My 18y/old's diabetes just returned from a four year honeymoon. Four years ago he was on an affordable insulin but my vet recommended he go on Lantus this time which is $140 for 10ml bottle. That was the Walgreen's price. I'm trying to call around and find it more affordable. I live in the central Florida area, does anyone have suggestions for major or mom and pop places that might be cheaper? My husband does not feel we can afford this every month. We have already eliminated cable tv and cell phones from our budget. Nothing really left to slash so really hoping there's something cheaper. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!
Newly rediagnosed elderly diabetic cat
- Thread starter Tas' Mum
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Hope + (((Baby)))GA
Member Since 2009
Please read all the info on this forum which is part of FDMB. I don't use Lantus but you have a choice of Lantus or Levemir to use. Majority buy the SoloStar cartridges of Lantus, cheaper in the long run than buying that vial. All the info you need is on this one post.......[url viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151 url] Others will be along to help you but this link will get you started.
hmjohnston
Member Since 2011
You might do a search of members in Florida to see if there are any near you or post on the Lantus board for help. If someone is near you they might sell you a pen or you might call around and find out if pharmacies will break a 5 pack open and just sell you a pen at a time.
To be more economical buying the pens would be better. Yes, they are more expensive but they tend to last longer. Vials tend to only last 30-40 days (but can manage to last longer with proper care) but they do poop out before it is all gone and you throw it away. Depending on the dose you might not be able to use the whole vial- especially not if he is on such a low dose. With a pen- they have the same expiration time but there is less in them so most people here tend to use the pens to the last drop and then you have another one. A vial might last two months while a 5 pack of pens can last 3/4 of a year.
Four years was a long time for a honeymoon- do you know why he returned diabetic? Has he been sneaking some dry food or high carb food?
To be more economical buying the pens would be better. Yes, they are more expensive but they tend to last longer. Vials tend to only last 30-40 days (but can manage to last longer with proper care) but they do poop out before it is all gone and you throw it away. Depending on the dose you might not be able to use the whole vial- especially not if he is on such a low dose. With a pen- they have the same expiration time but there is less in them so most people here tend to use the pens to the last drop and then you have another one. A vial might last two months while a 5 pack of pens can last 3/4 of a year.
Four years was a long time for a honeymoon- do you know why he returned diabetic? Has he been sneaking some dry food or high carb food?
squeem3
Member Since 2009
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
The link Hope posted doesn't work. Here it is: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151
You can read the info on the Lantus board to understand how the insulin works for cats: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewforum.php?f=9
Most people here use the SoloStar pens, not the 10 ml bottle. The 10 ml bottle can lose effectiveness in as a little as a month. And with cats needing such tiny amounts of insulin, you're throwing away a barely used bottle when it loses effectiveness.
A SoloStar pen is 3 ml and you can pretty much use it to the last dop. The pens come in a box of five which costs around $225 or so. Some pharmacies may sell a single pen. To save money, some people here buy their Lantus from online Canadian pharmacies. Here is the info: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11530 If you rather not deal with shipping, there is a $25 off coupon you can use at your local pharmacy: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=36964 You can also use a free prescription card to save some money on Lantus: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=53397&hilit=+pet+prescription+card
Levemir is similar to Lantus but not too many vets have experience with it or even know about it.
ProZinc is another insulin you could use. It is made for pets so you would need to buy it from the vet or from an online vet pharmacy such as DrsDfosterandSmith.com or 1800PetMeds.com.
BCP PZI is another option. There is a free 5ml bottle your vet can request for you: http://www.bcpvetpharm.com/products_bovine.htm
Wow! You guys are awesome!!! Thanks for the links Hope and squeem3! And hmjohnston, I really don't know why he became diabetic again. We have ZERO handouts at the table and no treats except catnip. The ONLY thing he gets fed is the Purina DM canned food....though I did recently switch him to their new formula which has more gravy and is flaky. He had stopped eating the regular kind so I was excited when this new formula came out as he LOVES it. You don't think that could have done it do you? That's really been the only change. And insulin was SO much cheaper the last time he needed it. So confused why it is now three times as much. the pharmacist I talked to was surprised too.
I'm going to read about the pens - had heard about them but the vet did not mention them so I didn't look into it. And thank you also for the coupon link squeem3! Those should really help out.
Thanks again guys and thanks to everyone who reads, posts, and helps people out on this board!!
I'm going to read about the pens - had heard about them but the vet did not mention them so I didn't look into it. And thank you also for the coupon link squeem3! Those should really help out.
Thanks again guys and thanks to everyone who reads, posts, and helps people out on this board!!
squeem3
Member Since 2009
Tas' Mum said:
Treats are ok just as long as they are low carb :smile: Here's a list of popular low carb treats: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172 Plain boiled or steamed chicken is great if your cat likes that.
I think it could be. Generally anything in gravy means high carbs because of the starches used to thicken up the gravy.
Here are the ingredients for the canned DM in gravy: Water sufficient for processing, chicken, liver, wheat gluten, meat by-products, corn starch-modified, soy flour, artificial and natural flavors, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, salt, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, added color, zinc sulfate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), pyridoxine hydrochhloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.
Corn starch and soy flour are hidden sources of carbs. Wheat gluten is an allergen to some cats. Overall the food is really poor quality to feed a cat, IMO. Not to mention expensive. :-Q
Have you ever fed your cat a commerical brand of canned food? Nearly everyone here feed a commercial canned food brand to their diabetic cats. Brands such as Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness, and Merrick are good choices. Are you familar with the food charts? Dr. Lisa (of Catinfo.org, great place to learn about proper cat nutrition) posted an updated food chart here: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=79683 On her chart, stick with foods that have a number 10or less in the carb column. DM is on her chart near the bottom. Regular DM is 3% carbs and the gravy DM is 10% carbs, not bad really carb-wise but you can buy much better quality foods for a lot less and your cat would like them even more :smile: A lot of cats get bored with eating DM.
