Lantus pen question

[JulzSTL]

My sweet boy Sailor seems to be out of remission. Last night’s and this morning’s numbers are in the mid 200s. I’ll be calling the vet to have him checked for possible infection. Our current vial of Lantus was opened mid September 2020. It’s been stored in the back of the fridge to avoid temp changes and vibrations. He went into remission not long after diagnosis so I have an almost full vial. Will it still be good? I feed Friskies pate and he doesn’t have access to other food.
Here’s my question. If I ask the vet to prescribe the Lantus do you think she will prescribe the pens? I would like to order them from Mark’s Marine. How long does shipping take? How much do they cost? I only have another weeks worth of syringes. Where can I buy those without a Rx? I’m in St. Louis MO.
Thanks all!

 

[JulzSTL]

My sweet boy Sailor seems to be out of remission. Last night’s and this morning’s numbers are in the mid 200s. I’ll be calling the vet to have him checked for possible infection. Our current vial of Lantus was opened mid September 2020. It’s been stored in the back of the fridge to avoid temp changes and vibrations. He went into remission not long after diagnosis so I have an almost full vial. Will it still be good? I feed Friskies pate and he doesn’t have access to other food.
Here’s my question. If I ask the vet to prescribe the Lantus do you think she will prescribe the pens? I would like to order them from Mark’s Marine. How long does shipping take? How much do they cost? I only have another weeks worth of syringes. Where can I buy those without a Rx? I’m in St. Louis MO.
Thanks all!

I should add that the Lantus vial is clear with no floaties.

 

[tiffmaxee]

I am sorry that Sailor might be out of remission. Hopefully he just needs a dental. It’s hard to say if the vial will be good or not. Mine lasted about 5-6 months but were used daily. I got an RX and started purchasing pens from Marks. Good luck.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I'd try the insulin you've got but when you do get new, be sure to take the age of this insulin into account when switching to the newer stuff.

If I ask the vet to prescribe the Lantus do you think she will prescribe the pens?

It doesn't matter what your vet writes for. If they write for a vial and you want pens instead, just call Marks and tell them. They can do that for you.

How long does shipping take?

The first order takes the longest but generally will get to you within 7-10 days. Refills are much faster and I called in a refill on a Monday afternoon and it was in my Friday mail (I'm in mid-Missouri) You will get a tracking number so you can watch it move through the postal system

How much do they cost?

A 5 pack is $164.99 plus $25 shipping so total $190 for 1500 units of Lantus. That's enough to last most cats at least a year and some up to 2 years. The pens you get from Marks will have an expiration date at least 2 years away (usually) so you should be able to use every drop.

Where can I buy those without a Rx? I’m in St. Louis MO.

You can get U100, 3/10ml, 30 or 31 gauge insulin syringes from WalMart. Missouri doesn't require a script for syringes. These will also have half unit marks which makes micro-dosing a lot easier.

Packaging varies but either one of these are what you want (they can also be 30 gauge if they don't have 31 gauge)

Here's all the info on Marks Marine Pharmacy, including a video that shows their shipping

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Sorry to hear Sailor might need the juice again. If you get a preshot test, I'd test 3 hours later to see if it's coming down and his pancreas is working. His numbers do seem to be coming down a bit this week.

You can always ask your vet to prescribe pens. I've also heard that even if your vet gives you a prescription for a vial, Marks will sell you pens if you want them. Length of time it takes to get to you depends on where you live, how busy shipping is. And if holidays at the Mark's end. It's Easter weekend here (they are 25 minutes drive away from me), so might not be processing orders until Tuesday). I would actually try your current vial first before rushing out to get a new one.

 

[JulzSTL]

Thanks everyone! As always