shed storage with lantus??

[jgriffith]

Hi my new vet just emailed me this when I spoke about the insulin depot...and sent him the link from this forum
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=150
huh?
"Yes, With cat use glargine this is why it is extremely important to get the insulin in the lean SQ and not SQ fat such as the scuff location. We do not see the depot effect in cats like in humans that inject into fatty SQ (a low vascularity tissue). Glargine is a human basal insulin and there is always a primary shorter acting insulin given with meals. The glargine in cats lasts about 14-16 hours depending on the individual cat and is used as a primary insulin. The ups and downs in a cat BG curve are from diet, concurrent inflammation, injection location and slight variations in drawn up dose. Ane quilibrium is reached in the cats and with proper dosing there is not a glargine accumulation effect (storage shed).''
I am confused confused_cat

 

[jgriffith]

I sent him the link to read and he sent me the reply in an email

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Your vet is correct in that the duration of Lantus is half that of humans. In humans, Lantus is dosed once a day whereas in cat's it's a twice a day dose. However, this is due to a cat's metabolism being twice as fast as a human's, not due to the lack of an insulin depot. There is no evidence to suggest that the pharmacology of Lantus is different in cats than it is in humans -- or I've not come across any research that would suggest that the pharmacology is different. in this regard, your vet appears to be incorrect.

Lantus forms microprecipitate crystals due to the difference in its pH (it's slightly acidic) vs. the pH of a human or cat's body. These crystals then reside in the adipose (i.e., fat) tissue. They then gradually dissolve thereby giving Lantus its long duration. That's the way the insulin works regardless of species.
We've not found that there is a major effect from the location of a shot. Some cats do very well with a scruff shot and others with a shot in a different location. It's an individual difference variable.

I should point out that "long" is a relative term. If you were to look at shorter acting insulin and compare its duration in humans vs. cats, you'd routinely find that insulin lasts half as long in cats as in humans.

 

[Leslie and Jasper]

I think the vet is confirming that for cats we want to shoot SQ (subcutaneous) under the skin into the empty space inside the tent, not into fat beneath the skin. I have read that some human diabetics inject themselves in a fat fold.