Other charts and lists you can use but may have slightly outdated info are:
Binky's canned food charts
Pet Food Nutritional Values list
Hobo's Guide To Nutritional Values
Dr. Lynne's Wet Food list
List of low carb gluten free Fancy Feast
On Binky's charts, stick with foods that have a number 10 or less in the carbs colum. On the Pet Food Nutritional Values Chart and Hobo's Guide, look at the %kcal from carbs column and choose foods that have a number 10 or less.
Everything has gotten expensive in the last couple of years :roll:
Many vets don't know about the SoloStar pens. For cats, you use the SoloStar pen the same way as a bottle: stick the insulin syringe needle into the rubber stopper. By using insulin sringes, you can measure half unit and even quarter units doses. The pen only doses in whole units which is fine for a Human diabetic but so so much for cats. One of the stickies on the Lantus board has info on how to use a pen with an insulin syringe.
Ry & Scooter
Member Since 2011
Diabetes doesn't go away - once diabetic, always diabetic. It can go into remission but it can't be cured.
The gravy formula of Purina DM is now 10% carbs. The old one was 3%. The change to higher carbs may have brought him out of remission.
You should switch to a non prescription food. That would save you a ton of money you could put towards the insulin. Check out the links squeem3 posted above for carb %'s of some popular foods.
I know Lantus is expensive, especially in the USA. There are other cheap insulins like Humulin N and Caninsulin but they are not appropriate for a cat - they cause harsh fast drops and then wear off after 6-8 hrs. Not good for regulation at all. Lantus is the insulin I use with my diabetic.
Yes many vets don't know about the insulin pen cartridges. They're basically mini vials. They come in packs of 5 with 3ml in each cartridge. You draw insulin out of them with a syringe just like a vial. I use the cartridges down to the last drop - they last on average 2-3 months for me if handled properly and kept in the fridge. So a 5 pack of cartridges is about a year's worth of insulin whereas you'd be lucky to get 3-4 months out of a large vial before you had to toss it.
The gravy formula of Purina DM is now 10% carbs. The old one was 3%. The change to higher carbs may have brought him out of remission.
You should switch to a non prescription food. That would save you a ton of money you could put towards the insulin. Check out the links squeem3 posted above for carb %'s of some popular foods.
I know Lantus is expensive, especially in the USA. There are other cheap insulins like Humulin N and Caninsulin but they are not appropriate for a cat - they cause harsh fast drops and then wear off after 6-8 hrs. Not good for regulation at all. Lantus is the insulin I use with my diabetic.
Yes many vets don't know about the insulin pen cartridges. They're basically mini vials. They come in packs of 5 with 3ml in each cartridge. You draw insulin out of them with a syringe just like a vial. I use the cartridges down to the last drop - they last on average 2-3 months for me if handled properly and kept in the fridge. So a 5 pack of cartridges is about a year's worth of insulin whereas you'd be lucky to get 3-4 months out of a large vial before you had to toss it.
squeem3
Member Since 2009
I had a thought - are you testing your cat's blood glucose levels at home? By doing it at home, you don't have to spend $$$ at the vet's office for inaccurate results. And daily testing is a must for any diabetic, whether Human or pet. Blindly giving insulin is dangerous.
Here are tips on how to save money on your diabetic cat's supplies and care: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/frugal.html
Here are tips on how to save money on your diabetic cat's supplies and care: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/frugal.html
Kdd921
Member Since 2012
I get a 1000ml bottle of Lantus from walgreens for $140 in Illinois. Walmart was way more expensive, $260. But when you think about it, if your only giving your cat 6units a day that bottle lasts you a couple months! Its still expensive yes, but I was relieved that it would last awhile.
Hello - sorry to hear your kitties diabetes became active again. I have a couple of suggestions - many people get a written prescription from the vet and buy it through an online canadian pharmacy. There is a permanent link at the top on ones people have used. I think I've seen on the websites that you can get a lantus vial for $65.00 or the pens for $125.00. Make sure though its certified by the canadian goverment - some places don't seem to be. Another option I've done (but always advise some caution) is to check craigslist. People sell unused Lantus there for different reasons. If you do go that route make sure you check the expiration date, that the seal is intact, and if its been properly stored (refrigerated). I got a box of Lantus pens (retail $225) for $50 from a lady who was switching to a pump and couldn't use the pens anymore. She put in her ad that they had been stored properly and why she was selling them. My husband is unemployed so buying the pens retail isn't possible. When I run out of my current Lantus I'll be checking Craigslist again for sure. Jan
Hope + (((Baby)))GA
Member Since 2009
One woman I worked with in learning how to take care of her diabetic cat contacted me a few months ago.....after 6 years of remission her cat is now 13 and out of remission. He beat DKA, fatty liver, and owner was spot on with everything and did t.i.d. and in no time he went OTJ. Why he became diabetic again no way of knowing. She made sure on his food at all times, no snacks, no getting into garbage, no dry, but still out of remission and this time harder to work with getting numbers down. I honestly feel that kitties that do go OTJ early on will eventually, as they become older, will go back to needing insulin again. I'm one who worries more if a cat that has needed insulin for several years, suddenly doesn't need it anymore. IMHO, that kitty needs a full workup and a cardio visit. Something is going on.
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