Prozinc

Wondering if anyone has started prozinc so I can check out there progress and maybe ask some questions. I will need to order insulin in the next couple weeks and need to know about the insulin. Where and how you go about getting it.

 

I get Charlie's from wedgewood pharmacy
1-800-331-8272

Protamine Zinc Insulin Susp U100 $30.
U100 syringes 30g 5/16" 100ct box $25
$10 shipping (more if summer and need it expedited) Certainly not a prob this time of year in our northern climate
Packaging is very good, and so is customer service. Been ordering from them since early sept when Charlie was dx.

 

Thanks. I will check it out. We are already using u100 syringes and I have always used the conversion chart. I will watch for your posts. I haven't moved any of Tabby's info over to this new site.



Alice and Tabby

 

This isn't ProZinc. It's a uniquely compounded formula of PZI--not like Idexx or BCP either.

 

Thanks I will have to do some research and find out where I or the vet can order it. I hope it's simple like ordering pZI idexx was.

Alice

 

http://www.1800petmeds.com/ProZinc+Cat+ ... 11139.html

Is this it Terri? I see it's u40 so I could still use my u100 syringes and conversion chart. The Idexx I use is also u40. I will check around for prices.

Alice

Also I couldn't pm you. Says u don't exist.LOL I don't know how to work this new site.

 

Yep, that's the one. Gator, Nancy and Cody, and a couple of others are using it with good success. It seems to work just like the Idexx. Here's some info Gator has collected: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1817

 

Sorry!! I forgot to say its already compounded--so we don't use any conversion with this one.

 

Just need to find out where it's the cheapest. The prices I have seen a a lot more than I was paying for Idexx. Any links would be great everyone. The price you see plus overnight shipping. The pharmacy I use to order Idexx from showed it sold Prozinc put when I clicked on it it was vetsulin. I was hoping to use the same pharmacy because they were in my state and overnight shipping was cheaper.



Alice and Tabby

 

Darn, I was getting excited about that $30!!!

The price I have seen quoted here for ProZinc (don't use it myself) was around $90, vs. Idexx being more in the $120 range.

 

I haven't seen it fo $90.Where do people get it for that price? the overnight will add a chunk onto the price too.


Alice

 

That is almost exactly the price my vet quoted me for ProZinc, and the $120 is what we paid from Idexx as well.

 

I can't find the real Prozinc for that price anywhere. I see some insulins like prozinc but not that brand name. I will have to keep looking. Hopefully other will chime in with where they get there Prozinc. It will say Prozinc on the vial.

Alice

 

I am not using ProZinc, but the price that my vet quoted was to purchase it through her.

Drs. Foster and Smith has it for $114.99 +shipping. Here is the link; just choose "ProZinc" from the drop-down menu in the box to the right of the photo. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=9790

Discount Pet Drugs has it for $99.99 + shipping. Link is here: http://www.discountpetdrugs.com/prozincinsulin.html

1800PetMeds lists ProZinc for $129.99 + shipping: http://www.1800petmeds.com/ProZinc+Cat+ ... 11139.html

Hope this helps!

Edited to remove incorrect info regarding a link to National Pet Pharmacy.

 

I get mine from here:
http://www.1pharmacy.com

Valley Drug and Compounding in Encino.

for $90 + tax

800 Pet Meds and may others will price match.

Also Allivet which I order other meds from has it for $89.99
http://www.allivet.com/ProZinc-Cat-Insulin-p/32212.htm

I just want to say that if you look at my spreadsheet that is in the other topic Terri pointed to that H is currently needing about twice the amount of insulin he needed typically while on PZI Vet. Maybe he is just eating more now, I do not know. Anyway that fact + the fact that H only has 1/2 a liver [and would theoretically be less efficient in a rebound situation], and that H's appetite can fluctuate on a dime has made me cautious about his dosing.

The main thing I have to offer about it is that our switch [on a 1:1] went without any major issues. BUT, that IMHO you may want to approach it as "new" insulin. In that I mean, while your kitty gets used to it, some things might act a little different. It's a good idea to be testing initially and then re-test later [maybe 45-60 days after you start/switch] to make sure things are acting like you expect. When I say "test[ing]" I mean doing curves/mini-curves & spot checks - don't just expect everything to act the same especially during the beginning of the transition. Switching on a 1:1 dose from PZI Vet *should* be OK according to the "Preliminary Study of Protamine Zinc Recombinant Insulin for the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus in Cats" study.

