I need some advice (Vetsulin issue)

I was a member of this board previously but (except for using the Amazon link to make purchases), haven't been back for several months. This site has always been a Godsend. Today is no exception.

My 12-year-old cat, Zarley, was diagnosed with FD in November of 2008. So many people here helped me through everything from testing to monitoring to dosage (my vet, through it all, has been little or no help and even told me at one point I know more about FD than she ever will).

I'm sitting here shaking as I type this.

Ever since his diagnosis, Zarley has been on Vetsulin. It took him awhile to get him regulated, but we finally did it. I get new bottles of insulin every few months. In mid-December, I got a new bottle of Vetsulin from the vet and ordered new syringes online. Ever since then, Zarley's thirst and hunger seemed to slowly return. I started testing him and was shocked to see his numbers in the 400s again. I hadn't seen numbers that high since he was first diagnosed.

I did what most people would do. I monitored more closely. I double-checked all the canned food labels to see if maybe the ingredients had changed. I altered the dosages slightly. He'd be in the mid-400s, I'd give him a shot, the numbers would go down but only for a few hours. By the 6-hour point, he was back to his pre-shot BG. I took more curves, thinking maybe rebound was the culprit. I tested the syringes just using water and shooting it in the air thinking maybe the needles were defective. Two days ago I went back to the vet to get replacement syringes. I figured if that wasn't it, maybe I'd punctured the insulin bottle wrong or ...I don't know. I just knew something was wrong.

I came back to the great resource of this board, seeking information about a cat's numbers suddenly becoming higher after being regulated so long. It was then I found a post by someone who said something like, "You're not giving your cat Vetsulin, right? The company recalled it and is no longer making it."

Many of you here already know this, but the FDA issued a warning about Vetsulin as far back as early November. http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/new ... 188752.htm I read this and my heart dropped. I live in a rural area. I am only one of two people at my vet's office who has a diabetic cat on insulin. My vet not only failed to tell me about the Vetsulin issue in November, but she SOLD me Vetsulin in mid-December and failed to say anything when I was there for syringes two days ago (did I mention I'm sitting here, shaking?).

I know there are a lot of posts on different meds, but my main concern now is that I'm going to call my incompetent vet and she's going to tell me I'm either making a big deal out of nothing or she has to order other meds and to keep him on Vetsulin until then. I'm going to try to get Zarley to a new vet tomorrow but if I have to deal with my previous vet I will. I am so glad I came back here and learned about the recall.

It's after midnight and I'm trying to learn all I can about all these other types of insulin before I need to call the vet at 8am. I don't know Lantus from Levemir or..... I'm just looking for something I can do on a 12 hour cycle as I did with Vetsulin. . I just need some direction on what to do next. Anyone? Again, as always, thank you.

 

if you are very rural it's actually possible your vet doesn't know about the problem with vetsulin either. maybe print out the fda notice and/or ask her to look into it some more for you (i think vet's actually got or can get more info about it then laypeople can). sooooooooooo for tonight, don't panic over the vet issue yet. talk to them first and see if they knew or if they didn't. if they knew and didn't say anything, then that's another story and yes, i would feel deceived and perhaps want a new vet.

then, surely there is a walmart or similar store with a pharmacy around?? within a reasonable distance? if so, have your vet write you a prescription for lantus, which is a human insulin so you can get it at a human pharmacy and start reading about and studying it's use in kitties and get started on it right away. it probably is the most commonly prescribed insulin now for kitties and is turning out to be a very good successful insulin for them. the vet may not be familiar with it's use in kitties just yet but explain to her that you want to get your kitty off vetsulin asap and you and her will research and study this insulin together (we can provide you info to read and present to her too)

sound like a plan? if so, breathe and relax for tonight. or check out the stickies at the top of the lantus insulin support group if you feel up to getting a jump on this tonight. or if your day has been as %$&*#% as mine, have some alcohol :lol:

 

Hi,

I agree with Cindy.
Please don't panic about the vetsulin, the main problem seems to be with one of the specifications. It now means they can't guarantee onset, peak and duration.
Kudos to you for monitoring Zarley more closely (good protective factor).
There seems to be a lot of vets that don't know about this recall, not just rural ones. Whether they rely on the pharmaceutical reps? who want to make money (they wouldn't out of a humaninsulin), you just don't know.

I'd definitely recommend the Lantus or Levemir. Although Zarley has been diabetic for well over a year, we've just had a kitty in the Lantus isg, who uses Levemir become diet controlled after 2 years! So you never know.

Just as Cindy said need your vet to write the script.

Your vet can access the FDA warning on the internet as well as the company video (it's posted in the vetsulin isg).

If vet in agreement to switch, come back ask lots of questions and we can help you. You can literally stop vetsulin and 12 hours later start your new one. Need to have discussion of whether you would start back at 1u (assuming your on more than that presently) or something higher. Lantus and Lev are very different to vetsulin, so you need to read up on them.

Good luck