# Disposal of insulin syringes



## Polly G (Apr 30, 2013)

How do people on here who have diabetic animals dispose of their syringes and how much do you pay please?


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Polly G said:


> How do people on here who have diabetic animals dispose of their syringes and how much do you pay please?


Its a few years since my diabetic cat was PTS but I used to take the used syringes back to the vets for disposal.I believe they provide a "sharps" container now which you have to buy from them and take in for disposal once it is full,sorry don't know the cost but I imagine like all things vet related the cost will vary.


----------



## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Yes, take them back to your vets. They will dispose of anything like this or old medication.


----------



## Psygon (Apr 24, 2013)

We always just took them to the vet and they disposed of them free of charge...


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Polly G said:


> How do people on here who have diabetic animals dispose of their syringes and how much do you pay please?


When I was in the vets the other day there was a lady who had come to pick up her dog or cats not sure which diabetic medication, and she handed over a sharps container with the used syringes, presumeably the vets supplied the container and then disposed of the returned syringes that she returned to them.


----------



## Polly G (Apr 30, 2013)

My vets will dispose of them but they charge £8 per batch, which I thought seemed a bit pricey.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Polly G said:


> My vets will dispose of them but they charge £8 per batch, which I thought seemed a bit pricey.


Not sure if my vets charge, but if you are buying all the meds and equipment from them then its a bit off, as vets have to do their own sharps disposal anyway, they must get through huge amounts of syringes and needles themselves that they use within the course of a normal working day and week.


----------



## CatAttack (Nov 7, 2012)

Most people just throw them down the drains in the road.


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Polly G said:


> My vets will dispose of them but they charge £8 per batch, which I thought seemed a bit pricey.


That's what I thought,it was free when my cat was still around but I heard later that they had changed the way they dealt with disposal.


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

CatAttack said:


> Most people just throw them down the drains in the road.


----------



## MCWillow (Aug 26, 2011)

CatAttack said:


> Most people just throw them down the drains in the road.


I hope they dont get into the waterways - they might harm the wildlife.....


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

MCWillow said:


> I hope they dont get into the waterways - they might harm the wildlife.....


:thumbup: :thumbup: :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

I was given a sharps disposal container, like a plastic vase with a top on. There's a hole in the top which you can close after you have used it. Also, a neighbour of mine who was diabetic gave me some little gadgets for chopping the points off them before you bin them (so then they are not really 'sharps ' any more but stops you stabbing yourself). It actually looks like a little stapler, has a tiny hole in the side, stick in the point and click. Think they are then meant to be incinerated.


----------



## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

CatAttack said:


> Most people just throw them down the drains in the road.


Ah, so that's what you junkies do :rolleyes5:

BTW, your ice cream cone melted a long time ago but still has a familiar odor. - kind of reminds me of old rotten garbage. :dita:


----------



## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

CatAttack said:


> Most people just throw them down the drains in the road.


FGS, what planet are you on?


----------



## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

dougal22 said:


> FGS, what planet *are* you on?


Ahem...._were _on:


----------



## Elizabeth and Bertie (Oct 5, 2012)

I take Bert's syringes to the vet to be disposed of there, but it always seems pricey to me. It has been much cheaper though now that I snap the needle part off the syringe and put just that part in the sharps bin. I dispose of the syringe barrel in normal rubbish.

I do know of someone though who takes her cat's insulin syringes to Boots to be disposed of under their 'needle exchange scheme' (intended for drug users). They were apparently fine about disposing of her syringes and even gave her new ones in their place! :001_huh:


----------



## maxandskye (Jan 31, 2009)

CatAttack said:


> Most people just throw them down the drains in the road.


WHATttttt ?


----------



## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

Our vet takes them back - he didn't charge, but he's just retired and has sold the practice to a chain so I don't know if they will charge or not as we've not taken once back since the takeover.

If the new vet does charge, I'll probably have a word with the pharmacist at work and ask if I can put them with the sharps bins the drug users bring back for disposal.


----------



## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

CatAttack said:


> Most people just throw them down the drains in the road.


   You are joking, right?


----------



## CatAttack (Nov 7, 2012)

Toby Tyler said:


> Ah, so that's what you junkies do :rolleyes5:
> 
> BTW, your ice cream cone melted a long time ago but still has a familiar odor. - kind of reminds me of old rotten garbage. :dita:





dougal22 said:


> FGS, what planet are you on?





maxandskye said:


> WHATttttt ?





Spellweaver said:


> You are joking, right?


Have you ever looked down drains in inner city areas?


----------



## Jenny1966 (Feb 7, 2011)

So that makes it ok to do then?? 


You really are something else ......


----------



## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

CatAttack said:


> Have you ever looked down drains in inner city areas?


According to you, you live in the middle of nowhere, not in a city.

Methinks you talk out of your back passage 

ps - even if drains do contain used syringes, it doesn't make it right.


----------



## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

CatAttack said:


> Have you ever looked down drains in inner city areas?


No, I can most definitely assure you that peering down drains is not something of which I make a habit - even though I work two nights a week in an inner city area where one of my jobs is dispensing to addicts 

Just because some drug users dispose of their needles and syringes irresponsibly is no reason to advocate on an open pet forum that the owners of diabetic pets should do the same.


----------



## CatAttack (Nov 7, 2012)

dougal22 said:


> According to you, you live in the middle of nowhere, not in a city.


I never said that I do live in a city. I've been to cities though :/



Spellweaver said:


> No, I can most definitely assure you that peering down drains is not something of which I make a habit - even though I work two nights a week in an inner city area where one of my jobs is dispensing to addicts
> 
> Just because some drug users dispose of their needles and syringes irresponsibly is no reason to advocate on an open pet forum that the owners of diabetic pets should do the same.


I'm not advocating it. I posted an observation, not a recommendation.


----------



## Severus (Nov 6, 2011)

Our practice chages around £8 for disposal of the mini sharps bin, because that's what the company charges us to take it away and incinerate.


----------



## Polly G (Apr 30, 2013)

Thanks Severus - I thought initially that it seemed expensive but I guess that is the going rate.


----------