 

Will take some info to my vet and the number for him to call. I will see what price he quotes me. My old pharmacy shows they carry Prozinc but when I clicked on it for a description it showed vetsulin. I will make sure my doctor doesn't order it from them. I would not be a happy camper. Maybe this weekend I will get some info for Tabby on here.
Alice and Tabby

 

Hi everyone. I am new to the website. My cat Java is 16 and a half and has been diabetic for nearly 4 years now. We were on Idexx PZI and have about 3 weeks left of our vial. I have to make a decision as to what to switch over to. I gave my vet the info on Prozinc a couple of months ago and thought that would be the only answer for us but it is so expensive! My vet said that the price would be $120 for now but that the price is going up in March to $180. I wish money was no object here but it is a real concern for me right now. A friend of mine just had her cat diagnosed and her vet put her on Bovine PZI from BCP. Has anyone used this? It is about $40 a vial shipped to your door. Plus they claim that some cats are able to be stablized on just one dose a day! That would be amazing if it really worked for us. Cutting our pet sitting costs in half and changing our lifestyle significantly. I need to contact my vet today and give him this info so any support you can offer would be great! Thank you!!!

 

Hi Jen,

There have been a number of very satisfied BCP PZI users here over the years. I'd say go for it. I do think you will have to tinker with the dosage if you are switching from Idexx, but that's what you have to do anytime you switch insulins.

Welcome to FDMB!

 

Thank you Terri! I figure that we will have to be cautious no matter what we choose to do anyhow. I just hope that I can get my vet to be supportive of the BCP PZI. For some reason he doesn't like to use an "out of state" pharmacy. Never mind that we moved here from out of state and never had any problems with our insulin before. I am going to print out all of the info on the BCP website and take it in to him today to review. Also when I called BCP to get some more info they would not answer my questions. When I called the manufacturer for Prozinc they were very helpful and answered any questions I had. Still if he could be stable on the BCP it would save us a ton of money which would help in paying for his food and thyroid meds. I don't know why my vet hasn't presented the BCP PZI as an option. I only heard about it from a friend. We are going out of town next week for a few days so we can't make the switch until we get back. And we usually have problems with the strength of the idexx toward the end of the vial even though I am careful to mix the insulin each use. So I think that I will talk to the vet about having the pet sitter back off to 1 unit instead of 2 while we are gone to avoid any crisis. Running a little high for a few days won't hurt him.

 

You do not have to get ProZinc from your vet. In a previous post to this topic I noted two places where you can get it for $90 which is less than PZI Vet was. Also If you know one place that sells for X then many other places will price match. So the availability at $90 should be quite large. Some vets will even price match - for instance I know the VCA chains will.

As for BCP [or even ProZinc], I would not take anyone's claims that it can be used once a day as proof of anything. ProZinc has a shelf life of 2 years while BCP is only 6 months. But at 1u per day I'm not sure if this would make a difference. Also BCP is a compounded insulin, and thus may have minor strength consistency difference between bottles. Also, I thought BCP was more than $40 per 10ml U-40 bottle? And lastly, ProZinc is just more available. Anyway, my opinion is that one should give ProZinc a shot [unless one knows that kitty is resistant to human type insulin], if it turns out the kitty doesn't do well with it then thank goodness there is BCP too. Just my $0.02.

Are you really Jennifer Lopez? :smile:

edited to change expiry of BCP.

 

Thank you for your reply! Today has been a very frustrating tear filled day. I went to my vet with the BCP info and he brushed me off and sent me to the emergency clinic to talk to the vet there who specializes in this. She would not talk to me without a $125 consultation fee! All I wanted were some simple questions answered. My vet then called me back with a quote they found online from a vet saying that they don't recommend compounded insulin. I will look into the links for Prozinc at a cheaper price. Very frustrating as I am just trying to do what is right for Java but at a price I can afford to maintain. Thanks for the advice!

 

Vets tend not to like the compounded insulin because research has shown that it can be of inconsistent strength. And they are told this at vet conferences. You can understand how this might make them nervous if they are expected to also take charge of the dosing [as most assume they will]. Unfortunately, I cannot point to that research so I guess it can remain at credibility of "rumor" level info.

