Doing injections right with detectable needles

January 21, 2008

New products offer top quality and help eliminate problems arising from broken or lost needles.

If use of a detectable needle allows a veterinarian to find a broken needle and saves an animal as a result, the cost of purchasing the needle quickly becomes very minor.

Today's cattlemen know that delivering proper medical injections to their animals is about more than just administering product to protect health and support productivity.

It's about upholding Canada's reputation for food safety – a reputation that has never been more important to the success of Canada's beef industry and the profitability of individual beef producers.

One of the greatest threats to that reputation is broken or lost needles. But with new, high quality detectable needles on the market, that is a threat that can be, and should be, eliminated, say a growing number of cattle producers.

Two key makers of detectable needles for the Canadian cattle industry are Rivard Instruments and Neogen. Both companies market a range of high quality detectable needles, designed to meet the needs of cattle producers and available through animal health marketing channels.

Producers can tell detectable needles apart from traditional needles by looking for the word "detectable" on product packages.

In addition, detectable needles marketed by Neogen have a large "D" on the brass plated hub, listed along with the gauge size, says Jonathon Craig, Canadian Territory Manager for Neogen. "For example, a 16 gauge detectable needle will say '16-D' on the hub and an 18 gauge detectable needle will say '18-D'."

Detectable needles marketed by Rivard Instruments are close in looks to traditional needles, but producers storing both traditional and detectable needles out of the original product boxes can identify the detectable needles by wording included on individual needle cartridges. The cartridge will have the make on it, which will let producers know whether it's a detectable needle.

New detectable needles

The new detectable needles offer several advantages:

Highly detectable. Regular needles can go undetected in the packing plant. But detectable needles are made of a type of steel that can be easily identified by metal detectors at the plant.

All needles are made of stainless steel. But traditional needles are made of a type of stainless steel that has a very low detectability rating. As a result, traditional needles may go undetected.

By contrast, high quality detectable needles are made of a type of steel that has a high detectability rating. These needles are readily detected by the machines used in packing plants.

Detectable needles also allow veterinarians to find lost or broken needles using detectors.

"Detectable needles represent a significant advancement in safe meat production," says Craig. "When combined with other high quality needle features, such as durability and delivery accuracy, they help not only prevent broken needle problems but also prevent residues in meat."

Broad variety. With advances in detectable needle development, cattle producers can now choose detectable needle options for all of their needs.

Strength and sharpness. New detectable needles also give up nothing in terms of strength and sharpness.

Some products also come with related enhanced features, which actually help reduce the risk of breaking or losing the needle in the first place.

Detectable needles can eliminate broken needle concerns and save big dollars over the long run.

"Producers can trust today's detectable needles to deliver," says Craig. One type of early commercial detectable needle had some problems with breaking at the hub but the new detectable needles on the market today do not have that problem.

Economical.

The retail cost of a detectable needle is comparable to the cost of a non-detectable needle, but detectable needles can pay for themselves hundreds of times over when producers consider the costs saved related to better injections and the reduction of problems associated with broken or lost needles.

For example, if use of a detectable needle allows a veterinarian to find a broken needle and saves an animal as a result, the initial cost of purchasing the detectable needle quickly becomes a very minor cost. Likewise, if use of a detectable needle prevents a broken needle from getting into the food supply, it can save untold costs related to the damage those instances can inflict on Canada's food safety reputation.

Widely available. Detectable needles are now widely available, either in stock or by order, wherever animal health supplies are sold. Producers can also get more information on the Web.

"If your vet or ag supply store doesn't stock detectable needles, ask for them," says Craig. "That may be all that is required to get a supply and get in on the advantages of detectable needles."

More information on detectable needles is available by contacting the commercial suppliers: Rivard Instruments at www.rivardinstruments.com, phone (204) 837-4435 or email: or Neogen at www.neogen.com/d3.htm, phone 1-800-525-2022 or email .

Key steps to prevent broken needles

The use of detectable needle technology is just one of several important practices producers can adopt to prevent broken needles from making it into the food chain, says Terry Grajczyk, national program manager for the Verified Beef Production (VBP) program.

The VBP program is a grass-roots driven, industry-led program designed to assist producers with providing assurances of good on-farm food safety practices. This helps to uphold consumer confidence in the products and practices of Canada's beef producers. "In addition to using detectable needles, following responsible practices when delivering medical injections is important to avoid problems and get the best results," says Grajczyk.

Producers can ensure standard procedures by following standard operating procedures (SOPs) included in the VBP program, which are designed to reduce or eliminate the possibility of a food safety concern on a beef cattle operation.

Procedures for medical injections are included in the VBP program's SOP for animal health management. This SOP as well as other information on the program is available on the Web at www.verifiedbeef.org.

Responsible practices by producers can reduce or eliminate the possibility of a food safety concern.