Diabetes management in dogs is about finding the right insulin dose and timing. A glucose curve shows:

• How quickly the insulin starts working (onset)

• The lowest glucose reading in the day (nadir)

• How long the insulin is effective (duration)

Without this information, we risk giving too much insulin (causing dangerous hypoglycaemia) or too little (leaving blood sugar too high).

1. Your dog stays with us for the day.

2. We take a small blood sample every 2 hours.

3. Results are plotted on a graph to see the pattern.

Most dogs tolerate this very well. We make the day as calm as possible so stress doesn’t affect the results.

• Newly diagnosed diabetics: Every 1–2 weeks until stable.

• Stable diabetics: Every 3–6 months, or sooner if you notice changes in appetite, thirst, weight, or urination.

• After any insulin change: Within 1–2 weeks to check the effect.
  

Feed and give insulin exactly as you would at home, unless we advise otherwise. Bring your dog’s usual food, insulin, and syringes so we can check your home routine.

If the curve shows poor control, we may:

• Adjust the insulin dose

• Change the timing of injections or feeding

• Investigate other health conditions affecting diabetes