BCP PZI Insulin

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rbrumbaugh82

Well I called my Vet last week to have them order me the free sample 100mL bottle of the Bovine insulin. They told me they placed the order last Friday. I called my Vet today and they called the place and asked about the order and they did receive the fax. However, they said that it would take 4 weeks to get the free sample. Why on Hell on Earth would it take 4 weeks to get the insulin and they do not specify it on their website? I am beyond pissed off right now. So I had my Vet just place me a prescription of it. She told me it would cost $93 or so to get it. Yet others on here said it cost them less and that they got theirs overnight delivered to them if I remember correctly? However, the lady at the Vet office said they don't do that and it would come to them because they would have to put a label on it,etc... Yet, they never called me tonight like they told me they would to let me know about placing the order. Why can't anyone be reliable anymore to keep their word? Now I have to keep giving Pooper's the junk insulin that only works for a short time before he spikes real high again. I come home tonight after being gone for 5 hours and seen him glucose go from 264 to 581. That is why I hate Novalin anymore because it just does not last and I hate to see him spike like this so much. URRRRRRRRRR!
 
I believe they can fax the order to the company and you can take care of the payment and shipping. They may be marking it up.
 
Well they said I have to come there because they have to put a label on it. I just thought they would fax over the info and then I could call them and give them my address and payment and then they could ship it directly to me. My Vet thinks different.
 
What a pooper! Haha sorry. Love yr cat's name..im gonna try doing the same thing, lemme know how it turns out!
 
Sorry you are having so much trouble. I tried to get the free sample too, but was told that it would take 3-4 weeks to get it. They said the paid prescriptions take top priority. Like you, I just had my vet get me a prescription. The first time he faxed it, they lost or didn't receive the fax. When they did get it my vet was told that I would have to call and give them my payment info and shipping address. When they ship it, it has to be signed for, they won't just leave it on your doorstep. I had mine shipped to work. It came with a label on it, so I don't know what the deal is with your vet. Mine was $66 total to Oklahoma. Good luck, and I hope you get things straightened out soon. Like your Pooper, my Colby's BG numbers have been off the chart with the other insulins, so I know your frustration! Hang in there!
 
I told you a long time ago that it take weeks for the free sample.
The $93 sounds about what I paid last November. I thnk I paid $87 and the price may have gone up a little and the shiping may be more for where you are located.
 
Do you know where they are getting the PZI from?
I had a totally different experience in Nov. 2013.
While I was at my vet's office, she called BCP in Texas and ordered a 10ml vial. She then handed me the phone. I gave them my name and address, and my CC info. The insulin arrived the next day in a small cooler. Total cost, including shipping was $50 give or take a couple of bucks.
 
ursa68 said:
Sorry you are having so much trouble. I tried to get the free sample too, but was told that it would take 3-4 weeks to get it. They said the paid prescriptions take top priority. Like you, I just had my vet get me a prescription. The first time he faxed it, they lost or didn't receive the fax. When they did get it my vet was told that I would have to call and give them my payment info and shipping address. When they ship it, it has to be signed for, they won't just leave it on your doorstep. I had mine shipped to work. It came with a label on it, so I don't know what the deal is with your vet. Mine was $66 total to Oklahoma. Good luck, and I hope you get things straightened out soon. Like your Pooper, my Colby's BG numbers have been off the chart with the other insulins, so I know your frustration! Hang in there!
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My Vet parden my french is a dumbass. They didn't order it yesterday and gave some stupid reason. Vet Assistant said she'll talk to the Vet today since its surgery day and will get it ordered this evening and will call me. I am not sure why I can't have it ordered to my address and why it would cost $90 or so when everyone else on here has given me a much lower amount it cost them. I do not know what to do. I am tired of this bs and run around.
 
Okay here is the info on the insulin. I called down to BCP Pharmacy and talked to someone. It can be shipped to my address through Vet approval. They have to call in prescription and give authorization to have it shipped to me. Then the Vet will call me and then I have to call down there to give them my address and CC info and then it'll be shipped to me. However, the Vet Assistant told me that they are starting Pooper's on 2 units of this stuff due to his weight. He is roughly 21 pounds and given that this insulin should be more powerful than the N I just hope 2 units doesn't drop his glucose too low. I thought maybe 1 unit would be enough to start at. However, they'd rather start high just like a damn typical VET or doctor. Then she told me that I am going to have to order this every month because this insulin ONLY lasts 28 days. Is that true? For those of you who are treating their cats with BCP PZI insulin did you have to reorder every month and that your insulin only lasted 28 days? I thought this stuff would last longer than that if it is kept refrigerated.
 
