Gwen and Morris said:
I have heard about B12 complex & B12 cobalin injections for treating pancreatitis. Are these the same thing? If not, which do I want to give? I am taking Morris to the vet on Saturday morning to have some baseline folate/cobalin testing done & then will start the weekly injections for 6 weeks & then check his lab levels again.
B12 used for injection is usually in the form of cyanocobalamin. It is one of the B vitamins that would be found in a B complex formulation. I am sure you have read that methyl B12(methylcobalamin) in tablet form is used in treating diabetic neuropathy. B complex formulations do not usually have enough B12 for supplementation of that vitamin for gastro disease. Here is a link to the texas a & m explaining the importance of B12 and gastro disease :
http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/research/cobalamin.shtml
It is often used for p-titis b/c of coexisting intestinal issues. S. Marks DVM recommends the use of B12 supplementation for p-titis in his papers on treating that for cats in these circumstances.
This is from his paper ,"
How I Manage Pancreatitis in Cats" :
Vitamin B12
A high proportion of cats with pancreatitis can have subnormal cobalamin (vitamin B12) concentrations. Supplemental parenteral cobalamin should be given when required at 250 μg per cat q weekly for 6 weeks, with reevaluation of cobalamin concentrations on a monthly basis. Vitamin B12 has a relatively short half-life in cats, and repeat administration of vitamin B12 is commonly required.
It is a water soluble vitamin, but is stored in the liver. The NIH considers it to be very safe .Here is their link with good information on B12 :
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12.asp
From my experience in treating p-titis and using B12, it is only useful to continue to monitor blood levels if there is a beginning deficiency. Also, even if b/w has B12 in normal range, it can still be helpful to give B12.
I administered it via the injection port when giving SubQ fluids. Of course, a regular shot will work too.
A very large vial of B12 should only cost around $5-10. Sadly, some members here have had vets mark it up very high. If they want to charge more for it, ask for a script to order it online.
To note: a fast is recommended before testing B12 and folate. Did you talk to your vet about that? ( Is Morris is on insulin?? ETA : If so you will probably need a plan to adjust his dose for fast)
Hope his trip to the vet goes well.
ed sp/typos
