that someone (ME) would slip up and stick a 'clean' animal with a 'dirty' needle. I did, however, re-use needles on steers and heifers that I knew were destined for a feedlot... somebody would be eating them before BLV status or lymphosarcoma ever became an issue. No in-and-out of a bottle of vaccine or medication with a needle that's been in an animal... insert a clean, sterile needle in the bottle, draw out the appropriate dose, uncouple, and put a new needle on the syringe for the injection. I will use the same needle, in some instances, for multiple injections on the same animal... say, a heifer receiving a MLV vaccine and a Clostridial bacterin... I'll give the MLV injection, then switch that needle over to the syringe containing the Clostridial bacterin. Disposable needles are cheap. Is it a PITA to have to change needles between animals? Yeah... but it's the RIGHT THING TO DO. If you live in an area where anaplasmosis is endemic, or have anaplasmosis in your herd, think about this... KSU researchers did a little project where they had a parasitemic cow... just on the brink of breaking with clinical anaplasmosis... they stuck a needle in her(10 times), mimicking giving injections, then stuck 10 Anaplasma-negative cows with those needles. 6 of 10 cows became infected. If all I had were stocker/feeder animals... I might just fall back into the old use the needle 'til it's dull deal... might even invest in a pistol-grip syringe... but for a cow-calf operation... I think it's a no-no. [/QUOTE]
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