Well I know that if I go against their recommendations that they may just say," you know what, if you want to listen to your so-called friends on that forum and not listen to us licensed practitioners then you can find yourself another Vet. She already hinted at that the last time when I talked to her about just giving him 1 unit from what you guys have said compared to 2 units that they suggest due to his weight. Just like she said to give him a half of a can of wet food twice a day. So I just don't know who to trust but I would think 1 unit to start would be a safe start although she says 2 units due to him weighing 21 pounds and the pill book says it based on his weight. I just don't believe the insulin would last just 28 days before I would have to throw it away and get new. I would keep it refrigerated at all times just like I do with N. N is a cheap insulin and yet it still has potency even after 4 months but like you all have said from the get go its not a good insulin and spikes low at the beginning and then wears off after 6 hours which it has done that.. So what do I do?
 
I can only suggest you do what a lot of us do - listen to the vet recommendations, smile, nod...then go home and give the dose you're happy starting him on. What the vet doesn't directly know at that point won't hurt them! Once you have him under control, that might be the better time to share with the vet exactly how you got there.

As for the insulin only lasting 28 days - as far as I can tell, just about all the insulin manufacturers say they don't guarantee the insulin to be good after that length of time. Of course, as with use by dates on food, they have to allow for people who don't store it properly and other external factors that may affect it too. And they have to err on the side of caution when recommending replacement dates for anything like that too. For example, my vet said that the Lantus that Rosa is on is good for about 3 months for cats once it's opened. The manufacturer says 28 days, just as they do for humans on Lantus. But people here are able to use it for up to 6 months without it losing potency as long as it's stored and handled correctly.
 
here is the BCP label
bcp.jpg
 
Even better if the manufacturer says it's good for that long! Sounds like another candidate for the 'smile and nod' when the vet gives you the instructions to throw it away after a month!!
 
Larry and Kitties said:
As I said, BCP says their insulin is god for 6 months. In the past I have used it longer than six months.
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Then where did the Vet assistant get off saying she contacted them or read that it needs to be replaced after 28 days? lol
 
Thats why I took matters into my own hands instead of waiting on them to do everything. All I requested them to do is call BCP Pharmacy and call in the prescription and give them the okay that it can be shipped to my house and then for them to contact me telling me they did that so that I can contact BCP Pharmacy and give them my address and payment info. IF I did their way it would take longer to get everything done probably. I still believe even with Pooper's being 21 pounds or so that 2 units on this insulin could really drop him to well below 100 despite what they say and the book says. He has dropped into the low 100s on the cheap N insulin so I can't imagine what he would do on an insulin designed more suited for cats would do. 1 unit sounds fair enough to start him on and I just got done buying a box of U-100 insulin syringes too.
 
If they won't allow it to be shipped directly to you and they insist on you replacing it every 28 days, combined with the other issues you've had with them not ordering when they say they will, it actually might be time to look into other vets in your area. Not something I'd usually suggest, but it does sound as though you're having a lot of problems with that particular vet at the moment.
 
Yea well I am going against what they say they want me to do. I know that the lady I have been talking to aside from the VET almost blew a head gasket when I told her that you guys on here do not recommend to shoot if he is under 200 and she was like, " 200 is really high and if you do not give him insulin everyday the 2 units that we told you to give then you risk putting him into diabetic shock." I told her that if I gave him 2 units if he was like at 140 or so would cause him to probably have a BG of 60 or lower. Then it was like a battle there after and her saying what if Pooper's has a problem, who are you going to take your cat to or want to help you with his problem? You would bring him to us to fix your problems. She kind of got snappy with me last week when I told her that.
 
I can't say my vet likes or approves of what I'm doing, but at the same time they appreciate that I am paying them for a service and that in the end I can treat my cat in the way I see fit. My take on it is - there are other vets out there but I've only got one Rosa and I can't replace her. So if the vet dislikes it so much that they tell me to play it their way or leave, I'll find another vet! Hypo level low numbers are more immediately dangerous than high numbers so avoiding a hypo is more critical than never having him go above 200 on a meter (that's not to say high numbers aren't a problem - of course they are and they can lead to major problems - but generally speaking they aren't likely to be fatal in the very short term like a hypo can be).
 
Well I should get my meds on Monday sometime and it cost me $76.50 for everything including shipping. If I would have known about this whole mishap sooner then I would have had the meds tomorrow but I guess things happen for a reason. I had a good talk with one of the pharmacists down there about everything. Told her that the Vet tech if that is what she is told me that the meds will only last 28 days and I'll have to get new meds each month. Then you guys on here said it should last up to 6 months and she agreed but by law they have to put 28 days on it. So the people at my vet office were wrong and I'll take my chances in that it will last me longer than a month as long as I keep it refrigerated and not shake it. Next the people at my Vet said it would cost me over $90 but only costing me $76 for everything. Maybe they wanted to make a profit off of it by having it sent to their office and since I can have it shipped to my place. Lastly, I said that they want me to give Pooper's 2 units 2 times a day and that you guys on here believe lower is better to start. That starting with 1 unit would be a better decision to start out and then work way up to 2 units if it doesn't help. She agreed that would be a wise thing to do instead of worrying about giving too much at once due to this being a stronger and better insulin. The duration of the insulin she said could last up to 24 hours but most cases it does and some 12 hours long and only needing to give it once a day. I am hoping it really works wonders on Pooper's to the point that he only will need it once a day and within a short amount of time he can become OTJ. Just wanting best for my boy as long as it doesn't break me.
 
