Does the type of insulin make a difference?

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Bob and Baby

Bob and Baby

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My 16 year old male cat, Baby, was diagnosed with diabetes 3 weeks ago. We are following the protocol on the "YourDiabeticCat.com site but using Lantus instead of PZI as the insulin. My vet said he couldn't find PZI and believes it is not made anymore. Does anyone know if this is true? The website strongly encouraged the use of PZI over Lantus to help a cat toward remission. Any opinons or experiences on this? PS So far Baby is doing fairly well with the Lantus, having only required two 1/2 unit injections over the last 5 days.
 
It does make a huge difference if your following the YDC protocal. That is an excellent protocal for PZI which you can buy compounded through BCP PZI in Texas. Lantus is one of the best insulins out there today and I would recommend that over PZI. It's gentle and so much easier on the kitty. But Lantus does not fit with the protocal the doctor created, it acts different than PZI and needs to be treated differently.

A few of my cats did follow the YDC protocal and they did well, but the ups and downs they experienced I had no idea were uncomfortable until I switched to a similar L insulin called Levemir. All of a sudden they had more energy and played more, they weren't moody because their levels were consistant.

I would recommend that you check out the Lantus support group here, read the stickies and read some of the "condos" the daily posts where people discuss their kitty and the doses.

viewforum.php?f=9

I think you'll find a ton of great information about Lantus, why it's best to be consistent with the dose, and if you introduce yourself to the folks there you'll get a very warm welcome.
 
The protocol on that site was for PZI only. We do have lots of members using Lantus and it does have its own protocol. The stickies on the top of this page have lots of good information: viewforum.php?f=9

You can get Prozinc from a vet. It is supposed to be similar to PZI. Here is a thread discussing ProZinc and compounded PZI: http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/r ... 02,1911602 We also have a ProZinc support group. This document has a lot of information: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32799 We do not use the protocol on YDC, but instead use a start low, go slow approach.
 
yes, insulin type makes a huge difference. in many ways, i.e. remission in some cases, dose, feeding/shooting schedule, shootable glucose levels, etc....

fwiw, the ydc site is pretty much out of date anymore as it was designed around pzi. some tried adapting the protocol to other insulins but unfortunately using the protocol designed for pzi with other insulins, i.e. lantus, humulin, etc..... didn't work so well for some kitties. to be real blunt even, with an insulin like lantus, it can be dangerous. i mean, the idea of tight regulation is great, but it is reached a different way with an insulin like lantus so as to avoid overdosing a cat.

what i would suggest to you is going to the lantus insulin support group here and read the stickies/notes at the top of the forum. there's a lot of useful info, necessary info, about how to best use and safely use lantus. viewforum.php?f=9

also, yes, pzi by idexx was discontinued and is no longer available. there is a new insulin out there that is supposed to be it's replacement and is called prozinc. you will find that some will refer to it as pzi and will find it under the pzi insulin support group here. it's similar but not quite the same as pzi.
 
Yes, the type of insulin makes a difference. You are looking at absorption time, peak time and duration. They vary by type of insulin. The 3 factor affect dosing protocols.

The longer acting insulins like Lantus and Levemir benefit from consistent dosing. Shorter acting insulins like the older PZI and some human insulins act very quickly and don't last long in cats.

Feline metabolism is very fast. That is why Lantus and Levemir are dosed twice a day in cats.

Hope this helps.

Claudia
 
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