Attention anyone treating diabetic pets with Vetsulin®. Talk to your veterinarian to transition to another insulin product immediately. Please forward this post to owners of diabetic pets, veterinarians, animal shelters, and anyone who may be treating diabetic pets.

The FDA and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health have issued alerts concerning Vetsulin®. Specifically, the FDA alert dated November 2, 2009 says:

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health are alerting veterinarians and pet owners that Vetsulin®, a porcine insulin zinc suspension used to treat diabetes in animals, may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin in the formulation. Because this Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health product is out of specification it could cause a delay in insulin action and an overall longer duration of insulin activity. Products having significant problems with stability can affect the management of chronic diseases. Unstable insulin products can result in unpredictable fluctuations in the glucose levels of diabetic patients. Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is unable to assure FDA that each batch of their product is stable.

Read the full alert FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine Alerts Veterinarians About Problems with Vetsulin® to Treat Diabetes in Dogs and Cats.

Also see the Vetsulin Alert from the manufacturer Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. In that alert you’ll see:

Question 3. Is VETSULIN being recalled?
No. The product is remaining in distribution, but supplies will be limited. Veterinarians should plan on transitioning their diabetic patients to other insulin products and should not be starting any newly diagnosed diabetic patients on Vetsulin.

Please forward this information to anyone treating diabetic pets.