Is an icebox cool enough for insulin 24/7?

I agree with Bobbo fully! Keep it cool! I go though a vial per week, so I don't have a problem and can understand yours. Bobbo, would she be any better off using pens, or can you get pump vials that are smaller??

Thanks, Bobbo!

Yes, kitty gets 2 units every 12 hours, so 250 days per bottle would be more than the 6 months I guesstimated :).

I wish they sold smaller bottles. Especially Prozinc, which IIUC is not approved for anything other than cats.

So, do you think that growth of contaminates is a more likely result of being at room temp than the insulin itself actually breaking down? And is watching for 'floaters' or clumps a reliable indicator? I'd hate to give kitty an abcess.

Pharmacist here.

Insulin for human use is good at room temperature for a month. That does not mean leave it in a parked car in August, but anything up to about 78 Fahrenheit is fine.

The label on the bottle should say that, but it is in very fine print.

I imagine that the reason the Vet told you that is, pets get very small doses of insulin, so a vial of insulin can last months. If it is stored refrigerated. If it is stored at room temperature, you may be throwing away a nearly full (expensive) vial every month.

A vial of insulin has 1000 units in it. You can divide that by the number of units your pet gets a day to see how many days that vial will last if kept cold.

One other thing. We normally recommend throwing away a vial of injectable medicine after a month. That is because of potential contamination of the contents when the stopper is punctured by the needle, and subsequent bacterial growth.

I did some googling for kind of insulin I use, Prozinc. The manufacturer says 36-46 degrees.

I put a temp gun on mine, but it had been with a fresh ice pack for a while and was much colder than when I got up this morning. 43 degrees. I tried the overnight ice pack I had taken off it on its coldest side: 60 degrees.

The thing is, a cat uses a much smaller dose than a human, so one vial should last 6 months.

But I found some users on other forums say they have done fine with Prozinc in a cooler.

Yipes, one more thing to worry about :(. I will order an AC cord for my car fridge -- that should help.

A quick Google search turned this up first thing (note temps are in Celsius):

How long can you keep insulin out of the refrigerator?
Insulin that is not in use should be stored in the refrigerator. If refrigeration is not possible, it can be kept at room temperature [15-25 degrees C] for 28 days. The in use vial may be kept at room temperature [15-25 degrees C] for 28 days.

Oh my goodness, my vet said it could not last 30 minutes at room temp! I clearly need to look into that.

And I do have a temp gun... I keep forgetting :).

Thanks, youse guys.

I had a diabetic dog and really went to extreme lengths to keep the insulin properly refrigerated, until I met a woman who does diabetic education, and she said room temps were fine. Never had a problem after that - the dog lived for 4 years with her insulin at room temps. Sure made my life easier.

One of those infrared thermometers might be good for that.

Google: insulin storage temp

Use a thermometer in with it. Most insulins can be maintained a room temperature(comfortable for humans) for 30 day after opening. 40-60 degrees is fine. Thermographis sensors are available that will show if temps rise above a certain amount. My insulin bottles that are in use sit on a shelf in our S&B bedroom from when they are opened until used. (about a week). Read the instruction sheet that is with the insulin.