What are the risks of using expired insulin for my pet's diabetes?

The problem with insulin is that it cannot handle temperature variations. There is a small chance that it may still be ok, however it would be better to replace it with a new bottle to make sure Buddy is getting his proper working dose. If you are measuring blood glucose yourself at home, then you can measure his blood glucose before giving him his shot and then 6 hrs after giving him his shot. If the insulin is not working any more due to having been out of the fridge, then he will have a blood glucose value the same or higher than the first measurement. If his Blood glucose is lower and close to his usual low glucose level then the insulin is still good. However, I would recommend replacing the bottle with new insulin.

As long as it wasn't over 86 F for and extended period of time, it should still be fine. Certain types of insulin can be kept at room temperature for up to 6 weeks. If you are concerned in any way, discard the bottle and get a new one from your veterinarian or local pharmacy.

If it is a year old i would get a new bottle especially if it has been used before. If your at has not been on this insulin in over a year it can be unsafe to switch insulins or start again without a proper glucose reading

I would wait about 12 hours after his last dose of insulin. I would also make sure he eats something before giving the insulin at that time. If you are not going to be up at the 12 hour mark I would recommend holding off the insulin until tomorrow. If you give the insulin now you risk his glucose going to low even if he just ate. Just know he may develop diarrhea from the cat food. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Just keep him on his normal feeding and exercise routine. His blood sugar will be elevated without the insulin but a couple days should not be that huge of a problem. What you may notice is a temporary recurrence of signs (such as excess thirst and urination), but is not life threatening. If you see him acting ill though you should take him to an ER clinic immediately.

I would not recommend giving any medication past the expiration date - although it could be fine there is no guarantee regarding it’s efficacy or sterility. It would be best to give medication that is still in date.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Abel has diabetes! Abel will need to be started on insulin, which will need to come from your vet. If Abel has been lethargic and not eating much, my recommendation would be to have him hospitalized at the vet as soon as possible to get his blood sugar under control, so I'd call them right away and see how quickly he can be seen again - even if the vet isn't free to talk to you when you call, I'd recommend you ask the front desk how quickly Abel can be seen. Untreated diabetes can definitely make a pet become much more sick very quickly, so now that you know it's diabetes I would get Abel rechecked. That way when you bring Abel in, you can talk further about the diabetes diagnosis, and your vet can help you become comfortable with measuring and giving the insulin. When I diagnose new diabetic animals, I usually have the owner practice giving injections of saline to their pet in the hospital so we know they will be comfortable with drawing up the correct dose of insulin and giving injections at home. Your vet will also likely want you to start Abel on a prescription diet formulated to help maintain a more steady blood sugar. I hope this helps and he feels better soon!