Diabetic Dogs - New Blood Glucose Testing Monitor Coming Soon?

The CGM device is commonly used in humans to record glucose levels.  In the case of animals,  It  is a small chip that goes about an inch into skin, between the animal's shoulder blades and records glucose concentrations every five minutes over about three days.  

At the  University of Georgia. their  Veterinary Teaching Hospital is one of the few organisations in the USA that  now offers its dog and cat diabetic patients the  iPro continuous glucose monitoring device to use at home.

This means that animals don't have to have blood drawn every two hours with the conventional glucose monitoring system.

So, what does using this CGM device involve?  

At the hospital, one end of a small disposable sensor is inserted under the animal's skin.   Then a small recorder, about size of a small coin, is plugged into the exposed end of the sensor. This collects data every five minutes.  The animal then has a well fitting garment put on so that the device can stay in place.  Then, off go dog or cat back home with its owner to continue its normal, everyday life.

After a few days the sensor and the recording device are removed and sent back to the veterinary hospital. The recorder is plugged into a computer and the resulting data can be downloaded and analysed.  In this way suggestions can be made for management of the animal's diet and levels of insulin.

The monitoring device would be ideal for dog owners whose pets suffer with diabetes. It has several obvious advantages:

• It would enable the owner to monitor glucose levels over several days, without the guilt of having to cause unnecessary stress to an animal that is dependent on its owner for managing the situation.

• In addition, the very act of extracting a blood sample can cause stress to the animal which means obtaining a truly accurate glucose level is less likely. Using the continuous glucose monitoring device will cause no stress to the animal as, after its insertion, it is accessed non-invasively and therefore will give a more accurate reading.

• There will also no longer be any need to use a blood glucose meter (glucometer). This is a portable device which tests the drop of blood that has been taken, usually by lancing, from the dog's ear. The blood glucose concentration then shows up on the meter’s digital display.

• Nor will there be any need for blood glucose strips. Using these, after the blood is extracted from the dog, usually from the ear, it is dropped onto the blood glucose strip. This results in the strip changing colour, which is then checked against a chart.

All these present systems are vital. However, there is no denying they are invasive, time-consuming and often stressful to both dog and owner.  

The following symptoms often occur in a dog with diabetes:

• Drinking excessive amounts of water
• Urinating frequently
• Weight loss that can’t be explained, often accompanied by increased appetite
• Unnatural lethargy

Any of the above symptoms should be reported to the vet. If diabetes is confirmed he or she may then decide to set in motion a regime of insulin injections, glucose level monitoring and diet changes which will ensure the dog continues to have a fulfilling life. Complications can occur, but they are usually less severe than those which occur in humans.

It can be a challenging time for both pet-owner and animal, but with a calm, reassuring approach and loving kindness the procedure will soon become routine.

Anyone who is responsible for a diabetic dog or other pet will be under particular stress, and the thought of causing one's beloved animal any kind of pain is hard to take. Obviously, anything that can alleviate the situation is welcome.

Assistant Professor Wiedmeyer is hopeful that the continuous glucose monitoring device, specifically designed for animals, will soon be on the market, in which case caring for a diabetic dog will be much less stressful.

After all, as Science Daily has pointed out, in 1922 insulin, through scientific research and testing, was isolated from dogs to the great advantage of the human population.

Now perhaps science can show its appreciation.

Source:

• University of Missouri-Columbia. "Diabetes Monitoring Device Benefits Not Just People but Dogs and Other Animals, Too." ScienceDaily 24 July 2010.
• 'UGA's veterinary hospital offers take-home glucose monitors for diabetic pets' at UGA Today