Veterinary Highlights: Human Diabetes Treatment Strategies For Dogs - Study

Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic medical condition, in which the dog's body cannot control the levels of sugar in their blood. This can be either because of a problem with insulin production, or insensitivity to it.


Unregulated diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as cataracts, increased susceptibility to infections, or even diabetic ketoacidosis.

Unfortunately, this is one of the human diseases, dogs get too. 

Rebecka Hess, chief of the Section of Medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine and an associate professor of medicine in Penn Vet’s Department of Clinical Studies, is currently recruiting dogs with well-regulated diabetes for her latest clinical trial, which aims to test whether strategies commonly used to treat humans can help better control diabetes in dogs.

The goal is to elevate the standard of care of diabetes in dogs, to that which is routinely provided to humans with diabetes.

This will hopefully lead to longer survival and better long-term quality of life.

While insulin treatment is available for dogs,  monitoring and regulating blood sugar levels is difficult. If you have a dog with diabetes, you probably know exactly what they're talking about.

Blood sugar spikes tend to occur right after a meal.

The strategy tested in this trial involves a combination therapy consisting of both fast-acting and slow-acting insulin.

The dog treated with this regiment should have better-regulated diabetes, as well as fewer side effects.

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