So glad you got the meds sorted out - and at a better price too. Good luck with the new insulin. It really should last longer than 28 days - just make sure to store and handle it according to the instructions. I hope this turns out to be the turning point for you in getting him well regulated and happy.
 
Interesting that your vet said 200 is really high. Mine thinks normal is 150-250 and doesn't think I should be aiming for double digits at all. I showed her my spreadsheet but hid the units column. She asked if I was doing 1 unit all the time and I said yes. I even trained my 9 year old daughter to answer that question with a yes. Lol I'm a horrible parent...
 
Yeah, my vet wanted me to aim for 180 for Rosa. She just about freaked out when I sent the ss through the first time with low 40's on it. Said Rosa should have been obviously hypo and showing symptoms. I haven't sent the latest numbers through with the 37 on there yet. She didn't show symptoms that time either...though I did decide it was best not to point out to them that the first 40 she got was on the dose the vet had wanted me to start her on with NO home monitoring...
 
manxcat419 said:
So glad you got the meds sorted out - and at a better price too. Good luck with the new insulin. It really should last longer than 28 days - just make sure to store and handle it according to the instructions. I hope this turns out to be the turning point for you in getting him well regulated and happy.
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Me too April!
 
manxcat419 said:
Yeah, my vet wanted me to aim for 180 for Rosa. She just about freaked out when I sent the ss through the first time with low 40's on it. Said Rosa should have been obviously hypo and showing symptoms. I haven't sent the latest numbers through with the 37 on there yet. She didn't show symptoms that time either...though I did decide it was best not to point out to them that the first 40 she got was on the dose the vet had wanted me to start her on with NO home monitoring...
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Yeah same story with my VET. I asked her about home monitoring and she said let Science lead the way whatever she meant by that and to test once through the week and would be fine just to test once a week on the weekend. LMAO. I think I will start him at 1 unit and test it a few times after that to see how it is doing and not to 2 units that they said to do.
 
Yeah same story with my VET. I asked her about home monitoring and she said let Science lead the way whatever she meant by that and to test once through the week and would be fine just to test once a week on the weekend. LMAO. I think I will start him at 1 unit and test it a few times after that to see how it is doing and not to 2 units that they said to do.
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To the best of my knowledge, monitoring IS science. And adjusting the dose using monitoring is using science to keep your cat healthy and safe. Testing once a week isn't going to help you figure out his patterns on a daily basis.
 
rbrumbaugh82 said:
Well I should get my meds on Monday sometime and it cost me $76.50 for everything including shipping. If I would have known about this whole mishap sooner then I would have had the meds tomorrow but I guess things happen for a reason. I had a good talk with one of the pharmacists down there about everything. Told her that the Vet tech if that is what she is told me that the meds will only last 28 days and I'll have to get new meds each month. Then you guys on here said it should last up to 6 months and she agreed but by law they have to put 28 days on it. So the people at my vet office were wrong and I'll take my chances in that it will last me longer than a month as long as I keep it refrigerated and not shake it. Next the people at my Vet said it would cost me over $90 but only costing me $76 for everything. Maybe they wanted to make a profit off of it by having it sent to their office and since I can have it shipped to my place. Lastly, I said that they want me to give Pooper's 2 units 2 times a day and that you guys on here believe lower is better to start. That starting with 1 unit would be a better decision to start out and then work way up to 2 units if it doesn't help. She agreed that would be a wise thing to do instead of worrying about giving too much at once due to this being a stronger and better insulin. The duration of the insulin she said could last up to 24 hours but most cases it does and some 12 hours long and only needing to give it once a day. I am hoping it really works wonders on Pooper's to the point that he only will need it once a day and within a short amount of time he can become OTJ. Just wanting best for my boy as long as it doesn't break me.
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When your PZI arrives, make sure to check the box and the vial to see if it is U40 or U100. And there should be an expiration date on the vial and/or box. Bob's very first vial was purchased in May 2011. I still have the box (it sits on "his shelf" next to his favorite toy and his ash urn). It had an exp. date of Aug 24, 2011 which was a couple of weeks after his last shot before going OTJ. You should get at least 2-3 months out of your vial if refrigerated on a regular (not really high) dose. Bob got almost 150 shots and his doses ranged from 1u to 4u over the course of ten weeks. There was still insulin left in the vial when he went into remission.
 
The vial from 2011 wasn't from BCP.
She should still verify the U number because they make both U40 and U100 (they used to also make U50, but not sure if they still do). The "lower than expected cost" leads me to think that they are sending U40, and her post didn't say either way unless I missed it.
 
Larry, do they make u50 syringes, or do you just use u100's and a conversion chart?
 
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