 

I am having the same issues - my Dusty has been stable for almost 6 years on IDEXX PZI - I am watching all posts here as I still have PZI for about another 4 months....dang ..which way to go??? Keep the info coming!

 

PZI Vet is not made any longer. No need twisting any hands about it. Many have horded PZI Vet - not a nice social thing to do. It's time to move on and luckily there are options [ProZinc & BCP] - both should be fine. Otherwise, you might be able to find some PZI Vet that's expiring on 9/10 that were bought folks heard PZI Vet was being "discontinued" that maybe they are ready to part with. Sorry if I'm being too direct....

 

I know many people who have used BCP and had great luck with it. I found mine to be very inconsistant. Somedays it was like shooting water and others were like pure insulin. Tabby is a cat with wacky numbers all the time but on BCP they were really all over the place. Not sure why but I went to Idexx and stayed there. I have tried just about all other insulins. I just have to make the move and order some in the next couple weeks. I hope to get the prozinc for the $90 plus shipping price. I live in Maine so shipping can be costly.

Alice and Tabby

 

Mmmm Maine - Lobster rolls rock the hizzy! :smile:
Shipping to Maine or any other State in the lower 48 should be the same?

 

When you order from an online place do you get the prescription from the vet and fax it it yourself or does he? Or does he call it in. Just trying to figure out how it works. I was getting my Idexx shipped from a vet pharmacy in Maine so it was easy and fast. I am whinning again.LOL Also won't order from an online site that doesn't show a picture of the green colored lable and Prozinc on it. Need to find a place and get the vet to take care of it. I have a great vet he figures I know what I am doing so I doubt he will have any problems givng me the script.


Alice and Tabby

 

As we say here in SoCal, "Dude!" I'm can be a whiny one myself. :smile: Here's the 411. Generally you place the order online and during that process they ask for your vet's info. Then they take it on themselves to send your vet a fax prescription request. As it turns out this is the preferred way our local vets likes. As long as they get the fax prescription request they seem to sign it and fax back. They like it for their records. So placing the order is kind of the first step and things should hopefully work themselves out from there. You can always ask you vet how they would prefer to do it. But sometimes it's just best to put it into their lap - it just depends.

OR, most pharmacies will price match other pharmacies. So if your old place has ProZinc, just ask them if they will price match.

I will caution you that I got some resistance from our vet when we transitioned because they apparently did not know what ProZinc was. It is understandable since insulin is such a powerful medication. But I helped them feel comfortable about it and that was that.

If there is a problem after you place there order then you can sort it out. Just make sure to follow up if you do not receive a shipment confirm in 24 hours.

Ha, or you can send me some authentic lobster rolls to kick some butt and take some names in your honor? Mmmm lobster rolls - they are so darn good! It's a cryin' shame Maine is so far from here! :razz:

 

Thank you all for the info and support. I wish I had found you all years ago! I have been very stressed out about making this switch and my vet has not been very supportive. We moved to Southern California less than a year ago from Florida where our vet was wonderful and I could not have asked for a better or more understanding vet. He knew his stuff when it came to diabetic cats and was very logical and economical about treatment. My vet here didn't know a thing about Prozinc until I brought him the info which is understandable I guess since it is so new on the market. He did get the rep to come and train him on it and is now very gung ho about it. I am upset however that he did not discuss any other options with me such as the BCP. When I asked him to look into the BCP the same as he did the Prozinc and I brought him all the info, he didn't even want to look at it much less answer my questions. He sent me up the street to the emergency vet who wouldn't even speak to me. Then he called me back later in the day, no doubt because I had left the emergency vet in tears of frustration, only to read me a quote he found online from a vet that says they don't ever recommend a compounded insulin. NOT HELPFUL!!!!! I am thinking about switching vets but he is by far the closest clinic and we all know how important that can be in an emergency. Then after all that he tells me that he should still be able to get me a couple of vials of PZI so I don't have to make the switch next week. Which is a relief since we are going out of town next week and I would never leave him while we are switching no matter how great my pet sitter is. So I am hoping that he can get me a couple of vials and that with your support I can make a decision for what to do next. I am also going to call Java's vet in Florida for advice since he knows Java so well and I trust him.....he has literally saved Java's life more than once. Again thank you all!!! I am so glad I found you. No one else seems to understand what we go through for our furry babies. Keep the info coming. I would love to hear all that you have to say on the matter.

