Home glucose monitoring enables tighter glycemic control in diabetic cats, improving welfare through reduced hypoglycemia risk and more precise insulin dosing.
Home glucose monitoring transforms diabetic cat management from reactive to proactive. Rather than discovering that a cat is consistently hypoglycemic only when they present collapsed, owners with continuous monitoring data can identify trends and adjust doses before dangerous situations develop. The welfare benefit extends in both directions: detecting underdosing before hyperglycemia causes complications, and detecting overdosing before hypoglycemia causes acute crisis. The welfare gains of preventing even a single hypoglycemic episode — which can cause brain damage or death — justify the learning curve and cost of home monitoring.