My dog is 13 year old and was recently diagnosed with diabetes. We are still struggling to get him regulated, but he has been doing much better since he started insulin. I am not one to begrudge my animals the medicines they need, but I wondered if there is a cheaper source for insulin? I am getting it at a local pharmacy and it is running $31.50 for a bottle of Humalin N. It is obviously not covered by any insurance. He is getting 28 units am and pm (56 units a day), and he is blowing though those bottles. Any other sources?
Well, you can buy three vials for $77.63 at drugstore .com, but I think that maybe a talk with your vet might yield a substitute (perhaps a bovine or porcine insulin would be suitable and cheaper (or maybe not). I checked, and Humulin N is common in veterinary practice; the problem is that insulin is not approved for veterinary use by the FDA, so no one makes a product especially for that (of course, a lot of common products are not approved for veterinary use, because the vet market isn’t as lucrative).
Thanks. My vet said something about switching to the L type, depending on how my dog’s next curve goes. I guess I never realized how expensive diabetic stuff is.
Wal Mart Reli-on brand. It’s usually about 21 bucks and you can get three vitals online for about 50 (last I checked) cheapest I’ve ever found.
And insulin is nothing you should try paying $75 for test strips every month. 