Sources for Caninsulin

With the Vetsulin Critical Need program being cancelled I am in search of I am in search of sources for Caninsulin.  Caninsulin is the exact same medication as Vetsulin and is manufactured by Intervet, the company that makes Vetsulin.     I will add to this post as I find additional sources for purchasing Caninsulin.   So far I have identified these online pharmacies who sell Caninsulin:

777Canadian Pharmacy - I have ordered from them in the pastand they were reliable.  But they have hiked their prices way up.  I prefer not to do business with companies who take advantage of situations like this so unless I am desperate I will not order from them.

Cross Border Pet Pharmacy (Canada)  -  They are limiting you to a one month supply so I ordered 3 bottles which will last me a little longer than a month.  The 10ml bottles are $23.67 each CDN, much less than the $42 I pay through the CNP. 

Update 2/18/2010 - John from the Cross Border Pet Pharmacy called me today to tell me that my order of Caninsulin will be shipped on Monday but he wanted to alert me that his supply of the Caninsulin is being limited by the manufacturer.  He can fill my current order  but after that the supply situation is not known.  I really appreciated him calling and their great customer service.  I will definitely order from them again if they continue to be able to supply the Caninsulin.

Update 2/24/2010 - my order that was shipped on Monday 2/21 arrived today.  It was shipped from Canada using a service called EMS which is basically International Express Mail through the post office.   The total cost for 3 bottles was just under $100 which included a $27 shipping charge. 

I am investigating two UK pharmacies who list Caninsulin on their website.  In the UK Caninsulin requires a prescription,.  I have sent an e-mail asking if the UK pharmacies ship to the USA and about the shipping charges.  Please check back for an update on this.


http://www.vetmedsonline.co.uk/search?jssCart=703fb98de34e52df9110c004fb703599

http://www.vetmedsplus.co.uk/mm5/merchant.mvc? 

Update 2/17/2011 - Vet Meds Plus responded that they will not ship to the USA.

At this point I do not know if Caninsulin and Vetsulin are made at the same factory.  The Cross Border Pet Pharmacy limited my order to a one month supply and made a mention of having availability until July and not knowing if another batch would be made. 

Please leave me comments below if you have identified some alternate sources for Caninsulin.

Vetsulin Critical Need Program Ending

I received a letter from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal health today stating that the critical need program is ending.  I immediately called my veterarian in somewhat of a panic.  We have been avoiding transitioning Zeke to another insulin because he has done so well on the Vetsulin and because he is 14 years old.  It would be so much easier to let him finish his life on the Vetsulin.   So I asked her staff to order the maximum amount of Vetsulin that I can order at one time which is 6 bottles.


The letter reads as follows:

Dear Vetsulin Customer,

You are receiving this letter because our records indicate you have one or more pets participating in the Vetsuiln critical-need program (CNP).  As you know, we alerted you in late 2009 that the product had not met its stability specifications and may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin in the formulation.

We must advise you that because of a manufacturing issue unrelated to the stability oissue referred to abovv, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is discontinuing the Vetsulin CNP as of Feb. 7, 2011.  However, we will continue to provide Vetsulin for the CNP until our current supply in the U.S. is exhausted - we anticipate being able to fulfill order through February 2011.

This difficult decision is being made because quality tests showed the sterility of the most recent batch of Vetsulin manufacturered for the CNP may be compromised by bacterial contamination.  This batch of Vetsulin has not been released.  While the company is still investigaging the quality issue, aditional batches are not being manufactured at this time. We, therefore, cannot supply the program and it must be discontinued.

We are aware of no evidence that the Vetsulin currently on the market and being unsed under the Critical Need Program is affected.  No adverse events consistent with potential bacterial contaminiation in catas and dogs receiving Vetsulin have been reported under the current program.  We sincerely regret any difficulties this causes and strongly recommend you contact your veterinarian as soon as possible to transition your pet to another insulin product.  Your veterinarian has been made aware of this issue as well.

We sincerely apologze for the need to discontinue the Vetsulin CNP but wanted to provide you with as much advance notice as possible.

As always, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is concerned for the well-being and health of animsals of all species and the people who care for them.

Sincerely,


Christopher Pappas, Jr., DVM
Director of Companion Animal Technical Services

I don't know if the Caninsulin will also be discontinued so I will be placing a call to the Canadian pharmacies where I have previously purchased Caninsulin in the past.   At the AskAVet website I came across this article about Caninsulin.

My vet and I decided that I should stockpile as much as I am comfortable with and if Zeke should outlive the supply then we will deal with transitioning him to another insulin.

