Diabetes in Dogs and Cats: A New Mobile Monitoring App Connects Pets and Vets

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has just developed an app for smartphones and tablets that modernizes the management of canine and feline diabetes and also helps facilitate research on the disease. The Pet Diabetes App*, developed with support from the Rumba Foundation**, is free and available for download online. Its goal is to help improve the monitoring of diabetes indicators, as well as the quality of life for affected dogs and cats.   The Pet Diabetes App, designed by Dr. Stijn Niessen, associate professor of internal medicine at the RVC, was launched during the annual conference of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), which concluded yesterday. It has two objectives:

• to provide animal owners of diabetic pets with a free and convenient tool to actively participate in their pet’s medical care;
• to enable the collection of strictly anonymous data on diabetic pets and their management, in order to support research in developing better treatment options for diabetes.

  Animal owners can thus collaborate in their pet’s care and help manage its diabetes by recording, via the app, all the factors that serve as key indicators of treatment success or failure. Based on this data, the veterinary team can then refine the management of canine or feline diabetes, which helps prevent complications associated with high or low blood sugar levels, as well as the costs associated with these complications. The app’s Diabetes Log feature allows users to record—and then share with their veterinarian—all the key parameters for monitoring canine or feline diabetes, including clinical signs (weight, appetite, thirst, urination) and blood and urine glucose levels (for owners who perform these tests at home). The app also includes other features:

• a medication reminder feature;
• tracking of insulin injection sites to prevent inflammation in areas used too frequently;
• a scientifically validated tool for calculating and tracking quality-of-life metrics;
• a scientifically validated tool for recording clinical signs;
• a tool to calculate the animal’s caloric needs;
• a tool to accurately calculate the animal’s dietary needs;
• a space to store useful information (e.g., the veterinarian’s contact information, questions to ask the veterinarian, the animal’s medical history, etc.);
• a graphical representation of the parameters (weight curve, fructosamine levels, average blood glucose levels, ketone levels in urine, etc.);
• links to videos about diabetic animals;
• an export feature that allows users to share information and graphs, particularly with their veterinarian.

  This app therefore enables dog and cat owners to take control of their pet’s diabetes in order to maximize their chances of achieving the best possible outcome, in collaboration with their treating veterinarian.   * The app is available for free download at http://bit.ly/1q3jCV5 (Android) and http://apple.co/203OoK2 (iPhone).** The mission of the Rumba Foundation, a pioneer in funding clinical care for pets, is to support specific projects that have a direct impact on the health of dogs and cats, particularly those with the potential to benefit both animals and humans. www.therumbafoundation.org.uk.