*** WARNING: LONG POST ***
Hello, Douglas' human (sorry, I don't know your own name!),
It's been a while since I bought any supplies but here are some things that I found helpful.
Syringes
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Initially I used U40 syringes for Caninsulin which I got from my vet but later I bought them from eBay (cheaper).
When Saoirse switched to Lantus I used to purchase Becton Dickinson 0.3ml Microfine Demi syringes (6mm needle, ½ unit markings)*, again from eBay.
(* FOR INFO ONLY: It is possible to use U100 syringes with U40 insulin by using a conversion chart to work out the dose to draw. It can be helpful if trying to draw up finer doses of U40 insulin as regulation improves. Please ask for advice and help with this here on the board should you ever need to consider this option, because you need to be very careful measuring the doses when using this technique.)
Glucometers
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I used an Alphatrak 2. This was a purely personal choice. (I have anxiety problems and it was more reassuring to my messed up brain to use a veterinary meter.) I purchased my Alphatrak from my vets: there was only a couple of quid the difference between their price and what I could get online and I like to support our practice as much as I can (they're very good to me).
I used to buy my test strips from animeddirect.co.uk - cheapest that I could find, and a very reliable supplier.
I have an Accucheck (Aviva IIRC?) as a backup glucometer. I used to get test strips from Morrison's (they were same price as cheapest online at the time, Boots were more expensive).
Insulin
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I used to get Caninsulin 10ml vials from the vet (in early days of Saoirse's treatment). You can get it online so it might be cheaper (but be sure to factor in the cost of the vet's prescription and any shipping cost).
For Lantus, our vets carry pen cartridges at reasonable rates. Lantus being a human insulin preparation it's also available from local pharmacies with a vet's prescription. Our vets don't carry 10ml vials so I used to get them from a local chemist. I've not seen Lantus offered for sale on any of the online veterinary pharmacy sites. I assume that this is because Lantus is not (yet) a licensed insulin for feline diabetics in the UK.
General Tips (you may regret asking for these!
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- Zooplus online offer a wide range of low carb wet foods. They do freeze dried protein treats (Cosma Snackies). Also a good site to check if you need raised feeding bowls.
- eBay and Amazon are always worth a look for all manner of cat supplies: glucometers & test strips; blood ketone meters & test strips; sharps containers; timed feeders; mini measuring spoons; syringes; supplements like diabetic-friendly vitamins, pumpkin, psyllium, or Miralax; cat litter; urinalysis test strips, pipettes and sample containers; Katkor/Catrine non-absorbent litter for urine sample collection; pee pads, high-sided/covered litter boxes, etc.). eBay's usually cheaper but you may need to dig around a little bit to find the best prices. Also check expiry dates on things like urinalysis strips before ordering (I use Multistix 10SG strips).
- OKOPlus Cat's Best litter is A Gift From The Kitty Gods!
Forms very easily removable lightweight clumps (flushable!), keeps the litter box pretty much odour free, and it lasts much longer than clay-based litters. Go for the granular one (red flash on bag); the pellets are rubbish.
- If you ever need slippery elm powder (for digestive tract), Neal's Yard used to do an organic one.
- If you ever need to give an omega-3 supplement but your cat can't tolerate fish oil sources, search online for a product called Moxxor (IIRC it's derived from green-lipped mussels but check the website for details - capsules are small enough for kitty to swallow). Not cheap, but very worth it if they help the kitty.
- When looking for supplements always check that they're diabetic-friendly (no added sugars, etc.). People here are great for recommendations and sourcing tips!
- When it comes to pet prescriptions sometimes your vet may sometimes prescribe human medicines but they themselves may only carry a branded version of the Rx med (because that's what their wholesalers offer). These can be hideously expensive. If a generic version of the human Rx med is available it can be much cheaper to ask your vet for a written Rx and then fill the prescription at your local pharmacy. A classic example of this is ondansetron. At 2016 prices the branded version, Zofran, was c. £100 for 30 tablets. By way of comparison, I got ondansetron either from a local chemist or online human pharmacy, with 30 tablets costing about £6-7 and the written prescription fee about £8; quite a saving (and a lifesaving drug!). Another useful med to know about is cyproheptadine (branded version is Periactin), an antihistamine with an appetite stimulant effect that's milder than that of mirtazapine - and with a better side effect profile - but some vets don't stock it in their in-house pharmacy. Like ondansetron, cyproheptadiine is also a human med and can be sourced from a local chemist with a written veterinary Rx (generic is cheap as chips).
- If the prices your vet charges for prescriptions is prohibitive it is always worth checking prices online and determining whether the online cost plus the written vet Rx is cheaper. (IIRC by law in the UK your vet is obliged to issue a written Rx if you wish to fill the prescription elsewhere. I'm not sure whether the lunacy that is Brexit will change this.) If there's not much of a muchness in price then I've always preferred to put the business my vet's way: they need to pay for the bricks and mortar and I want to support the practice. My first port of call would be animeddirect.co.uk plus a few of the main sites like VetUK or petdrugsonline to compare prices.
- A good pharmacy is a godsend. Sometimes it can be necessary to get special preparations of a kitty's regular meds (e.g. a liquid preparation of a med for a kitty who can't be pilled while recovering from an operation or dental work). Pharmacists are immensely helpful with sourcing and filling such prescriptions.
- For prescription diets, it is definitely worth comparing prices online and at your vet's. It is also worth bearing in mind that with a bit of research it may be possible to find commercially available foods that fit a cat's dietary needs (though not always - some conditions can require a highly specific prescription diet).
- It's really helpful to keep a daily log of your kitty's weight, food consumption, water intake, pee and poop output, meds and supplements, and brief notes on their clinical signs (e.g. the 5 Ps: playing, preening, purring, pooping, peeing). FYI, you can pick up reasonably priced digital baby scales on eBay or Amazon.
The daily log can help you monitor their overall well-being and gauge how well/badly a particular diet or treatment is working (ETA: it's absolutely invaluable if you need to backtrack or reinstate a diet/treatment regimen that worked in the past). As we all know, cats are divils for hiding illness or discomfort. The log helps you to better know your kitty. It can help you to better spot patterns of subtle changes, thus serving as an early warning system to catch problems before they develop into something more serious.
- Vets that are willing to work in partnership with you are worth their weight in gold. The more you learn yourself about your kitty's health needs the better the dialogue there will be between you. If you have learned from reputable online sources about potential treatments, it helps to bring printed evidence when discussing possible treatment options with your vet (and don't be shy about asking your vet about treatments - every cat is different and what suits one kitty may not suit another).
- Never introduce any supplements or dietary changes without first discussing the changes with your vet. It's possible that the dietary and/or treatment options you wish to pursue may not be your vet's preferred choice but you need to be sure that your choices are SAFE!. Also, your vet always needs to know what food, supplements and meds a cat is receiving in order to diagnose and treat the animal safely and effectively. Without such information, a vet would be working in the dark - not a good idea.
Sorry about the massive brain dump (bet you're sorry you asked now!). You might find it helpful to bookmark this post for future reference. The information above was very hard won and if it can help another kitty and their bean that's a good thing.
Mogs
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The manufacturer advised the earliest it will be back on shelves will be mid August and then I am sure it will fly off the shelves immediately! You could use this time to persuade your vet to prescribe Prozinc as it’s a more gentle, slower acting insulin and it has generally shown better results. 
But I will try to use this Prozinc shortage to our advantage, maybe he will give in to prescribing Lantus. If not, I’m just hoping what we have left in the vial will last us until the manufacturer gets things moving again. Anything but back on Caninsulin 
