? Switching from Vetsulin to Solostar

mts1960

mts1960

Member Since 2019
Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone could shed light for me on my dilemma with my Holly , so she was on Vetsulin since 2019 now after seven years of being on VETSULIN and several DKA’s and pancreatitis last month . she had another attack pancreatic attack (pancreatitis) They lowered her dose her insulin dose to 1.5 from 3.0. I took her in yesterday we had a fructosamine done and it was 400 and I know why it was 400. She has been at 1.5 units of the vetsulin or over a month ( typically 3.0 units ) so now my Vet yesterday said we’re gonna try the solostar . Here’s my issue with that. She’s a vet . She should know. even I know , even with the solostar, you have to have syringes U100 syringes she told me no it comes with the syringe OK even if it came with a syringe one syringe would you really use one syringe for two months that’s so unsanitary so there’s that then get this. She also said this.



“The dose will be on the label but it is: give 2 insulin units under the skin twice a day (every 12 hours) immediately after a meal. Please make sure this medication is given strictly every 12 hours. (The window for being a little bit early or a little bit late is ONLY 15 minutes). Recheck fructosamine in 2-3 weeks”



I’m kind of concerned, but I’ve never heard of going from one insulin to the other when the insulin she’s been is not the full 12 hour coverage and the solostar is but she’s saying the dose stays the same. I’m just coming on here to ask anyone to enlighten me a little does that make sense since I’m already worried about that U 100 syringes that she should I don’t need with with the solostar (thoughts would be appreciated)

Thank you so much.
 
Hello and welcome. Good plan to change to Lantus/glargine. You can use the pens or the vials. Take a look at our Sticky Note Insulin Care & Syringe Info: Proper Handling, Drawing, Fine Dosing for options on both insulin and syringes. Sadly, vets tend to have more experience with diabetic dogs than cats. With the Solostar, you can only make changes by full units at a time, and cats are sensitive to even 0.25 unit changes - we eyeball those in between the 1/2 unit markings.

We do recommend going from Vetsulin using U-40 syringes to the same number of units of a U-100 syringes of Lantus/glargine, depending on how they are doing on the current dose of Vetsulin. There are cheaper biosimilar insulins now that are glargine/Lantus equivalents, which is why I'm mentioning them.

Are you home testing her blood sugars? If not, I strongly recommend it. If so, could you put together a spreadsheet of the last couple of weeks on Vetsulin, we'd be able to help you chose a good dose for starting with the Lantus/glargine. Instruction on the spreadsheet are in this post: New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Hello and welcome. Good plan to change to Lantus/glargine. You can use the pens or the vials. Take a look at our Sticky Note Insulin Care & Syringe Info: Proper Handling, Drawing, Fine Dosing for options on both insulin and syringes. Sadly, vets tend to have more experience with diabetic dogs than cats. With the Solostar, you can only make changes by full units at a time, and cats are sensitive to even 0.25 unit changes - we eyeball those in between the 1/2 unit markings.

We do recommend going from Vetsulin using U-40 syringes to the same number of units of a U-100 syringes of Lantus/glargine, depending on how they are doing on the current dose of Vetsulin. There are cheaper biosimilar insulins now that are glargine/Lantus equivalents, which is why I'm mentioning them.

Are you home testing her blood sugars? If not, I strongly recommend it. If so, could you put together a spreadsheet of the last couple of weeks on Vetsulin, we'd be able to help you chose a good dose for starting with the Lantus/glargine. Instruction on the spreadsheet are in this post: New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
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Hi
Oh I’ve been a member since 2019 . When I was doing TNR and trapped my cat, my now cat Holly.. she she just did her fructosamine and her numbers came back 400
 
mts1960 said:
Hi
Oh I’ve been a member since 2019 . When I was doing TNR and trapped my cat, my now cat Holly.. she she just did her fructosamine and her numbers came back 400
Click to expand...
If you use them, U 100 syringes can’t you dose in half increments? you don’t have to do full units? Not that it matters right now anyway cause she just switched her from two units of the insulin she’s on now to two units of the solostar and she is only on the solar star because apparently my vet called around to every pharmacy in my area and nobody had the Lantus available even for humans which is scary to me, but I am in a small town in California so there is that but yeah so then I contacted Chewy because Chewy is who I get my current insulin from and i actually wish I would’ve done this years ago because doing the math right now. I pay $79 for 42 days and then you have to throw it away. Well I mean you know the vile is really no good I guess it could go a little longer but now I’m paying $64 for the solo star and I believe it’s gonna last 75 days at the dosage that my Holly is on.
 
Yes you can dose on the half unit marks, but most kitties need changes by 0.25 units at a time.

If the pharmacies don't have Lantus, you should call them and see if they have glargine (the generic). It is cheaper and more likely what they stock. I've heard people get 5 pens for $35. Pens, if kept in the fridge, are usually good to the last drop.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Yes you can dose on the half unit marks, but most kitties need changes by 0.25 units at a time.

If the pharmacies don't have Lantus, you should call them and see if they have glargine (the generic). It is cheaper and more likely what they stock. I've heard people get 5 pens for $35. Pens, if kept in the fridge, are usually good to the last drop.
Click to expand...
$35 that’s amazing . How long do the five pins last? Apparently my vet called around to surrounding towns pharmacies she didn’t find anything , her husband‘s a pharmacist, and he even said they are so backlogged in our area for most types of insulin, which I find ridiculous because humans cannot go without insulin if they’re diabetic so that’s why I contacted Chewy and I use Chewy for my cats insulin. And my other cats methimazole.
 
mts1960 said:
$35 that’s amazing . How long do the five pins last? Apparently my vet called around to surrounding towns pharmacies she didn’t find anything , her husband‘s a pharmacist, and he even said they are so backlogged in our area for most types of insulin, which I find ridiculous because humans cannot go without insulin if they’re diabetic so that’s why I contacted Chewy and I use Chewy for my cats insulin. And my other cats methimazole.
Click to expand...
I guess I just worry why my Vet shows to go two units of the solo pen , just because Dan and I used now is also doing unit dose
 
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