Purina introduces products to help manage feline diabetes at home

Purina introduces two new products to help monitor cats with diabetes.The Purina Glucotest brand Feline Urinary Glucose Detection System and PurinaDM Diabetes Management brand Feline Formula, both canned and dry form, offerexcellent tools to improve at-home monitoring and management of feline diabetes,according to the company.

Once diagnosed, diabetes mellitus requires regularglucose monitoring that can tax even the most dedicated cat owner, the companysays. Current at-home monitoring methods use dipsticks or blood sampling­ both difficult and cumbersome techniques. But without regular monitoring,the pet's condition can worsen before obvious clinical signs appear. Inaddition, dietary management of diabetes should use a food formulated fora cat's metabolism, the company says.

Available only through veterinarians,Glucotest alerts owners of changes in urine glucose levels that may requireveterinary attention. The pet owner mixes a packet of the Glucotest indicatorpieces into the cat box filler. When the pieces come in contact with urine,they change color. Specific colors indicated different urine glucose levels,and can alert the owner when the cat may need veterinary attention, thecompany says.

Purina DM Diabetes Management provides high levels of proteinand low levels of carbohydrates to work with a cat's unique metabolism tohelp control glucose release after a meal, the company says. This effectmay benefit diabetic cats by allowing blood glucose levels to more closelymatch cellular uptake of glucose.

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