Pet owners across the UK are having their animals tested for diabetes as part of the nation’s first online screening programme for pet diabetes.
Running throughout November, Pet Diabetes Month aims to prevent dogs, cats and other animals from developing the potentially fatal disease.
For this year’s campaign, pet owners are being urged to participate in online screening tests designed to enable them to assess their pets’ risk of diabetes mellitus. By logging onto petdiabetesmonth.co.uk during November, owners can also win £250 in pet vouchers.
It focuses on improving understanding of diabetes among pet owners by making them aware of what the main signs and symptoms are (increased thirst and urination, fatigue and sudden weight loss), the advantages of screening older and at-risk pets, and the benefits of early detection and treatment.
Owners who find their pets are deemed to be at higher risk of the disease after completing the online survey will be advised to have their pet tested for diabetes at their local veterinary practice.
John Helps, Veterinary Manager at MSD Animal Health said: “We are running the Pet Diabetes Month campaign because we feel that it is vital to widen awareness of pet diabetes, a disease that seems to be on the increase.
“This first online screening programme will give cat and dog owners the opportunity to assess their pets’ risk factors for the disease.
“If diagnosed early, cats and dogs with the disease can have a normal life expectancy – pets whose diabetes is under control have normal thirst and urination, normal appetite, stable weight, normal activity levels, and are less likely to develop long-term complications of diabetes.”
Last year’s campaign, which involved a small, selective, practice-run survey, found that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of animals taking part were at risk of becoming diabetic.
