Guest written by our friend Donnie Donovan
One of my favorite television shows is Animal Cops on Animal Planet. I have had a long time love affair with animals be they furry, slick, scaly, feathered, or just weird. If it flies, swims, crawls, or simply hang glides I like it. Animal cops always gets to me because the show is designed around highlighting the actions of law enforcement to aid injured and abused animals. Whether the critter has been neglected horribly, or badly injured, it doesn't matter. These enforcement officers have to deal with some of the worst criminal offenders on the planet. These people often would never have the guts to attack another human being but they batter their pets instead.
I was watching Animal Cops on my Direct Star TV one night and saw a special on dog fighting rings busted. I think it was Animal Cops, because it seemed like it was. Honestly, I'm not sure. However, the actual episode was horrible. some of those poor animals looked like they were on the verge of death. The enforcement agents had to confiscate them. It hurt my heart to hear that some of the dogs would probably be euthanized as a favor to them. They were so badly injured that they needed to be put out of their misery. Thousands of dogs are brutalized this way every year around the world. I'm just so glad it's illegal here!
Zeke, a 15 Year Old Diabetic Dog
Zeke is believed to be a Puggle
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pet Meds for Arthritis, Rimadyl
Zeke will turn 14 in December of this year. Despite the dog diabetes he continues to be healthy and even vigorous at times. He walks most nights with me about a half mile and continues to take off running once or twice a week with our other elderly dog, Bailey,who is 13 and a half and not diabetic.
I attribute his vitality in part to the the Rimadyl that Zeke takes for his arthritic problems that older dogs get. Zeke has been on Rimadyl since January 2008. At that time he had cataract surgery to relieve the blindness that came with his diabetes. The veterinary opthamologistput Zeke on Rimadyl to reduce inflamation from the eye surgery.. After two weeks when they took him off the Rimadyl I noticed that Zeke was perkier on the Rimadyl so we kept him on it.
Zeke was taking 25 mg of Rimadyl once a day. His veterinarian noticed that Zekes liver vaklues have been climbing over the last year so we have reduced him to 25 mg of Rimadyl every other day and his liver values the bloodwork that his vet orders each month shows that his liver values are decreasing which his vet and I very happy about.
On the day off of the Rimadyl Zeke takes a medication called Ultram which is for pain. He takes 1/2 of a pill in the morning and sometimes in the evening. Zeke seems to be doing ok so far on the pet meds regimen that he is on so we will continue to monitor him.
I had an older dog named Sheena who was on Rimadyl in the mid 90s and I did not see any difference in her. So I am glad that the Rimadyl keeps Zeke acting so young.
When Zeke was diagnosed with diabetes in July of 2007 I really thought that it was the beginning of the end for him. Luckily with the help of some very patient and caring veterinarians, the right pet meds, and me, his loving dog-mom,he continues to do well. We will be celebrating Zekes 14th birthday on Dec. 1, 2010.
I attribute his vitality in part to the the Rimadyl that Zeke takes for his arthritic problems that older dogs get. Zeke has been on Rimadyl since January 2008. At that time he had cataract surgery to relieve the blindness that came with his diabetes. The veterinary opthamologistput Zeke on Rimadyl to reduce inflamation from the eye surgery.. After two weeks when they took him off the Rimadyl I noticed that Zeke was perkier on the Rimadyl so we kept him on it.
Zeke was taking 25 mg of Rimadyl once a day. His veterinarian noticed that Zekes liver vaklues have been climbing over the last year so we have reduced him to 25 mg of Rimadyl every other day and his liver values the bloodwork that his vet orders each month shows that his liver values are decreasing which his vet and I very happy about.
On the day off of the Rimadyl Zeke takes a medication called Ultram which is for pain. He takes 1/2 of a pill in the morning and sometimes in the evening. Zeke seems to be doing ok so far on the pet meds regimen that he is on so we will continue to monitor him.
I had an older dog named Sheena who was on Rimadyl in the mid 90s and I did not see any difference in her. So I am glad that the Rimadyl keeps Zeke acting so young.
When Zeke was diagnosed with diabetes in July of 2007 I really thought that it was the beginning of the end for him. Luckily with the help of some very patient and caring veterinarians, the right pet meds, and me, his loving dog-mom,he continues to do well. We will be celebrating Zekes 14th birthday on Dec. 1, 2010.
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.
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.
Vetsulin Critical Need Program
With my supply of Canadian Vetsulin, also known as Caninsulin, running out I requested that my vet order the Vetsulin on a Wednesday. On Friday morning the UPS driver brought my package of Vetsulin. I was surprised at how quickly it arrived. It was shipped via UPS Next Day Air and well packaged with a gel ice pack that was still half frozen.
I paid $42 per 10ml bottle plus $12.90 for shipping on 2 10 ml bottles. This is just a little more expensive than purchasing Caninsulin from the online Canadian pharmacy where I paid $88 for ten 2.5 ml bottles plus $14 for shipping.
With the Vetsulin having the issues with consistency of strength it is better for me to purchase the larger bottles so that Zeke is getting more of the standard Vetsulin dose with each injection. I could not find the 10ml bottles of Vetsulin / Caninsulin at the one Canadian pharmacy that I could find selling Vetsulin online.
I paid $42 per 10ml bottle plus $12.90 for shipping on 2 10 ml bottles. This is just a little more expensive than purchasing Caninsulin from the online Canadian pharmacy where I paid $88 for ten 2.5 ml bottles plus $14 for shipping.
With the Vetsulin having the issues with consistency of strength it is better for me to purchase the larger bottles so that Zeke is getting more of the standard Vetsulin dose with each injection. I could not find the 10ml bottles of Vetsulin / Caninsulin at the one Canadian pharmacy that I could find selling Vetsulin online.
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