Nearly 1 in 300 dogs and 1 in 230 cats have diabetes — and the numbers keep going up. As in people, diabetes in our pets is usually treated with insulin, and accurate dosing requires frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels.
Up until now, that’s involved blood sample collection every one to two hours by a veterinarian or repeated sampling at home by owners using glucometers. Either way, stress to our pets can outweigh benefits.
Veterinarians are now turning to continuous glucose monitoring devices, or CGMs, developed for people. CGMs include a flexible probe inserted under the skin, a sensor attached to both the probe and the skin and a handheld monitor — or smartphone — that takes readings.
Remote access allows both owners and veterinarians to see the readings and work together to care for diabetic pets, with a lot less stress.