? 2 doses in of Humulin-N…

Discussion in 'Caninsulin / Vetsulin and N / NPH' started by Paigeworthy, Oct 23, 2018.

  1. Paigeworthy

    Paigeworthy Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Hi all!
    I brought River home yesterday from the veterinary ER with 2 prescriptions, one for Lantus and the other for Humulin. After spending $4,000 from Saturday on I just couldn't stomach $350 on the Lantus, so Humulin it is.
    She's 2 doses in after a couple of days' worth of IV-administered insulin at the vet, and I'd love any advice you can offer me about this regimen.
    Are there any particular pros/cons to this insulin vs. others? Anything I should know?
     
  2. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Hi and welcome.

    While some kitties do just fine on Humulin-N, in many that insulin doesn't last through an entire 12 hour cycle and that can make for a bit of a rollercoaster ride of up and down BGs. It is an IN and OUT insulin so once it's metabolized, BG just soars back up to previous levels and sometimes higher due to a phenomenon known as bouncing. ECID and in the big scheme of things, the best insulin for your cat is the one that works for your cat.

    Lantus is a longer lasting depot insulin which means it lasts the full 12 hour cycle and forms a depot of insulin that allows for some carry over from 12 cycle to cycle leading in most cases to a less dramatic curve and a somewhat better chance of regulation (or possibly even remission).

    I take it you were pricing Lantus at the pharmacy for a 10ml vial. Many folks here purchase their insulin from Marks Marine pharmacy in Canada. You can order the pens which contain 3ml each and get a box of 5 pens for roughly half of what the pharmacy quoted you for the 10ml vial. This equates to roughlyat least a year's worth of insulin for most kitties and possibly even more. You will be able to use up every drop which sadly is not the case with the bigger vials. HERE is a link to some info about ordering from Mark's.

    I see you have set up a spreadsheet for River. Are you waiting for a meter to be delivered? If so, what meter will you be using? It would be helpful if you could add that info to your signature so we don't keep asking you about it.

    Your routine should be to test River before each shot and that test should be taken a miniumum of 2 hours after food so it is not food influenced. After testing feed River a decent meal and wait 20 to 30 minutes and then give the dose of insulin. We also recommend, whenever possible that you check BG in the middle of each cycle to see how low the insulin is actually pushing the BG. Dosing is based on how low the dose takes kitty while pre-shot tests let you know it is safe to give insulin.

    Here is a STICKY that you can read to get a better understanding of Humulin-N and how it is used.

    I'll leave it there for now so as not to overwhelm you and let you familiarize yourself with the insulin. Please post any and all questions. We're here to help in any way we can. :)
     
    Bama Kitty Mom (GA) likes this.
  3. Paigeworthy

    Paigeworthy Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Hey @MrWorfMen's Mom, uploading a screengrab of the order form from Mark's Marine — is this what I want? The price is amazing even with shipping taken into account.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Yes, that's it.:) Just so you know, you will receive pens that human diabetics use with pen needles. The problem is that the dose can only be adjusted in one unit increments using the pens so every one here uses the pens like a vial and use syringes to draw up the correct dose for kitty. Only difference between the pens and vials is that no air needs to be injected into the pen. A lot of folks get their syringes from Walmart. You will want the ReLion brand 3/10ml (cc), 8mm (5/16th inch) needle, gauge 31 or 33, with half unit markings.

    I think you will be happy with your decision. :)
     
    Paigeworthy likes this.
  5. Carol & Murphy (GA)

    Carol & Murphy (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2015
    Paige - I'll bring over a Levemir pen with some syringes tonight and I can show you how to draw up the insulin, at the same time we try to test River.
     
    Paigeworthy and MrWorfMen's Mom like this.
  6. Paigeworthy

    Paigeworthy Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    OH i didn't understand this till now. Thank you! I have a box of 100 syringes here at home and will be glad not to have them go to waste.
     
    Carol & Murphy (GA) likes this.

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