New and Overwhelmed with Insulin Expenses

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amandazzle

amandazzle

Member Since 2013
Hey everyone!

I am sure this is a topic that comes up frequently, but I am very scared about the cost of my newly diagnosed diabetic cat, Foster. I live on a tiny nonprofit salary and have almost no discretionary income, so I appreciate any feedback from those that have figured these things out.

The vet offered me only one choice in insulin which was $180 for 10ml (I can't remember the name...perhaps it was Lantus)! He kept saying it was the best. And although at my kitty's current dose that should last 6 months, he said I must throw it out after 3 months. After some prodding for ANY other options that I could actually afford he said I could use Prozinc (still $95, but that is significantly better). He was reluctant to offer it and I wasn't sure why. He mentioned something about supply shortages that have occurred in the past.


So a few questions...

Does anyone keep the insulin until they run out? I will be using brand new sterile disposable needles. I used to work in a lab and have good sterile technique, but I realize that it is still exposed to the air and potential contaminants. If I still worked there, I would divide that vial into two.

Can you purchase a smaller amount so that the product and consequently my money will not be wasted? I mean why would they only sell it in a 10ml quantity?

I read in the insulin section that there is a insulin made from bovine versus the rDNA name-brand Prozinc variety. The costs seem significantly better. Is there a reason that I would not start with the cheapest option and see how the cat responds?

Foster has also started on prescription wet food, which I will also not be able to afford, but I see that there are some affordable Store Brand options. Does anyone here make their own food and is it generally more affordable? I would certainly be willing to try that method.


He has been on this routine for about five days and I must say that the thirst and urination ceased almost immediately. He also seems to be in better spirits. Thanks to the information on this site, I am moving my other cat to a wet food diet as well. He is a little pudgy and after seeing my kitty bounce back so quickly, I am sold!

Thanks in advance,
Amandazzle
 
Hello and welcome to you and your sugar cat Foster. Take at this useful link on inexpensive ways to purchase Lantus. http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.ca/2013/11/lantus.html. Lantus is a good insulin. Here is some info on storing and handling Lantus to make it last longer. We have a protocol here for Lantus that has been scientifically proven to have the highest rates of remission, should that be your goal.

You definitely don't need the expensive prescription foods. Many people here use Fancy Feast or Friskies pates, or Wellness in the tall cans is also cost effective. Look at the foods listed in this commercially available food chart. Foods under 10% are suitable for diabetic cats. Read more about feline nutrition at http://www.catinfo.org. That website also has a recipe for home made raw food should you wish to try that.

We are also strong advocates of home testing your cat's blood sugar, if you are not doing that already. It really is the only way to keep Foster safe.

There is a lot of reading at first and a lot to learn, but keep asking questions, we all want you to succeed. :-D
 
Wow! Thank you so much for this. I was digging through all the info on this site and wasn't able to find anything about Lantus, so this is wonderfully good news. Very encouraging and nice to know they sell it in smaller amounts. I was really bothered by the waste...even it it was affordable, I live very cheaply and try not to waste anything. I also didn't realize that Lantus was 100u/ml, which means it would last even longer than the Prozinc.

And is Lantus the only insulin that has the potential to reverse a diabetic diagnosis? And why is that?

Since he was just diagnosed, I have pretty much been following the vet's instructions. However, he wants me to go back in a week and get a glucose curve. I found some info on this site that said that if I was testing at home that this may not be necessary, or even the best option. I like my vet and I think he has my cat's best interest at heart (not to mention that he is the most affordable that I could find in this city with a vet college), but I am a bit afraid to second guess him. Even with switching the food to something like Fancy Feast...I feel like I have to sneak around.

Amandazzle
 
welcome! We have lots of people managing on smaller incomes so we can help.

Lantus has a very good record of remission success, especially if you can do the tight regulation protocol. You might go back to the Home page of this site and look at the Insulin support groups. You can see how people are managing this disease and the outcomes. BCPZI is the cheapest of the better insulins but the remission rate is not as concrete. It works very well for some cats, not as well for others.

My vet wanted me to feed prescription food, but I fed Fancy Feast. (Friskies is fine and is the cheapest option). We agreed to disagree. You can tell your vet that you will feed wet low carb food in the brand you can afford. Or you can just feed it - no one is watching you open the can. :-D You might refer him to this website by a vet: www.catinfo.org.

We test our kitties at home. We wouldn't blindly shoot insulin into our two legged children for two weeks without checking their blood sugar. We do the same for our four legged kids. And it will save you lots! You can get a ReliOn meter from Walmart, lancets and strips for under $40. We can teach you how. Then, when it comes time for that curve at the vet in a few weeks, email him your spreadsheet full of numbers. Tell him you have been testing at home and ask him to give you advice based on the numbers. If he is not all about making money, he should be happy to.

We don't like vet curves, not only because of the costs but because we feel they aren't accurate. Stress raises bg levels and most cats are very stressed at the vet. Numbers from home more accurately reflect what is really going on, day by day.
 
ProZinc really is not less expensive than Lantus. A 10 ml vial of ProZinc only contains 400 units of insulin while a 10 ml vial of Lantus contains 1000 units of insulin, Insulin is dosed by units, not volume since insulin comes in different concentrations. All human insulins like Lantus are U100 (100 units per ml) while most for-animal insulins like ProZinc are U40 (40 units per ml).
 
I was thinking of the initial cost, Larry, as some people never need the second vial. Carl recently got BCP PZI for $48 (10 ml vial). It comes in 100U strength or U40. Vets used to be able to get a free sample the first time - not sure that still applies.
 
Indeed Lantus is more affordable! That is great, because that is what he wanted to begin with. I wish that he would have explained the costs and some ways to make things go further as this forum has done. What a great website.

I am headed to the store today to today to get a glucose meter and some more syringes. Foster used to be a therapy cat so he is pretty easy going. I think of all the cats that I have had, he would be the easiest to give any type of medication. He doesn't love the stick while he is eating and usually just walks circles around the food bowl to avoid it. However, the needles are small, and if I am on my game, I know that I can do it quickly enough that he won't bolt.

Amandazzle
 
What kind of meter did you get? If you live in the US the relion brand at Walmart is reasonably priced. A shopping list is below in case you missed anything, and here are some testing tips: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13c_CPZVKz27fD_6aVbsguadJKvjSrSAkD7flgPPhEag/pub

Let us know how you get on.
Wendy

Getting started shopping list
1. Meter ie Walmart Relion Confirm or Micro.
2. Matching strips
3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool.
4. Cotton balls to stem the blood
5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment with pain relief to heal the wound
6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against
7. Ketone urine test strips ie ketodiastix - Important to check ketones when blood is high
8. Sharps container - to dispose of waste syringes and lancets.
9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken
10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast
11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast
 
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