Change in insulin type/brand?

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Floridagolfgirl

Member Since 2016
My cat Simi is 14 years old and been a diabetic since 2012. He was stable until recently and has been increasing this insulin slowly over the past 2 months. It is time for a new vial and I am wondering if anyone has experience in changing brands of insulin to have good results. He has been on Lantus which is very expensive.
 
Yes, Lantus is very expensive in the US. Many Lantus users order from a Canadian pharmacy, Marks Marine Pharmacy. If you repost asking for more info about that source others can help with that. I'm in Canada but don't use Lantus.
 
Hello and welcome!

Lantus is a great insulin for cats, but there are definitely others that have produced good results for members, including cats going into remission. Before considering a switch, though, I do have a couple questions/suggestions for you:

1) Lantus is expensive in the US, but with a prescription it can be bought for much cheaper from Canada, so that might be something worth exploring.
2) What is Simi's current dose, and how has it increased over the past two months?

It's hard to know for sure, but one thing that occurred to me is that you say it is time for a new "vial" of insulin. Vials contain a lot of insulin (for a cat, anyway), and Lantus has a limited shelf life-- longer than they claim on the package if it is treated well, but still limited. If you've been working with the same vial for a long time (more than 6 months, say), it's possible that the insulin has lost effectiveness, and that's why you've had to increase the dose several times recently. Most of us here use the lantus "pens", which contain a smaller amount of insulin, so by the time it starts to go downhill it's time for a new pen anyway.
 
Thanks for all the quick responses. Yes, the vial is older from June, kept refrigerated. Simi was only getting 1 unit x 2 a day. He is now at 3 1/2 units 2 x a day. I think I will stay with the Lantus and see how it goes. I will order from the Canadian pharmacy next time since time is too short now. Also, what about the Young Again food, is that something I should consider? I read that I would have to test his BS before each injection if I made the change.
 
We are generally big advocates of testing blood glucose before injection no matter what; there's a learning curve to doing it, but it's the best way of ensuring the safety of your cat!

3 1/2 units is a lot of insulin-- how was that dose arrived at? Were the increases done based on poor clinical signs (increased drinking/peeing, hunger, lethargy) or on the basis of blood glucose readings taken at the vet's office? Regardless, with that kind of dose, if there's any suspicion that the old insulin might have been "pooping out", I'd be very cautious about starting with that dose on a fresh batch of insulin-- and I definitely wouldn't start with that dose without home testing, it could be very dangerous for Simi.

What is Simi eating now? Diet can have a huge impact on blood glucose and insulin needs-- again, any changes should be done very cautiously.
 
Yes to all, poor clinical signs, and high numbers at the vet's office including a urine test that showed 4+ sugar. Currently I am feeding him Royal Canin Weight Care 37% protein, I can not see the carb percentage. He has been eating this for several years.

I think I am going to order the insulin from Canada from the pharmacy recommended by others. And see how it goes, I understand about the dosage being very high so I will ask the vet when she calls me later today.
 
Sounds good about the insulin! Glad we could point you towards that option.

Regarding the food: I don't have the numbers calculated (for anyone who is good at this, the guaranteed analysis for the kibble is 37.0% protein (min), 8.3% fat (min), 9.3% fiber (max), 8.0% moisture (max)), but I'm certain that this food is too high in carbohydrates for a diabetic cat. Because almost no dry kibble meets requirements (and all dry foods have some potential health downsides in cats), the general recommendation is to feed low-carb canned cat foods to diabetic cats. There are several affordable decent-quality options that most cats find palatable-- Fancy Feast and Friskies pate-style foods (no "gravy" containing varieties) are favorites around here. Has Simi ever been on wet food? The Young Again kibble is low-carb and can be a good "transition" or supplementary food (which is how I use it), but it is expensive and, again, dry food isn't great overall for cats. If you change Simi's food from the high-carb kibble, you may see a dramatic drop in insulin needs-- which would of course be wonderful in the long term :woot:, but can be scary as it's happening while you're still giving insulin. Dropping too low in blood sugar can be dangerous, even fatal, when there's insulin in the mix.

Are you at all willing to try home testing of blood glucose? Like I said, it's a steep learning curve and seems scary to do at first, but we have lots of tips to make it easier, and it really is the best way to keep your cat safe-- especially if you are going to make changes in diet/insulin. And, believe it or not, most cats end up enjoying the testing, or at least enjoying the treats they get afterwards-- my cat has been in remission for six months, and she still keeps going over and sitting at the "testing spot", to try to convince me it's ear-poking time!

Good luck talking to the vet, and keep asking questions here-- we all love to "pay forward" the help we have gotten on this site! :)
 
Hi Simi and Floridagolfgirl. Welcome to you both.

Important Safety Information:

I see Nan has given you great advice about diet.

For Simi's safety please read this article by vet Dr Lisa Pierson BEFORE any attempt to transition her to a lower carb diet:

http://catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes
http://catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes
It explains why it is VITAL that Simi's blood glucose level (BG) is monitored throughout any diet change where carb values are being reduced. If you're already home testing blood glucose, great! If you'd like to learn how, just shout. We've got great teaching materials here and we can help you out with lots of practical hints and tips.


Mogs
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You can find lots on U-Tube on how to test kitties.

You can buy inexpensive test kits at Walmart. Most by the Relion Conture. It is made for humans but works great for cats. You need to be testing before making any changes.
 
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