Thursday, January 15, 2009

January 15


Makeshift sharps containers on the windowsill. What do you do with a used hypodermic needle? It's not the kind of think I'd had to consider before Pogo was diagnosed as diabetic, and on the list of things to worry about when you have a diabetic dog, it's not terribly high on the list. Nonetheless, you have to do something with the things.

Of course, disposing of used needles has to be done properly. You don't want to just put them in the garbage, where trash collectors can get needlesticks, or drug users could come upon them and start rifling through your garbage looking for more. You need to have the sharps in a reasonably robust container, and you need to make sure you can dispose of them properly.

Our solution was to use soda bottles (which we have on hand in ample numbers). We periodically take them to the veterinarian's office when Pogo has appointments, and the vet disposes of the needles properly. It's really an excellent system.

In an ideal world, I wouldn't have to worry about this problem. But then I wouldn't have a wonderful canine companion like my Pogo. And that would definitely be less than ideal.

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