 

By the way Gator thanks for posting the links to where you get your Prozinc. I am close enough to Encino that it would be worth the drive there to pick up a couple of vials of Prozinc at a time if my vet won't price match. I will let them know about the price there and see what happens. I see that they are a compounding pharmacy.......but this doesn't mean that the Prozinc you are buying from there is any different right?

 

No the "ProZinc" they sell is the real deal. Good for you for double checking. The picture here is the bottle I got from them:
http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/PZI#ProZinc.E2.84.A2

I forget the pharmacists name I dealt with there or I would give it to you. There was a little bobble when I called them and ask them to "Please send a prescription request to my vet for ProZinc" since I was a NEW customer. But other than that things went smoothly. I guess most NEW customers do not ask for a fax prescription request - it's just how my local vet like to roll. They even put the box on a frozen gel pack for the ride home!!! I would make sure to take a little cooler with you with some frozen gel pack in it too as it sounds like you have a little bit of a drive. Their prices on other pet specific meds are fairly competitive too - but Allivet usually beats them. Most of the pharmacies that also sell pet meds are compounding pharmacies.

There was a topic on the old board about SoCal pharmacies that did pet meds. It wasn't an exhaustive list but... If I find it I'll post it. Also if you post something in health about looking for pharmacies that sell pet meds in your specific area you will likely get a response. Do you mind saying a little more specifically what you are nearby?

As for the rest, my vet did not know about ProZinc either. You have to understand that insulin is a powerful drug and they can be nervous about giving something that can kill a cat. Your vet happens to be right about compounded insulins. There ARE reasons to try to avoid it. I think I mentioned this before? And BCP IS a compounded insulin [though I would trust it more than your average compounded insulin].

You sound a little exhausted from your experience. I've dealt with many vets and they are far from perfect. I've come to learn that I just have to deal with them to get what I can out of them for H.

 

Hey sorry to be late to this discussion. Gator has done her usual outstanding job helping you out. We also use Prozinc (since 12-22) so I'll share my experiences.

For anyone looking for more info on PROZINC go check out the company website at http://www.prozinc.us. It has a lot of good info, especially for any newbies, but also for your Vet, with info on studies/trials that have been done. Vets should like the fact that it is FDA approved.

Here's some other stuff I know off the top of my head.

-ProZinc was manufactured specifically for cats and is not approved for dogs etc
-It is very stable, and seemed to stay effective even when I dropped it --(twice)
-It is suppose to stay viable until the last drop assuming you protect it from light and freezing.
-Our experience with it has been pretty smooth and predictable, BUT we are not the best example of a 'norm'
-I actually paid $85 at my vet, but I'm wondering if they charged me wrong....
-Unfortunately, the 2nd vial I got last week, may have been damaged/frozen in shipment, because it did not work like the first. I called Prozinc immediately, and just received the replacement vial (6 days including a weekend). Because of this I would seriously wait for spring weather to order any insulin if you can. If I didn't test daily, I wouldn't have known, but it did look different (it was clear at the top), while the first vial was cloudy every time I looked at it.
Hope this is helpful.

Nancy

 

*cough* his *cough* :mrgreen:

Thanks though for the support.

I think $60 is the wholesale price, but there's only been one person so far that was able to get it for that [because they worked for a shelter]. But yea less than or = $90 is what I would consider fair.

 

Gator,
Have you heard anything about them raising the price in March?

 

Do the vets get it from prozinc or somewhere else? I would hope my vet would give me a good price. With Idexx he ordered my first vial and I just reodered the rest myself from the pharmacy.

Alice and Tabby

 

Well no not myself. I did read, I think from maybe this topic, that someone's VET was going to be raising the price on them. But this doesn't mean the real price is going up. I guess someone could call BIV and ask them. I would right now, but I gotta catch the sunset at the beach [and a few beers].

