Vetsulin Sales Prohibited - FDA Warning - Dogs Changing to NPH

[Cornspot]

Re: Vetsulin - FDA Warning - AAHA Protocol to Switch to NPH

Anyone can join. It was easy. I didn't lsiten to the webcast, but I looked at the handouts--nothing of interest really. No more info than what's already been posted on here. They said answers to the questions from the live broadcast will be posted to their site by Dec 15th.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Vetsulin - FDA Warning - AAHA Protocol for Change to NPH

I heard from a member today who said she got an email from 1-800-PetMeds that Vetsulin will not be available from them 3-4 weeks from now.

Natalie

[4Brutus]

Re: Vetsulin - FDA Warning - AAHA Protocol for Change to NPH

I had a chihuahua on 2.5 units of vetsulin/meal 2x day, he passed away on the 7th of November after only 2.5 months of trying to regulate his diabetes. We were trying to get his glucose curve down, but the several ones that the vet did were always inconsistent, sometimes he would get his BG down below 100, sometimes he was always through the roof.

I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that the vetsulin may have contributed to his death prematurely. He was a tiny little guy (only 8.5 lbs, dropped from 14), so it's safe to assume any inconsistency in amount of PZI would cause problems.

I was on his 2nd vial which I had ordered from 1800Petmeds. Only this morning did I receive something from 1800petmeds saying that vetsulin would be discontinued, not from my vet, even though I had talked to my vet right before that FDA warning came out on November 2nd.

I really don't know how I should feel. Part of me blames myself for letting him get to the point of developing diabetes, but the little guy was loved for 8 years. But should I be upset with my vet for not contacting me sooner or pursue a complaint with vetsulin or the FDA?

Thanks all for your time in reading this. It's just been a hard month for me and my family and posting this has been therapeutic for me.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Vetsulin - FDA Warning - AAHA Protocol for Change to NPH

I am so sorry that you lost Brutus. Was it related directly to his diabetes?

From your brief post, I can see that you and your family did everything you could for Brutus and loved him deeply. Thank you for posting a picture of him. The first couple of months with diabetes are so critical and a dog who does not regulate easily or who doesn't do what is expected can be very challenging. Our dog confused every vet who ever treated him.

The vet most likely was completely unaware of the FDA warning for a week or two or longer after the alert was posted. One of our members who keeps track of FDA warnings picked it up the same day it was released and posted it here so we were ahead of most veterinarians in hearing about it. Eventually those associated with something like VCA, VIN or AAHA received the alert but it was quite a bit later when that happened.

If you would like to tell us more about Brutus, please feel free to start a thread about him. Either on the diabetes discussion or in the Stories forum.

Again, my deepest sympathies... Brutus was a cutie,

Natalie

[k9diabetes]

Re: Vetsulin - FDA Warning - AAHA Protocol for Change to NPH

Thank you Eileen for bringing the newest Intervet letter regarding supplies of Vetsulin to our attention!

January 8, 2010

Re: Transition Assistance Via Independent Phone Consultation

Dear Doctor:

We appreciate all your efforts in transitioning your diabetic patients currently on Vetsulin® (porcine insulin zinc suspension) to other insulin products. As discussed in our letter dated November 30, 2009, it is imperative that you transition all of your diabetic patients off of Vetsulin as future supplies of Vetsulin will be very limited in early 2010, and then exhausted.

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has worked with expert members of the AAHA Diabetes Guidelines Task Force and provided information on transitioning dogs and cats from Vetsulin to other insulin products (see links to these documents below). However, we have received calls from some concerned veterinarians who are still encountering difficulties despite having followed these recommendations. Therefore, we would like to offer assistance to two specific categories:

1. Where there are still difficulties in re-regulating patients on other insulin products;
2. Where a veterinarian had initially prescribed Vetsulin because other insulin products had been ineffective in regulating their patient.

In order to assist with these specific patient categories, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has contracted with Thomas K.Graves, DVM, PhD, DACVIM and his staff at the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine, to provide independent telephone consultations on these difficult cases.

Please note that Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is making this service available as a patient courtesy. Dr. Graves will be acting as an independent consulting veterinarian, and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health does not guarantee or warrant that the consultation will lead to a successful resolution of these cases. Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health will not bear any responsibility for the outcomes of these cases.

If you have a patient that falls into either of the two categories mentioned above, please contact Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health technical services at 1-800-224-5318 to discuss if the case qualifies for a telephone consultation with either Dr. Graves or one of his board certified internists.

The costs associated with the telephone consultations organized by our technical services veterinarians will be covered by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. Any cost incurred as a result of the consultation, including, but not limited to, additional veterinary fees, recommended additional diagnostic tests or additional medications, will not be covered by this program.

Thank you for your cooperation and efforts to transition diabetic patients off of Vetsulin and onto other insulin products.

Sincerely,

Christopher Pappas, Jr., DVM
Director, Companion Animal Technical Services
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health

http://vetsulin.com/vet/Vet_ProductAlert.aspx

[eileen]

Vetsulin Sales Prohibited - FDA Warning - Dogs Changing to NPH

This announcement was made yesterday (5/5/2010) by the fda. Thought it may be of interest to some.

http://tinyurl.com/24gq3ef


Eileen/Mildred

[k9diabetes]

Re: Vetsulin Sales Prohibited - FDA Warning - Dogs Changing to NPH

Web seminar on changing dogs and cats from Vetsulin, with dogs recommended changed to NPH:

http://www.aahanet.org/education/wc_vetsulinupdate.aspx