Vetsulin is no longer available at 1-800-PetMeds. The following information explains why the manufacturer is no longer making this product:
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, the manufacturer of Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension) recently sent another letter to veterinarians as a follow up to the Vetsulin Alert/Importance of Diabetic Pet Transition letter that was sent to veterinarians last November. This letter is reminding veterinarians of the dwindling supply of Vetsulin and encourages them to transition their diabetic patients to other insulin products including protamine zinc insulin for cats (ProZinc).
*As a reminder to all PetMeds clients with a diabetic pet, do not switch from one type of insulin product to another unless under the directions of a veterinarian. Changing from one insulin to another may require an adjustment in the dose and/or the use of a different insulin syringe.
I want to make sure everyone currently using Vetsulin to control their pet’s diabetes understands the issue that is impacting them.
As you may know, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health (the maker of Vetsulin) issued a “Product Alert” on Vetsulin late last year. The issue is with the long-term stability of the product over time. The company is presently working to determine whether there is any significant loss of potency or a delayed onset or extended duration of action. At this time, the company does not believe the efficacy and safety of Vetsulin is affected.
However, all veterinarians have been asked to alert their clients to:
- Monitor their pets on Vetsulin for any unusual signs; and
- Transition their pet to an alternative product as soon as posible
Transitioning your pet as soon as possible is important because Vetsulin will no longer be available in the very near future and all supplies in the U.S. will be depleted while Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health works with the FDA to resolve this issue. Therefore you should make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately so that the veterinarian can initiate this transition process.
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One Comment
I got a letter from my Vet saying Vetsulin was no longer available and man do I wish it was! I hated to hear that its effectiveness was in question because it was by far the most effective thing ever for my cat. My Vet switched us to ProZinc and it’s been a complete pain ever since. First, ProZinc is $50 more than the Vetsulin was. Second, while we were using Vetsulin, our cat had excellent results. Never a single hypoglycemic episode, and when we’d take her in for her all day blood curves, our Vet said that our cat’s blood sugar stayed consistent throughout the day and that she was very, very happy with how well our cat was doing; and that was with only 2 units of insulin a day. As soon as we switched to ProZinc, at her very next all day blood curve, which was only 3 months later, our cat’s levels were all over the place, she was peeing huge amounts again, and eating everything in sight. Our vet upped her dose to 4 units a day and we brought her back 2 weeks later and the same thing. So now, she’s up to 6 units a day! So now, not only is the ProZinc more expensive but we’re using about 150% more of it than we did with Vetsulin so it runs out over twice as fast. Kitty is at the vet all day again today for her blood curve and if I go to pick her up and they say she needs yet more insulin…I’m talking to the Vet about using another brand. It’s ridiculous to go from perfectly under control to completely out of control in a short period of time when there were no other changes other than the insulin. It seems as though no matter how many units a day she gets, it never gets her diabetes under control. I was very, very pleased with the Vetsulin and was very, very sorry to see it go – I can’t say as much for the ProZinc.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
June 11th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
HI Amanda: Yes it can sometimes be very frustrating when a product is taken off market hopefully temporarily, especially when a pet has done so well on it like yours. Diabetic regulation has always been a challenge in feline veterinary medicine, so I can certainly appreciate your frustration. You can also ask your vet about the lantus glargine insulin which has worked wonderfully for me in diabetic regulation of cats over the years. Also a more economical alternative would be Humulin N, which is still on the market. Some cats can be regulated quite well on these two insulins, while others need different insulins. Every pet is different. AS with any diabetic, if regulation is difficult, always have your vet check the urine for a hidden urinary infection, which is very common in diabetic animals, and can also be an obstacle to effective sugar regulation.
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Robert Rose Reply:
June 26th, 2010 at 4:08 am
My cat has been a diabetic for about three years now. He got it from a bad case of pancreatitis. I have had to switch him before and luckily there was really no change. My vet warned me months ago about vetsulin which he is still taking. I’m keeping him on it until I can no longer get it. Since my vet is 20miles away I usually get 2 bottles at a time. He has always been a twice a day cat no matter what brand or type insulin he takes. His levels have always been up and down. He will be steady on the same dose for a few months and then yoyo for a few weeks. The first year it was constant trips back and forth to the vet. My vet suggested I invest in a monitoring system to cut back on the visits. I chose the Alpha Trak Monitoring system which was a bit pricey, but what a life saver this has been. This unit works great! Strips run about 50 for 50 and lancets are fairly cheap. Only trips to the vet now are for supplies and a once a year check up and blood work. Didn’t take long to get used to checking him. I check his sugar now around 3 times a week and daily when it yoyo’s. A monitoring system is great to have, especially for these types of changes.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 12:34 am
Thanks for your input and comments on the monitoring system. Remember to also keep in mind that especially with diabetic cats, low to no carb diets are also extremely helpful in diabetic regulation.
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