BTW here is the topic from the old board I was talking about that discussed SoCal pharmacies that do pet meds:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/r ... ?8,1739739
[whew, took me a while to dig that one up - that's a good topic for other stuff too]

AFIK everyone gets it from the same place - a distributor [I don't know the major pet medication distributors - anyone else know who they are???]. Whether you get it from your vet or elsewhere it should not make a difference. If you vet will not price match you can order from Allivet for $90 or get another local pharmacy that deals with pet meds to price match. PRICE MATCH, PRICE MATCH, PRICE MATCH - hehe lol

The best option is to get your local vet or pharmacy to PRICE MATCH since you would not have to pay the overnight shipping that insulin requires.

 

Thanks again to all of you for your wonderful support! Thanks Gator for digging up the pharmacy info. I will check it out. I am actually in Thousand Oaks. Also it is great to know that the Prozinc is good to the last drop. I have had to throw ou the last third a bottle of the pzi as it was a higher concentration toward the end no matter how careful I was about mixing and twice caused Java to run way too low before I caught on to what was causing it. I really appreciate all your help!

 

BTW I just found ProZinc for $80!!!! I do not know anything about this atozvetsupply.com online pharmacy but I'm sure you could get others to PRICE MATCH!!!

http://www.atozvetsupply.com/ProZinc-In ... bipz10.htm

Also if you do get from online, the bigger online places have coupon codes at www.retailmenot.com that can soften the shipping blow. Even though I hate 800 pet meds 'cuz they are so crazy aggressive, they will price match and have $5 off coupons that would basically take the shipping down to $15. Or you might be able to get the $80 atoz place to mach the total price that 800 pet meds would come out to? Also since ProZinc has a 2 year shelf life, some may wish to buy a couple bottles at a time to reduce the shipping cost per each bottle.

 

Wow, way to go, Gator!

 

Sarah,

I didn't see that National Pet Pharmacy link you provided earlier.

I'm pretty sure that is not ProZinc??? If it is not than you may want to edit your post to make that clear [maybe even remove that link so there is absolutely no confusion]? It appear to me to be just a plain old compounded PZI. Nothing in the description at that site says anything about ProZinc? Am I missing something?

 

Not sure if you meant me. I had a link and an explanation that the pharmacy said it was prozinc but when you click into the site you can see it's vetsulin. Don't think you meant me but I removed the link anyway. I know somewhere above is a link that is not the real Prozic. Maybe you should pm them we have a long thread going. Is there a wiki link to prozin and all the places it can be bought and information on it. I know the other insulins have one. If not maybe it's time to have one started.


Alice and Tabby

 

I don't think I meant you Alice [the one I'm thinking of is the Sarah & Buzz post]. Sarah is generally on top of things here in PZI land, I was waiting for her to probably come back online before I started to really bug her. Saturday night has been pretty slow here - I hope most are out having fun!

A wiki page. Yes, there is not yet set up a specific wiki page on ProZinc. I modified the PZI wiki page [ http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/PZI ] to add ProZinc but did not add a ProZinc Specific page. I was hoping that I could inspire someone else to do this. If someone does do this it should be modeled after the other specific Insulins pages like PZI Vet [ http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/PZI_Vet ] or any of the other insulin specific pages. If no one else will do it then I'll get to it eventually potentially.

 

Sorry it took me so long, Gator! I was out of town for the weekend. I thought that I looked at that carefully but I guess I didn't. I edited that post to remove the link though.

 

My shipping is from a pharmacy in Maine to me in Maine. They used regular mail. Priority mail I think and it's only $7 for shipping. That's pretty cheap. I don't have to use UPS or Fedex or overnight or 2 day air. I can use the regular mail.

 

Well, Java started on the Prozinc last night. I didn't sleep a bit but he did just fine. He sleeps right next to me in bed so I kept waking up to check on him and I think he was more annoyed that I kept waking him than anything! My husband will stay home with him today just to be safe as we make this switch but all appears to be well. Plan to test him twice today as well. Paid $123 for the vial at my vet and it came with a box of syringes. Still more than I would pay if I got it elsewhere. I will check out that pharmacy in Encino for the next go round. Thanks all for the support and info.

 

ProZinc at my clinic is $93 a vial and right now they are giving away a free box of ulticare U-40 syringes (which come with a built in sharps container) and more info about ProZinc attached to the syringes. this is a promo that is direct from the manufacturer so it's a limited time offer.....i do the ordering for my clinc