DX:4/10/2026 - Zahir - What insulin to give him? New Member and looking for answers

Z

ZahirD

Member Since 2026
Hi Everyone,

My cat (Zahir - age 9) was recently diagnosed with Diabetes. My veterinarian had put together medication for him but it was extremely expensive (ProZinc?). I remember reading somewhere that it may be possible to procure affordable insulin by using human insulin and picking that up via a pharmacy prescription? Also, I saw that his food now has to be low carb and often fancy feasts pate classic is recommended? He is currently on Royal Canin Urinary SO wet food as he has a small bladder stone but now I have to switch his diet up to compensate for the diabetes. Any help would be appreciated so I can start his treatment.

Also, I reviewed some helpful threads on this forum and created the spreadsheet. I will begin creating the 'Hypo Toolbox' as well.

Thank you,
 
Either ProZinc or Lantus (glargine) insulins can be used for cats.

ProZinc is a pet specific insulin. Info on using ProZinc here: Prozinc / PZI I know that Chewy's pharmacy sells ProZinc. You can check there what the current price is for a bottle. I'm not sure how long a bottle lasts for, maybe a few months? You'll need to use U40 (pet specific) insulin syringes with ProZinc. Later on as you gain more experience you can use U100 syringes with a conversion chart to more finely dose.

Lantus (glargine) is a Human insulin. You buy this from any pharmacy with a prescription from the vet. Cost varies among pharmacies and if the prescription is for the 10 ml bottle or the box of pens. Try GoodRX.com to compare prices. There is a coupon you can use to get the box of pens for $35 (US only): Info - Sourcing Insulin More Economically You want the box of pens, not the 10 ml bottle. The prescription has to specify the pens. The box will last you at least a year and each pen is good to the last drop. The 10 ml bottle might last a month, maybe a little longer. Members have reported getting various lenghts of time they've been able to use the bottle. You use insulin syringes with both the pens and a bottle. The ones you want are U100 3/10cc with half unit markings. Many people buy their syringes online. Info on Lantus: Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars

Yes, low carb canned food only. Fancy Feast pates aren't the only ones you can feed. There are many others. Here are the food charts:

Links to FOOD CHARTS
Cat Food As-Fed Chart

Any food under 10% carbs is good. Do keep some higher carb foods on hand to use for a hypo. Medium carb 11%-15% and high carb 15%+.

Start the low carb diet now before your cat starts on insulin. The diet may help blood glucose levels a bit. If you start insulin first and then change the diet, it's a little trickier because you need to be monitoring blood glucose levels closely to catch any big drops.

A canned food only diet can also help with the urinary issues. There's info here: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats.

You have the World spreadsheet. What country are you in?
 
Based in Canada. This is a lot of information! Thank you. I want to go with Lantus because ProZinc is extremely expensive and I heard Lantus is much cheaper. I'll have to email my vet to ask him for a prescription then and pick up from my local pharmacy maybe. Also, I hear Lantus lasts much longer as well.

I will read up on the links you included and start immediately on low-carb food
 
Hi Zahir & Zahir's person! Lantus is a great choice because you can get it any pharmacy, as it's also widely used by humans. It's true that you don't have to have a prescription to get it, but it's really up to the pharmacist's discretion if you don't have a prescription from a vet. It's easiest if your vet just sends a prescription to your pharmacy, and you pick it up there. Every drug store stocks it.

You'll get lots of great advice here on what to feed Zahir. There's plenty of experience & knowledge here. I'm not active here but there's lots of people to help you every step of the way. Best wishes to you both!

Edited to add: if you're in Montreal, and need a recommendation for a great vet, let me know.
 
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There are also generics or biosimilars for Lantus now. For example, in BC I think the Pharmacare covers Basaglar, a cheaper biosimilar to Lantus. The practice for each province may vary on how easy it is to get insulin. Also, shop around, in BC I found quite a range of pricing. Same for the U-100 syringes you will need to give the insulin. Near me, Safeway pharmacy was the cheapest place.

If Zahir is prone to crystals, you want to feed a low carb food with a low phosphorus value, and plenty of water added. I had a second cat when Neko was around, who was also on the "prescription" urinary food. Neko kept stealing it, so I put him on low carb and low phosphorus food. This diabetic CKD (kidney disease) list contains some products also available in Canada. Don't consider the dry food options, which are hard to get here anyway.
 
With a cat diagnosed with kidney issues, avoiding dry food is key. Cats do not have a high thirst drive. Water is good for kidneys and good for diabetes management. When it comes to carbs, Royal Canin is typically quite high.

Have you done any reading on home testing? I'm in the US and can't speak to the less expensive glucometers available in Canada. @Wendy&Neko or @Lara & Luciole (Lu) may be able to advise you on meters. Home testing your cat's blood glucose levels is the best way to ensure your cat is in safe numbers and to assess Zahir's progress. In case you've not seen it, this is a post on home testing.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) and squeem3 both gave you great advice and they are long-time trusted members here.
And food is one of the cornerstones, so be sure to follow Sienne's wisdom.

For blood glucose meters, I've always used a Contour Next EZ, and have a Contour Next Gen for backup.
For insulin syringes, petsdrugmart has great prices. It's important that you get the right kind of syringes for the insulin you use.
I get my syringes and got my BG meter from Shopper's Drug Mart, just because of convenience.
For the testing strips that the meter needs, they're available at drug stores, but I've been buying mine for years on eBay.

What I've mentioned here are just my choices, and there are other Canadian members who might be using other BG meters. @Karolina & Nestle is in Canada, and might have some good advice too. Lots of caring people here who want to help.

And please be sure to post any questions you have and don't be shy about asking for help and advice. It seems like a lot to get used to at first, but quickly becomes a routine, and kitties are generally very cooperative as they feel that you're helping them.
 
When I went to the pharmacy to pick up a monitor, I just told the pharmacist that I wanted whatever took the least amount of blood. I paid for the strips and got the meter for free. Like Lara, I also used Shoppers for convenience for syringes, lancets and strips. Shoppers tends to be on the more expensive side, so definitely shop around. (I'm in Alberta)

Keep asking questions, we are all here to help.
 
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