Need help on saving $ on insulin

[psrasco9758]

My Harley was recently diagnosed w/diabetes. She is a 9 yr old Lab & one of the loves of my life. My vet put her on Vetsulin 10ml 20 units 2 times a day. Needless to say we go through insulin pretty fast @ that pace. I have bought 3 bottles in the last month & pd $55 a bottle which is SO EXPENSIVE! I really need some help. I found this site & read the blogs where some people saved $ @ Wal-Mart. Can someone give me some suggestions. If I change brands will I endanger Harley or is it all pretty much the same? Please educate me. I'm going broke @ this rate.: Pamela

[Noodle]

Re: Need help on saving $ on insulin

Hi, Pamela - and welcome to you & Harley!

First I wanted to mention that if you go to this section of the board and start a thread for Harley, you'll get more responses. That is the most often viewed area of the forum.

Are you in the US? If so, you will want to read through this thread concerning Vetsulin in the US only. Vets were instructed to transition their clients to another insulin quite some time ago.

Many of our dogs are regulated on a human insulin called NPH - in fact, probably most at this point. Most dogs tend to do just as well, if not better, on NPH then Vetsulin. There is the occasional dog who has a reaction to one type of insulin and not another. But that is not the norm, so NPH is a safe, effective, and less expensive starting point of most dogs.

You can buy a vial of NPH for under $50 at any pharmacy. Walmart has a deal with Norvo Nordisk to make a brand of NPH for their ReliOn brand. It is technically the same insulin, but for about half the cost at under $25 a vial. My dog (Noodle) is on 30 units, twice a day, so I know how fast it can add up. However, you will also find that a vial of NPH will last longer than the Vetsulin since it's not as dilute. There are 1000 units of insulin in a vial of NPH and at Noodle's dose, we go through 2 vials a month. If you do make the switch to NPH, you will also want to switch from the U-40 syringes to the U-100 syringes.

I'm sure more members will chime in if you start a thread in the main section of the board. The more information the better, so please let us know more about Harley - weight, date of diagnosis, do you test her blood sugar at home, has she had any curves performed and could you post her numbers, what food does she eat and how much, etc...we ask a lot of questions, lol.

Looking forward to learning more about Harley.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Need help on saving $ on insulin

Hi Pamela,

I moved your thread over to this forum. Since you referred to it as Vetsulin, I'm assuming you are in the U.S. Supply is most likely already a problem and the makers of Vetsulin have asked all veterinarians NOT to start new patients on Vetsulin.

Plus NPH will save you a small fortune.

It's not just that NPH costs less per bottle - about $23 usually at Walmart. The same size bottle of NPH has 2.5 times more units of insulin. In a 10 ml bottle of Vetsulin there are 400 units. In a 10 ml bottle of NPH there are 1,000.

It worries me that your vet has started your dog on this insulin...

Natalie