Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to treat diabetes in dogs and cats - owner experiences
By Aptekmann, Karina P et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2014·Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Owner experiences in treating dogs and cats diagnosed with diabetes mellitus in the United States.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A survey of 834 pet owners revealed that most dogs with diabetes were treated with insulin injections, with 97% receiving this treatment compared to 82% of cats. Dogs typically got insulin twice a day, while many cat owners preferred home blood glucose monitoring. Although treatment was often seen as expensive, more cat owners reported being satisfied with their pet's diabetes management than dog owners. The findings suggest that while insulin is common for both species, there are differences in treatment approaches and owner satisfaction that could help veterinarians better support pet owners dealing with diabetes.
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Abstract
The objective of this study was to report owner experiences and satisfaction in treating a pet with diabetes mellitus using a descriptive report from an Internet-based survey. Descriptive analysis of results was performed, χ(2) tests were used to detect differences in responses between dog and cat owners, and correlations were assessed using the nonparametric Spearman rank correlation. A total of 834 owners participated in the survey. More diabetic dogs (97%) than cats (82%) were treated with insulin injections. Insulin was administered twice daily in 87% of dogs and 73% of cats. Porcine lente and neutral protamine Hagedorn were the most commonly administered insulins in dogs. In cats, glargine and protamine zinc insulin were the most commonly used insulins. Most pets were not fed a prescribed diabetes diet. More cat (66%) than dog (50%) owners were satisfied with the diabetic control achieved. Cat owners were more likely to use home blood glucose monitoring. Treatment was considered expensive by the majority of owners. Few published reports follow diabetic pets after diagnosis or report owner satisfaction. The results of this study provide useful information that may help veterinarians better educate owners and set expectations regarding diabetes treatment and quality of life for diabetic pets.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24855090/