>From: Leon Buker <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Here in Australia it is called Lucrin...
I'll offer some comments and the first one is that I have never heard
of Lucrin, though the fact that I am not in Australia may be why. :) If
it is the same as Lupron as you say, then the following comments about
Lupron Depot should apply. I suggest you double check to make sure
Lucrin is in fact time release leuprolide acetate.
>...can't find the updates. Is anybody still using it? Or has it just
>become standard practice for older ferrets?
Lupron is being used more than ever. Perhaps even in cases where surgery
would be a better choice, but that's another topic.
>But I'd love to know the details on how it is compounded in the US.
Lupron is never compounded. If a drug is being compounded, that means
it is being mixed with some sort of flavoring to make it more palatable.
Lupron would have no effect if given orally and must be injected,
preferably intramuscular.
>Dosages back in 2000 for the 1 month depot were 500mcg. Anyone know if
>this has changed?
Vets may have differing opinions as to the effective dose. The 500 mcg
dose was what Dr. Charles Weiss originally suggested for the 1 month
Lupron Depot. I don't know if he still does, but many vets give less
than that and often much less. 100 mcg seems to be a common dosage. If
that has no effect, the vet may try a higher dose. My vet uses 150 mcg
of the one-month Lupron pretty much across the board. In one case, we
had to give two injections (300 mcg total) because the 150 mcg dose had
no effect after two months of use. The 300 mcg dose worked well and
after a second 300 mcg injection a month later, we were able to back
down to 150 mcg for maintenance with excellent results.
>And my main question - how do you store this stuff? We are currently
>keeping the liqued component in the fridge, and the powder component in
>a cupboard. I have read that once mixed it needs to be stored in liquid
>nitrogen. But what about unmixed? What is the protocol being used?
Until mixed, both components should be stored at room temperature;
however, once it is mixed, it is supposed to be used immediately. This
is because there are no preservatives in Lupron Depot. If not used
immediately, it must be frozen. The question is, what temperature.
When Lupron first started being used in ferrets, there was a lot of talk
about how it had to be stored in liquid nitrogen once mixed. That is
probably ideal for long term storage, but many vets store mixed Lupron in
a standard freezer for short periods of time. How long? That's hard to
say. Our shelter's vet was storing it for about a month in a standard
home freezer and it was still effective.
John Hines, who provided much insight into the "24 hour Lupron" topic,
also commented on the topic of storage when that came up in our
conversations. He pointed out that a standard freezer only goes to
perhaps -20 Celsius and on frost-free models, it periodically cycles to
even warmer temperatures. John thought that -80 Celsius would probably
do the trick for storing Lupron. Freezers with that capability are not
something one would find at most animal clinics.
Dr. Murray gave an interesting suggestion at the symposium in Atlanta.
After he mixes the two components and draws out the necessary dose, he
puts the remaining Lupron in a empty Baytril bottle. He feels there's
enough residual Baytril to offer some protection against bacterial
growth.
I know I probably didn't give you a perfect solution to the storage
problem, but I hope it helps.
For the ferrets,
Mike
* Michael Janke, [log in to unmask]
* South Florida Ferret Help Line, 305-385-6750
*
* Website: http://www.miamiferret.org
* Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc
*
* Ferret Health List: http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
[Posted in FML issue 4505]
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