It could be they just want you to keep ordering. Supposedly, if diluted to
only 3000 units, it will keep frozen indefinately. Unfortunately, if you do
it that way, you have to do your own dilution to 30 units when you thaw
some.
Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Tillman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2007 8:02 PM
Subject: Re: Questions on Interferon
Hello,
I currently get Interferon for my FeLV+ kitty, Shane, from Pet Health
Pharmacy in Youngtown, Arizona <http://www.pethealthpharmacy.com/>. The
dilution is 30 IU/ml. I give 1 ml. orally once daily for seven days, every
other week (seven days on/seven days off). The instructions on the label
are
as follows:
"If using immediately (liquid), store in refrigerator. Expires in one
month.
If storing, keep in freezer. Expires in six months."
According to this, even when frozen it has a limited shelf life (six
months).
Since, on the seven days on/seven days off schedule, I would never use up
the entire prescription within one month, here is what works for me. When
I
receive the prescription (30 mls.), I split it into four small plastic
bottles and put 7 mls. in each and freeze them (that leaves me with two
doses in the original bottle). The day before each weekly dosing schedule
begins, I thaw one of the 7 ml. bottles in the refrigerator. Each day I
use
a syringe to draw up 1 ml. for that day's dose. My vet furnished the small
plastic bottles for free.
Prior to getting the Interferon from Pet Health Pharmacy, I used a local
(much more expensive!) pharmacy that dispensed it in individual dose
syringes. Their instructions were to keep it frozen until ready to use,
then
thaw out a week's worth (seven syringes) at a time in the refrigerator.
Each pharmacy seems to have a slightly different way of dealing with
Interferon. I don't know why Island Pharmacy says not to freeze it once
it's
diluted as that contradicts what the two pharmacies I've dealt with have
said to do.
I hope this helps.
Sue and Shane
Jerome, AZ
