LANTUS BETTER THAN PROZINC?

[KUMA CAT]

I have just started giving insulin shots twice a day to my cat, Kuma. Kuma's blood sugar was 412 when the vet tested him. The vet gave me insulin called "ProZinc". Some people indicate Lantus insulin works better. My vet says he only has used Prozinc, but I am going to ask if he could special order Lantus instead:

1. If you are currently using ProZinc, can you switch to Lantus without a problem, or do they differ in strength?

2. Would I have to give less (or more) to be equivalent to the dose of the current ProZinc I am using?

3. Does Lantus insulin use U-100 syringes?

 

[BJM]

I have used both types of insulins. They differ in action.

Lantus forms small crystals under the skin which dissolve slowly to take effect. There are some crystals left by the time of the next shot. This is the depot. This overlap results in smoother, less fluctuating curves in many cats. The dose is adjusted based up on the nadir, or lowest glucose post-shot. It is very pricey in the US, so ordering from Canada can help with the costs (Mark's Marine).

ProZinc is not a depot insulin. There is generally no overlap between shots unless you find you have to shoot TID (every 8 hours) to get good control because in some cats, it may last less than 12 hours. You can use a sliding scale with ProZinc once you have collected data and determined what dose works best at what pre-shot glucose levels. In some cases, it can be more flexible than Lantus.

Both insulins may be dosed with a U-100 syringe, however to do that with ProZinc, you must use the conversion chart, or be comfortable with math.

My schedule can be difficult to fit to strict 12 hour dosing times, so I used Prozinc with Gracie.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

You vet really does not order Lantus. Lantus is a human insulin all yo need a prescription from your vet and you can then go to a human pharmacy and purchase it.
Each cat is different. Some do better on ProZinc and some better on Lantus.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

You might try the ProZinc before switching. It can work well for many cats. The important components of treatment are giving shots twice daily, feeding wet low carb food and monitoring blood sugar levels at home. We can help you get started with home testing, which should be started before changing diet, as a change to wet low carb can mean a sharp decline in levels. A protocol we put together for ProZinc is in my signature in blue. It might be helpful.

Someone wise once said, " the best insulin is the one that works best for your cat". As every cat is different. We do recommend Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc as the most successful, mildest and longest lasting insulin for felines.

 

[Karen & Rudy]

We just switched from Prozinc to Lantus. We took him off Prozinc and waited 3 days before starting Lantus. We started at 1 unit every 12 hours of lantus even though we had been on 3 units of Prozinc. This is how our vet guided us, but of course everyone is different