1/10 Lantus vs. Caninsulin-which is better?

When Rocket was first dx with diabetes his vet Rx Lantus which ultimately took him otj 27 days after starting (Oct 1/08 to Oct 27/08)...we stayed at the falls for 2 yrs until Nov 6, 2010

i requested this vet (not the same one) to Rx Lantus as it was the insulin i knew...she hesitated and relucatantly Rx it to Rocket....

he's been on it since Nov 6/10
Now she is talking of switching him to Caninsulin as the rate of going on remission is higher on Caninsulin over Lantus and it's a much better insulin over all....

i know nothing about Caninsulin....

so questions:
has anyone out there used both?
which is better?
are there lots of users of Caninsulin?
is Caninsulin to be given bid?
are the doses higher on Caninsulin than on Lantus? i ask this last question cause Rocket is currently on 0.5u bid on Lantus....

thoughts and suggestions are much welcomed

 

I have absolutely no idea where your vet is getting her information. Lantus is considered MUCH better for cats, there are way better remission stats for lantus, and caninsulin was designed for DOGS. And yes, caninsulin is a BID insulin for cats. For more information on specific insulins, see the pet diabetes wikipedia article (linked somewhere on this site or google the term).

I WOULD NEVER suggest caninsulin over lantus.

Jen

 

Hey, you are here in Calgary??? Me too!

 

Lantus, hands down.

Caninsulin is what Vetsulin is called in Europe and Canada. They have stopped prescribing it in the US because of quality control issues: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=311

It is an insulin with a rapid onset - in most cats 3-5 hours after the dose they dip to nadir, and then a rapid rise. In most cats, it lasts less than 6-8 hours. Very few cats get a long duration with it.

The only people here "struggling" with it are users in Europe, where vets prescribe it first and won't prescribe other insulins until Canninsulin is shown not to be working. Check over on the Insulin forum for Vetsulin to read recent posts: viewforum.php?f=19

If I were changing, I would change to one of the longer lasting, less harsh insulins like Levemir or PZI.

 

Lantus as others are saying..
Is why i never started with caninsulin (repeating myself as I posted in your condo over in LL too)
But Lantus/Levemir or PZI, but I think it is harder to get PZI round these here parts...
My cousin who has had her cat on Caninsulin wasn't a believer in Remission, as her cat has been on insulin for years, and now hearing about Mowgli is reading on switching over to Lantus...
Anyway..
the proof is in the pudding, especially with the onset and duration times....

 

have to agree, lantus over caninsulin any day. your vet's info actually seems a bit backwards to me. caninsulin, aka: vetsulin, to me is comparable to humulin in it's action which is extremely hard on a cat and more risky in terms of hypo's, etc....than lantus, levemir, or prozinc.

as far as many people using it, not so much anymore. as was mentioned, here in the States it was pulled or was supposed to be pulled so you won't find many here in the States using it anymore. it does still seem to be prescribed in other countries and i'm guessing it wasn't pulled from them is why. there are plenty of people who are members here who have used it in the past so if for whatever reason you can't get the vet to realize their goof, people are around that can advise on it.

 

This argument always makes me chuckle a bit. Much as we love our 4-leggers, they aren't human and Lantus, Levemir etc are designed for humans. Sooo - the real answer is the best insulin for your cat is the one that works the best. If you've had success with Lantus b4, it seems reasonable to try it again. I think that we always have to be open to learning and adjusting so that we can achieve what Dr. Lisa referred to as optimal management (sorry - I don't have the quote, but I've seen it a couple of times). From what I've read, Caninsulin wouldn't be my first choice, and it wasn't my vets first choice. You have a history of use to fall back on which should be an important consideration for your vet.

 

I get the point of your chuckle but meant what I said. Lantus has worked well for this cat regardless of the species it was designed for, caninsulin is a considerable step back and it was designed for a species other than cats. History of the cat plays a role but also the combined case histories from this board.

 

Hi Claudia,
I have to agree with most of the replies here.
We began on Caninsulin and I regretted it. Switched to Lantus, and Luna did so much better on it that he was off the juice for 11 months after that.
I would never ever consider going back to Caninsulin. My own vet agreed with using Lantus too.
Very hard on kitties (and beans) thru my own experience and from what I've seen since the time I joined on this board.
Agree's also on the few users using it, mostly from Europe, as Sue & Oliver mentioned.