Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just to report on a really cool piece of advice from a herp veterinarian, Dale DeNardo, who wrote the chapter Reproductive Biology in Doug Mader's book, Reptile Medicine and Surgery...the author strongly endorses the use of straightened plastic-tipped bobby pins as "the best probes because they are inexpensive and disposable after a single use". "This", he continues, "eliminates the possibility of transferring microorganisms between individuals."

I gotta tell 'ya...I'm hooked on using these for good. There is no need for me to go out and buy another set of stainless steel probes (mine have been missing since we moved from Texas to Utah).
For you veterinary professionals, keep a jar of these handy next to your cotton balls, Q-Tips®, and tongue depressors. No more washing them everyday. No more sticking them in the autoclave to be sterilized. Can you imagine the time and money you'll save?! "Single use and disposable" supplies are worth their weight in gold to a vet clinic (especially when they're inexpensive).
The same to you folks who own large numbers of snakes or varanids; I'd urge you to keep a supply of these on your work counter.

DR
Suboc.com

I'm not really a fan of creating more waste than is necessary. I"m thankfull the vet world hasn't gone super crazy like the human world; only stopping short of disposeable ambulances

Stainless steel is so easy to clean and disinfect, my honest opinion is that switching to disposeables is an uneccessary precaution. I don't think there would be any money to save either. A quick spray with quatsyl, let it sit for 10 minutes, or using a cold sterile solution, or throw the set in unwrapped when autoclaving other routine stuff. Protocol will vary depending on the amount of use, and the DVM's/AHT's opinion.

Very good book though, I recommend it to everyone, in the vet field or not.

Ian

>>I'm not really a fan of creating more waste than is necessary. I"m thankfull the vet world hasn't gone super crazy like the human world; only stopping short of disposeable ambulances

It sure seems to be going that way. I mean, there is your example in the reptile vet text.
Would it be "wasting" to get rid of those things that have been sitting unused in your wife's vanity for 6 years?
If anything, when I worked at animal hospitals a few years ago, AAHA made it's certification guidelines to be more in line with human hospitals than traditional vet clinics, if you take my meaning.
And these are tiny little bobby pins...I don't think the snake industry will ever make a pile of these big enough to have to create a new land fill. You can fit several hundred of these in a sandwich baggy. Even if you see a TON of snake patients, it might take 6 months to fill a mere sandwich baggy with these.

>>Stainless steel is so easy to clean and disinfect, my honest opinion is that switching to disposeables is an uneccessary precaution. I don't think there would be any money to save either. A quick spray with quatsyl, let it sit for 10 minutes, or using a cold sterile solution, or throw the set in unwrapped when autoclaving other routine stuff.

For hospitals that don't see many snakes, it wouldn't make much difference. But for exotic animal hospitals that have, say 30% of their patients as reptiles, it would definitely save some time and money...and time is money. When you add it up, in the long run, it'll save reptile clinics some time.
I definitely remember all the time I spent cleaning stainless steel instruments when I was a vet tech and vet assistant.
I agree that we shouldn't be excessive in our waste, but I don't think that the reptile vet professional needs to be obsessed with it.

DR
Suboc.com

I used a lot of these back in the 1980's and early 90's when I was working with and producing a lot more boids than I do now. I used both sizes, the small 2 inch and the larger 3 inch size. The main reason I used them then was because really nice stainless steel probe sets were very expensive and not readily available in the 80's. Custom probe sets are easier to manipulate and use, but the plastic tip bobby pins work well when you get accustom to them. However, make sure that you buy only the round type. The older flat style bobby pins will usually break in half when you straighten them. The flat style can be used if only bent out to 90 degrees and not straight out, but when bent at a 90 degree angle, they are very awkward difficult to use.

Kelly

You're right, it's not a huge waste as opposed to alot of other things. It is a viable option and obviously there will be differing opinions on what people like better. I still disagree with how much time it'll save, I mean, I guess I'm comparing it to cleaning the thermometer between dogs... can't see much of a difference here. Again, depends on the practice too.

Ian

we have great disposable covers for our digital thermometers, but for the old mercury we just have a cup of nolvasan sitting on the counter, they soak in there, im guessing if we saw many exotics the probes would end up in there
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hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!

It has been decades since I used a bobby pin for my hair, so maybe they've evolved since then.

Two problems I foresee:

- I remember the plastic-dipped part on the ends only extended up part ways. So in probing use, the pin would slide in okay, but could snag on delicate tissue on the way out. But like I say, it's been a while since I've seen one, so maybe they are made differently now - maybe entirely plastic dipped?

-I rarely probe adult snakes, so the larger-diameter probes in my kit get little use. It is the hatchling snakes that I need to determine the sex of. So a bobby pin would be WAY too large.

Finally, I just like nice tools that last a lifetime.

-Joan

>>- I remember the plastic-dipped part on the ends only extended up part ways. So in probing use, the pin would slide in okay, but could snag on delicate tissue on the way out. But like I say, it's been a while since I've seen one, so maybe they are made differently now - maybe entirely plastic dipped?

They definitely don't snag. There's really nothing there for any tissue to get snagged on. I've used them on corns, Cal kings and balls and they slipped in and out just fine.

>> It is the hatchling snakes that I need to determine the sex of. So a bobby pin would be WAY too large.

I always use the cloacal popping technique on hatchling snakes. I've never had to probe a hatchling.

>>Finally, I just like nice tools that last a lifetime.

Me too, but I'd choose something single-use and disposable every time if I had a choice over something that was getting shoved up my derriere by a doctor. But that's just me.

DR

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