Veterinary Highlights: iPro Continuous Glucose Monitoring

The University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital now offers the iPro continuous glucose monitoring devices for their dog and cat patients. How cool is that?

Monitoring glucose levels in a diabetic dog is ever so important.

The whole treatment idea for a dog with diabetes the proper regulation of blood glucose levels. Either too much, or too little, is a bad news.

How much insulin your dog should be getting cannot be simply calculated based on their weight. There are more factors in play. Your dog's daily dose needs to be established individually. Part of the process is a series of blood tests, drawn over 12 to 24 hours at two hour intervals.

The iPro continuous glucose monitoring device has a small disposable sensor, about the size of a paperclip,
in which one end is inserted under the animal's skin to read the blood glucose levels. Once the sensor is in place, a small recorder about the size of a quarter is plugged into the other end of the sensor to collect the data. (Credit: Christopher B. Herron/UGA)

Enter the iPro continuous glucose monitoring device.

It's been commonly used in human medicine, and now the University of Georgia offers it to dogs and cats as well.

The device is quite small, with a sensor that gets inserted under the skin. Once in place, the device records blood glucose levels every five minutes for three to five days.

The data is then evaluated, and if needed, changes in medication recommended.

Your dog can stay at home and doesn't need to have their blood drawn every two hours. The information is also more accurate, because having to stay in a hospital and having their blood drawn over and over can be quite stressful and stress can artificially increase their glucose levels.

What do you say? Would you try this?

Source article:
UGA’s veterinary hospital offers take-home glucose monitors for diabetic pets