Pulse - July 2022 - 15

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS
The AAHA Diabetes Management
Guidelines Get an Update
Courtesy of the AAHA
A
AHA recently updated the 2018 AAHA
Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and
Cats. Here's a quick look at what's changed-
and what hasn't.
The 2018 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines
for Dogs and Cats revised and updated earlier guidelines
published in 2010. The 2018 guidelines retained much
of the information in the earlier guidelines that continues
to be applicable in clinical practice, and the 2022
update includes new information that represents current
expert opinion on controlling diabetes mellitus (DM).
NEWStat reached out to Diabetes Management
Guidelines Task Force cochair Renee Rucinsky, DVM,
DABVP(F), to find out more.
Rucinsky, vice president of the American Board of
Veterinary Practitioners and medical director at AAHAaccredited
Mid Atlantic Cat Hospital in Queenstown,
Maryland, said there are two main changes in the
updated guidelines: " ProZinc insulin has been [FDA]
approved for once-daily use in diabetic dogs, " she said,
but added that the task force still stands by the original
insulin choice recommendations. " The other update
is the inclusion of monitoring with continuous glucose
monitoring (CGM) systems. "
Rucinsky is particularly excited about the CGM.
" Without a doubt, the ability to use continuous glucose
monitors in our patients has contributed greatly to
the way we make decisions on diabetic management, "
she said. " It not only gives the managing veterinarian
information that wouldn't be available otherwise, but
it gives the owner more confidence in how things are
going, instead of trying to get blood samples for glucometer
testing, or having no blood glucose information
at all. "
Rucinsky believes that the philosophy of diabetes
management in pets has changed in recent years, and
that the updated guidelines reflect this.
" The updates continue to show that there's more than
one way to monitor a diabetic pet, and that one standard
perfect diabetic management plan may not really exist. "
She lists some variables that contribute to that, such as
the client's abilities and schedule, the pet's temperament,
and all sorts of other things that require the veterinary
team to be able to be flexible. " The addition of CGM
provides yet another tool in the diabetes arsenal and
solidifies the sentiment that we can individualize treatment
plans for each diabetic pet. "
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JULY 2022
15
Perhaps most importantly, Rucinsky believes the
updates to the Diabetes Management Guidelines can
help AAHA-member hospitals practice better medicine:
" These updated guidelines, along with all of the AAHA
guidelines, can help member hospitals continue to provide
the best possible care for their patients, and provide
a resource for team members to gain knowledge and
confidence when speaking with clients, " she said.
" The Diabetes Guidelines in particular are useful for
showing that there are several tools that can be used to
manage diabetic pets, and will help tailor the management
for each individual patient, " she added. " The days
of hospitalizing a cat for the day for a blood glucose
curve are over-I hope! " P
Find out more about continuous glucose monitoring and other
updates to best practices in diabetes management. Check out the
updated 2018 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs
and Cats.
Pulse - July 2022

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