RVC Podcast on 'Insulin Choices for Cats' (UK)

May be of interest to UK folks in particular.

This is an RVC podcast featuring Stijn Niessen (Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine at the RVC).
It was recorded in 2017 and talks about some of the results of their research into feline diabetes. The research included the largest ever randomised trial into feline diabetic remission. (Some FDMB members at the time took part in that; and some of those were the first people in the UK to use Prozinc, which wasn't otherwise available at that time).
The research produced some interesting findings; for example, that Prozinc can produce similar remission results to Lantus.

Well worth a listen if you have half an hour to spare.
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-...ccOp2z0YwUPNa06ShFb4i0wNf0J-EHI7tdMGuP1T9jk5c

Eliz

PS - @Gill & George - Couldn't find the written info about this, but I think this podcast summarises some of the research (after what seems like a bit of a long preamble...)

 

Thanks for posting this, Eliz, if you remember, this trial got my Angel OTJ. He was one of the first cats to get prozinc. I'm so incredibly proud of him.
xx

 

Haven't had a moment to sit and listen to it yet. I'll get there.
I have found the paper referenced, and and abstract not the full paper.
Sienne is able to access the scientific journal it is meant to have been published in but for some reason it turn up in her search.
I have so many questions after reading the abstract...
I want to understand the sample of cats that were included in the study, what dosing strategy was used....
I hope the podcast answers some of the questions.

 

Hi Gill, I can't recall how many cats were included in the study. But it took place over a long period and was the largest ever randomised trial.
A number of different dosing strategies were tried. I only know that because some FDMB members were involved in the trial, and were assigned different dosing strategies. My recollection is that those who could hometest very frequently were able to follow 'tighter' regulation strategies. There was also some research about the benefits (or otherwise) of getting cats into very low numbers. (I think an FDMB cat died during that aspect of the research.) ..It was determined that getting cats into very low numbers was not a useful/recommended approach. It didn't increase the chance of remission, and was potentially dangerous.

The trial was very multi faceted and looked at a lot of different factors including, gender, breed, weight, concurrent conditions, etc, etc.

The cats were a random sample, cats 'in the general population', so the results of the research had a broad application.
My recollection is that around 30 - 40% in 'the general population' had the potential to achieve remission. And if concurrent conditions such as pancreatitis and acromegaly were removed from the stats then it could be up to 40 - 50%.

 

No s**t, anyone could have told them that, that's sad.

It was 46 cats, or so the abstract said, but it didn't detail much at all.
But from what you are saying probably a mixture of longterm and newly diagnosed...
and not all on TR...interesting (we know from extensive experience here that TR with Lantus is what leads to the high remission rates)
Gosh I really want to see the stats. I just don't get why we cant find it in the Journal of feline medicine as it seems that it was published on there (according to other studies that had it listed as a reference)
Thanks.

 

I remember that kitty. I was horrified by the dosing suggestions they were giving. Dosing based on preshots not nadirs. Cat was going horribly low mid cycle and bouncing. So more insulin was NOT the solution.

 

I had no idea that happened. I'm really upset to learn about this.


Mogs
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Gostelow R, Forcada Y, Graves T, Church D, Niessen S. Systematic review of feline diabetic remission: separating fact from opinion. Vet J. 2014 Nov;202(2):208-21. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.08.014. Epub 2014 Aug 19. PMID: 25312717.