question about drawing insulin

[Karen & Rudy]

We are getting low on our first prozinc bottle and I am wondering how low to go before we order a new bottle? and also how low can we physically go safely drawing up the insulin with out any air?

 

[Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)]

Call your vet and see if they have some prozinc there, or how long it'll take to get some. It should be something they can get in just a couple days.

Don't worry about drawning air up. You can tip the syringe point up, tap it lightly with your fingertip, let the insulin settle down, then squeeze the air out slowly. If you can't get all the air out, a tiny bubble isn't a problem. Remember, you are putting the insulin into the "space" between the skin and the muscle, where a tiny air bubble isn't going to be a problem. It isn't the same as if you were putting air into a vein with an IV shot.

 

[terriy]

A trick that I learned over time is not to insert the needle all the way into the bottle. When my bottle gets low I only insert the tip and I'm able to get almost every drop of insulin out of the bottle.
Also, I have had a few mishaps over time and I always order my bottle a little sooner than I really need it. Once when I picked up my bottle from the vet it had been crushed and I was so glad that I ordered before I really needed it or I would have been in trouble!!

 

[Karen & Rudy]

Excellent advice! Thank you!! That will help me get the most out of this bottle. It's so expensive, I'd hate to throw a bunch away. I'll put an order in with my vet this week to make sure they have some on hand, especially with the holidays coming up- you never know how long things might take to travel.

THANKS

 

[Mjh516]

I was told not to use the last little bit in the bottle....that it settles out or breaks down. Is that still the current thought, or old fashioned?

 

[Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)]

The insulin should be cloudy, but not have "floaties" in it. As long as it doesn't look like it has tiny clumps in it, then it should be "good till the last drop".