About Vetsulin

Proper handling and storage

Handling

Vetsulin^® (porcine insulin zinc suspension), like many other insulin preparations, is a suspension. The active ingredients in Vetsulin are present in the precipitate and in the clear supernatant. Therefore, before drawing insulin into the syringe, the contents of the bottle should be gently mixed to ensure a homogeneous mixture for dosing accuracy. To do this, slowly rotate and invert the vial several times before extracting each dose or roll the vial between the palms of your hands. Avoid vigorous shaking because this causes frothing, which can denature the insulin and interfere with accurate dose measurement. Vetsulin must look uniformly cloudy or milky before injection.

In addition, advise clients not to reuse insulin syringes. The silicon coating inside the syringe can contaminate the insulin vial. A white precipitate will form in the vial, which may interfere with the biological activity of the insulin. Also, the reuse of syringes can possibly lead to a staph infection.

Storage

Store refrigerated at 36°F to 46°F. Protect from light. Store Vetsulin vials upright in the refrigerator to avoid crystallization around the stopper. Do not freeze insulin because this will denature the fragile insulin chains. Avoid high temperatures.