Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using FreeStyle Libre to Monitor Blood Sugar in Diabetic Dogs
By Del Baldo, Francesca et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Freestyle Libre-Derived Metrics in Assessing Glycemic Control in Diabetic Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 85 diabetic dogs were monitored using the FreeStyle Libre device to track their blood sugar levels while on insulin treatment. The study found that certain metrics, like the percentage of time their glucose levels were in the target range, were helpful in assessing how well their diabetes was managed. Dogs with better control had lower average glucose levels and spent more time within the ideal range compared to those with poorer control. These findings suggest that using FreeStyle Libre can be beneficial for veterinarians in managing diabetic dogs effectively.
People also search for: diabetic dog blood sugar monitoring · FreeStyle Libre for dogs · insulin treatment for diabetic dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The FreeStyle Libre provides several metrics that are currently recommended for assessing glycemic status and guiding therapy in human medicine. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of various FreeStyle Libre derived metrics for monitoring glycemic control (GC) in diabetic dogs. ANIMALS: Eighty-five client-owned dogs with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records was performed to search for dogs with DM on insulin treatment and monitored with FreeStyle Libre. To clinically assess GC, the Agreeing Language in Veterinary Endocrinology diabetic clinical score was used (ALIVE-DCS). Metrics evaluated were: percent time in range (TIR%), percent time above range (TAR%), percent time below range (TBR%), mean glucose (MG), percent coefficient of variation (CV%). RESULTS: TIR%, TAR%, and MG were correlated with the ALIVE-DCS (rs = -0.35, p = 0.02; rs = 0.31, p = 0.038; rs = 0.36; p = 0.016, respectively). The CV% was correlated with MG (rs = -0.70, p < 0.0001). CV% was higher in dogs experiencing low IG values compared to dogs that did not (44% [19-65] vs. 28% [8-67]; p < 0.0001). Dogs with optimal GC had significantly lower MG (240 [108-411] vs. 290 mg/dL [155-478]; p = 0.006) and TAR% (48% [0-93] vs. 64% [12-100]; p = 0.006) and significantly higher TIR% (49.5% [7-100] vs. 35.0% [0-85]; p = 0.009) compared with dogs with sub-optimal GC. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: FreeStyle Libre derived metrics, particularly TIR%, TAR%, MG, and CV%, have potential utility in assessing GC in diabetic dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40530881/