Update on Zeke

I am glad to report that Zeke is doing well with his diabetes.  With the last batch of Vetsulin that I purchased through the Critical Need Program I had to increase his Vetsulin dosage to 15.   When I check his urine with the Bayer diastix he measures at exactly the middle of the stick when it is time for his next injection so for Zeke this is perfect.  Whenever I start a new vial of Vetsulin I am always careful about giving Zeke more than the 14 units that his veterinarian prescribes.  It takes me a few days to a week to get the right dose and then after another week or two that vial is empty and I start the process all over again.  This is because of the strength of the Vetsulin being inconsistent which is the reason that the FDA banned Vetsulin from being sold in the US in November of 2009.  Fortunately they have allowed it again only for diabetic dogs who cannot be regulated with any other type of insulin.

So with all of the animals healthy I have started my Christmas shopping and of course that includes presents for both of the dogs and the cat.  Our other dog is 13 and 1/2 year old Baile.  He is a Rottweiler Doberman mix and other than some arthritis he has no health problems.   I was doing some online shopping the other day and came across some great pet beds and pet toys at become.com.   I was also looking at new pet carriers for our cat.  After a while I got confused by all of the choices and decided to save the task for another day.








 

Vetsulin Critical Need Program - Second Order of Vetsulin Received

I recently received my second order of Vetsulin through the Vetsulin Criticial Need program. This time I purchased 3 vials and the cost with UPS overnight shipping was about $140. The Vetsulin arrived 2 days after my veterinarian ordered it for me just like it did last time.


I have always had to monitor Zekes glucose output in his urine with Bayer Diastix which are urine dip sticks that tell you how much sugar is being put out in the dogs urine. With the Vetsulin I am obtaining through the Vetsulin Critical Need program there does seem to be the difference in strength between the vials like there always was before The only difference is now we know it is because of the inconsistency of strength in the Vetsulin itself.


When Zeke measures high for glucose on the Diastix I adjust his Vetsulin dose up a half or whole unit,. If he measures negative for glucose when it is time for his next Vetsulin injection then I lower his dose by a half unit or a whole unit.

As always I take Zeke to his veterinarian about every month or two to have his blood glucose checked. Zeke is one of those diabetic dogs who seems to always either be a little too low or a little too high when the vet checks his blood glucose levels.

The Story of Zeke and his Dog Diabetes

This is the story of my 13 and a half year old extremely cute dog Zeke.   It took many years to figure out what breed of dog he is. I could always see some beagle in him.  One day I had him in the car and the girl working at the McDonalds drive through commented that he looked like a pug.  When I got home I looked up the cross of a beagle and a pug and it looked exactly like Zeke.  The designer breed of dog is called a Puggle.  I was so glad to finally learn what type of dog he is.

Zeke is diabetic and is doing well on Vetsulin and other pet meds. He was a stray dog that my dad found in 1997. Zeke has been with me since he was 6 months old.  The dates are out of squence as I am converting the content from a website to this blog.


I took Zeke to the veterinarian in July 2007 because he was drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating in the house. He was also waking me up at night to go outside. This is a common diabetic dog symptom. Zekes' glucose levels were in the 400s' which is very high since they should be under 140. The veterinarian put him on one shot a day of 14 units of Vetsulin which is a textbook dose based on his weight. Vetsulin is made in the Netherlands.

I would learn over the next several months that getting the right dose for your dog with diabetes is an exercise in trial and error. The dogs need for insulin can change at any time without notice. Dog Diabetes is something that your dog can live a good life with if you and your veterinarian can control the dogs blood sugar levels.

I tried to research diabetic dog food but Zeke has always been a meat eater. At his age we thought it would be difficult to switch his diet. The vet started Zeke out on one shot of 14 units of Vetsulin once per day. After two weeks of still high blood glucose levels the shot was increased to two doses of 10 units of Vetsulin twice a day. Zeke began drinking excessive amounts of water and waking me up at night to let him out so I increased the second shot to 14 units and he was fine.

Over the last 3 years I have learned alot about diabetes in dogs by reading online and by especially from the veterinarian. Zeke has been on doses as low as 8 units and as high as 15. The veterinarian always thought it was Zekes system reacting differently but now with the Vetsulin announcement I suspect that part of the problem was the inconsistent strength of the vetsulin medication. To monitor him I was taking him to the veterinarian about once a month to have his blood glucose tested.  Now the vet checks Zekes blood glucose level every couple of months. Currently I am testing his urine several times a week with Bayer Diastix urine glucose test strips which I purchase online from Hocks Pharmacy in Ohio. They have the best prices I have found and since I am in Michigan the shipping time for Ground is only 1 day and Hocks shipping cost is very reasonable.


For the past year and a half  Zeke has been on 2 shots a day of 14 units of Vetsulin It can take alot of trial and error to get each dogs dosage correct. The diabetic dogs need for insulin can change at any time without notice. It is important to watch your pet closely and report any changes to the veterinarian.