The American Animal Hospital Association has recently released new guidelines for managing diabetes in cats and dogs. The “AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats” (www.aahanet.org/) provides current recommendations for the diagnosis, management and treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). Specifically, the guidelines cover diagnostic criteria and assessment, initial treatment and monitoring, recommended diagnostic testing, diet therapy goals and management, ongoing home monitoring, troubleshooting and website links for staff, and pet owner education. DM is caused by loss or dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells in dogs and cats. However, AAHA notes that differences exist between of canine and feline DM. Understanding these differences can help predict management success, according to the association.
