Switching from Vetsulin to ProZinc

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

marcuscameron68

New Member
Hello all,

Im forced to finally switch as Caninsulin is no longer available to the US, or me at least. My cat has been on Vetsulin for about 6-7 years now and doing very well at 16+ years old.

First question, is the dosage roughly the equivalent of Vetsulin/Caninsulin?

My cat barely gets over 1 unit, so it's a pretty low dose. Just wondering if it will last roughly the same amount of time, and if measurements will difficult (ie if Prozinc were 10x more powerful, It would be nearly impossible for me to accurately draw that amount into a U-40 syringe.

He is also very stable, and gets the same amount of insulin 2x daily and never needs adjustment.

Also, How long does it last once opened?

Thanks!
 
Hello and welcome to ProZinc. I'm not one of the expert users, but you've come to a great place for advice. The help and advice I received on this forum really helped me turn my cat Max's health around. ProZinc is a good insulin that gives a nice curve for most cats. You may end up liking it better than Caninsulin, a lot of people do. I would say doses are similar but not the same, so you will probably want to start out on a lower dose, maybe .5, and work your way up or down depending on blood sugar tests.
 
Hi!
what is his current dose, and what kind of duration do you get with the old insulin?
Carl
 
Also...
Where are his numbers at now, and what sort of drop in bg does he normally get from a dose?
 
Hi and Welcome! You will find we are a small but friendly group. Most people are on in the am and pm, not the middle of the day. This is the best place to ask for dosage advice, but try to give people at least 30 minutes to answer. If you have an emergency, be sure to post on Health where more people will see you.

In general, PZI will last longer than Vetsulin and have a smoother curve. Carl's questions are excellent and will help us answer yours. Also, what do you feed him and does he graze or have specific eating times?
 
Just because I know next to nothing about Vetsulin, here's what the Group forum says about it:

Tip #1, "Know Thy Insulin "
Insulins work in very different ways; some start to work immediately; Humulin N and Caninsulin are examples of this.
Others have their action start hours later like PZI, Lantus and Levemir

Caninsulin/Vetsulin is what is known as an intermediate insulin.
It is 30% fast acting insulin and 70% intermediate acting insulin. It is diluted as a U-40 insulin, please check your syringes are also U-40.

This results in an insulin that starts to work quickly in your cat, on average within about 60 minutes, that peaks/nadirs ( lowest point of blood glucose) approximately 4-6 hours after shot is given and tends to run out of steam between 8-10 hours after shot in some cats, some also get a full 12 hours of duration. Every Cat Is Different!
Click to expand...

I think it starts working faster than PZI, and probably peaks a little sooner, but it is a "u40", so I would think that dosage-wise, they are the same (i.e.. neither is stronger than the other).

Same data for PZI:


Onset/Nadir/Duration Overview

Onset, when the insulin starts taking effect, is typically around 2 hours after injection. The numbers will continue to rise until the point of onset, when they start to go down again.

Nadir, when the insulin is at its peak and BG values are lowest, is generally between 5 and 7 hours after injection. With ProZinc, the nadir can move around in the first 45 days of usage, as their body adjusts to the insulin.

Duration, the time until the insulin loses most of its effectiveness and BG values start to rise again, is often between 8 and 10 hours after injection. Read more about Duration on the Pet Diabetes Wiki.
Click to expand...

So, yeah, starts a bit later, peaks a bit later, about the same duration.

Carl
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top