Vetsulin Alternatives

The Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health Organization has offered Vetsulin to veterinarians as a treatment for animal diabetes. Batches of this porcine insulin-zinc suspension has shown instability problems in diabetes management due to creating unpredictable glucose levels along with an overly long absorption period before insulin can work. This instability has caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine to issue alerts concerning Vetsulin, recommending the use of insulin alternatives for treating pet diabetes.

Neutral Protamine Hagedorn Insulin

• Neutral Protamine Hagedorn, or NPH, is a protamine that binds insulin to proteins in the treatment of canine diabetes. A glycemic-control medication, NPH is available in several formulas, including Humulin N and Novulin N, both of which have a longer duration of body absorption.

Glargine Insuline

• Glargine, sold as Lantus, has become the current treatment for feline diabetes after the recent FDA concerns of Vetsulin products. Glargine, when combined with a diet of low carbohydrates and high protein, may increase diabetic remission. Recombinant DNA technology has allowed the production of glargine from altered native human insulin, according to R.J. Ramirez and Associates.

Protamine Zinc Insulin

• Another alternative treatment for diabetes in cats is called protamine zinc insulin. Commonly known as ProZinc, protamine zinc suspension insulin is a newer version of NPH insulin. The only difference between the two is that protamine-zinc suspension has more protamine in it, resulting in a longer absorption time. The protamine has to become absorbed before the insulin itself can be assimilated.