Getting To The Bottom Of The ProZinc Bottle

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jenn & Baxter

Jenn & Baxter

Very Active Member
I have a question about getting to the bottom of the bottle of ProZinc.

I have about 1/4 of the bottle left. What is it suppose to look like?
My stays white cloudy. When I turn the bottle upside down there isn't the white cloud that mixes & becomes a white-ish color.

I have started my research on buying a new bottle. Right now I can't find anybody other then the vet that sells it. I was hoping to find it a little cheaper then $140.
I have called:
Costco
SAMs club
Walmart

I am hoping someone will be able to answer how the insulin is suppose to look as it gets closer to the end of the bottle.

Thank you!
 
I've got about 1/8" left in the bottom of my first bottle. It still looks pretty much like the new bottle - once rolled, cloudy white. Alot of people have commented on the effectiveness of their bottle as it got to the bottom, and the impact of a new bottle. I've not seen much of an effect, but that may be because I'm doing larger doses now, and going through it faster. We opened our bottle on Jan 13th; the new one Friday.

My bottle came from the vet. Because ProZinc is designed for veterinary use, I don't know how many places you'll find it other than vet offices. The BCP PZI is made locally by your pharmacist, but I've heard there can be variations in it's performance/effectiveness, as it's subject to their accuracy when they mix it. I'm thinking my vet charges $120 for the vial. Maybe you could call around to some other vets and ses what they charge...of course, they won't sell it to you without an exam/visit... so I think your regular vet is in the drivers seat. And I don't know that this will be effective, but can you ask them if they can give you a better price, given all of Baxter's expenses. Sometimes they might throw you a bone... but you gotta ask someone who's capable of saying yes... the girls at the front desk don't have that authority.
 
I'm down to less than 1/4 of my bottle, and bought a new one Friday. Shot from the new one Saturday AM and no difference so am using the last of the original bottle. The white cloud effect is much smaller in the old bottle, more of a constant cloudy as if pre-mixed.

I did a search in Google for ProZinc and it can be bought online, but shipping includes a cold pack to keep it cold so extra bucks there. I can get it cheaper from my vet at $86 a bottle. My vet (I changed vets after the original treated me badly) normally doesn't offer ProZinc but ordered it special for me. Any vet can order it. It might be worth your while to call around. It might also be worth your while to talk to your vet about the pricing. Some will discount.

A tidbit of information: Many vets use a service to determine their pricing based on the financial status of their geographic area of probable clients. I live in a very low economic area so the vet prices here are about half the affluent areas nearby. Might be worth your while to call vets in lower economic areas around you.
 
I used my vial of Prozinc right down to the last drop. There wasn't any change in potency or in mixing it.

When we first heard that Costco was pilot testing selling pet meds I called my Costco and asked, they said no they didn't sell it. When I was there shopping one day I stopped by the pharmacy and explained the pilot program to the pharmacist and she had never heard of it but wrote down the spelling and went to check in their system. She came back and said that they didn't carry it but that they could order it. It cost $75 and I would need to order it 3 days in advance.

When I was at the vet clinic and needed to buy another vial I asked for a script and told them that I could buy it at Costco for $75 instead of the $130 they charged me last time unless they could make it worth my while to not have to drive the 20 miles to Costco. They came back and sold it to me for $83.
 
I have about 1/3rd left and it no longer forms that cloud...it is like it was already mixed. Constant color throughout vial. I have also noticed since discovering this that Jax requires more of his dose to see decent numbers. We are approx 60 days into our bottle, vet tells me 30-45 days for optimal dose. I believe it. I'll be picking up a new bottle this weekend.

My bottles are also running under $100. Can't recall what it was exactly but I was surprised at the price expecting it to be higher. I thought the desk rep made an error in the price! Older, lower income demographic in my vet's area so maybe there is something to that after all.
 
Sounds like we all need to play a little "Let's Make a Deal" when we get our new bottles! Wish this thread was posted a week ago!!! ;-)

I know with something else, several years ago, I asked the vet if I could purchase whatever it was cheaper somewhere else (probably flea treatment on line). They told me that if they supported their clients outsourcing their meds, they would have to increase the cost of their services. Clearly if there's enough markup for Costco to sell it for almost half what some of us have paid, and there's still gotta be a profit margin they're making... we've been had! :shock:

Thanks for asking Jenn - and thanks for all the good insight, everyone else!
 
Hi -

I sought this conversation out because I suspect that my bottle of ProZinc is losing its effectiveness. This is the second bottle in a row that, at about the 3/4 mark, I am doubling my cat's dose but still his glucose levels are too high.

I keep the bottle in the fridge, and gently roll it before each use.
 
How long has it been open, and is the expiration date still "good". If you're having to double the dose, it sounds like you may be right. Is it still cloudy, or do you see bigger "floaties" in the suspension?
Carl
 
There might be something else going on that's raising the numbers but it seems odd that it happens on two bottles at about the same time. What kind of dose and numbers are we talking about?
Carl
 
Hi Elaine - is there any chance there's an ear infection or something else going on? That seems to have impacted Grayson's numbers a lot. Just a thought.

Lu-Ann
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top