Question
We are switching insulin types. What should we expect?
Sunny, owner notes“I wish my dog lived as long as I do.”Updated
I'm an owner, not a vet. This is not veterinary advice, so check anything medical with your own vet.
Short answer
Get the new plan in writing before the first injection of the new insulin. Don't try to work out the swap at home. Ask which syringes or pen go with the new insulin, how to store it and when they want readings. Ask them to show you once. If your dog turns weak or wobbly, call your vet right away.
I never give insulin amounts here. Yours comes from your vet's written plan.
What to know at home
Different insulins can work differently, and the syringe or pen may be different too. Keep the old and new boxes apart so nobody grabs the wrong one. What you did with the old insulin is useful history, but it doesn't carry over to the new one.
Check the vial and the syringe show the same U number, every time. A new insulin may be a different strength from the old one, U-40 or U-100, so the old syringes may no longer match. If they don't, stop and call your vet or chemist.
What to write down
- Why the change was suggested
- The exact product and device the clinic supplied
- Food, appetite and any readings your vet asked for
What to ask next
Ask the vet to watch you use the new supplies once, and book the first check-up before you leave. If your dog turns weak, wobbly, unusually sleepy or has a seizure, call your vet or an emergency clinic now.
Sources
- Which insulins are used for dogs, and how do they differ?How insulins for dogs differ
- Which syringe matches my insulin?Matching syringe to insulin
- How should insulin be kept at home?Keeping insulin safe
- Are insulin pens an option for dogs?Whether a pen suits the new insulin
- Emergency or low blood sugar: call your vet nowIf he turns weak or wobbly
Every outside source I used is listed on the Sources page.
Related
Q&A
Glucose stays high even on insulin. Why?
High readings on insulin are common, and your vet can help find out why.
Q&A
My meter shows a number. What should I do?
Write down the number, the time and how he seems. Your vet is the one to say if it's good or bad.
Q&A
How should insulin be kept at home?
Follow what it says on the box. Keep it in the fridge, never frozen, and never in a hot car.
Urgent help
Emergency or low blood sugar
Call a vet now if your dog is weak, collapsed or having a seizure.