Navigating the world of pet diabetes can be a little overwhelming at first. You’ve got to keep track of glucose levels, manage insulin doses, and make sure your dog’s diet stays on point. This might sound like a full-time job, but with the right tools, you can handle it like a pro without it taking over your life.
Consistent monitoring plays a huge role in managing your dog’s health effectively. Pet diabetes apps are designed to make tracking glucose levels as simple as tapping your screen. These apps log everything from insulin doses to meal times and can be set up to send you reminders so you never miss a beat.
Top App for Monitoring Pet Diabetes
I recommend the Pet Diabetes Tracker, free on Google Play and Apple App Store.
It only gets 2 stars with 13,000 installs on Google Play. Android sites had more negative reviews complaining of glitches and a clunky, inconsistent user experience. However, it evidently works better on the iPhone OS than on the Android OS. I have an iPhone and find Pet Diabetes Tracker handy and easy to use. The reviews from iPhone sites indicate that my experience is consistent with other users.
Designed specifically for pet diabetes management by a veterinary insulin manufacturer, Pet Diabetes Tracker is the app I use for logging glucose levels, tracking insulin doses, and setting reminders. It ticks all the boxes.
Here are the key criteria I base my recommendation on:
User-Friendly Interface: You’ll be using this app regularly, so it needs to be intuitive and easy to navigate. Pet Diabetes Tracker has a clutter-free layout that makes entering and accessing data straightforward. And it is customizable, so I added a picture of Brady to the home screen.
Comprehensive Tracking: A good app should let you track all relevant health metrics, not just glucose levels. Being able to log insulin doses, food intake, and even exercise routines gives a more complete picture of your pet’s health. There are 7 options for what I can track on this app. I mostly use it for Blood Glucose, but when Brady is sick I use it to keep track of food and water intake and energy levels.
Data Synchronization and Sharing: If your vet can view your pet’s data directly, it makes their job easier and helps them offer better advice. Pet Diabetes Tracker allows me to create graphs and reports on all aspects of Brady’s health and email them to my vet between visits or before an appointment.
It also stores the data in the cloud so when I recently bought a new phone, all Brady’s past information transferred seamlessly.
Customizable Alerts: Notifications are your best friend when it comes to managing diabetes. This app allows you to set up reminders for medication times, glucose readings, and vet appointments. That way, you won’t miss any critical steps in your pet’s care.
Support and Resources: This is especially helpful if you’re new to managing pet diabetes. The app offers articles and links to useful websites under the “more” menu.
This app does everything I need it to do, I find it easy to use, and it’s free.
Other Apps for Pet Diabetes
However, here are two other options you might prefer.
Free RVC Pet Diabetes App:
The RVC Pet Diabetes App, developed by the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London is available for download on both Android and iPhone platforms.
The app has received mixed reviews from users. Positive feedback highlights its usefulness in tracking and managing the various aspects of pet diabetes, such as glucose levels, weight, and other important health indicators. Users like the app’s ability to share data with their veterinarians.
However, some users have reported issues with the app’s functionality. Common complaints include bugs related to the calendar feature, which causes mismatches between the day and date, leading to confusion in logging data.
Free (with paid premium version) Glucose Buddy:
Initially developed for humans, Glucose Buddy is versatile enough for pets. With a straightforward interface, it lets you track glucose levels, medications, and meals. The free version offers solid basics, while the premium features include cloud backup and detailed health reports.
The Glucose Buddy app currently has a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5 on Google Play. It has been downloaded over 1 million times. However, this app is mainly designed for human diabetes management, and most reviews focus on its use for personal health rather than for pets. That makes the comparison difficult. The positive reviews praise the app’s ability to connect it with other devices like Fitbit or Google Fit to sync data. This is not necessary for your pet. So, I cannot speak from personal experience with this one, and the reviews are not helpful from the perspective of a pet owner.
Conclusion
The goal is to make monitoring your pet’s diabetes as stress-free as possible. With the Pet Diabetes Tracker or one of the other apps, you can keep an eye on your pet’s health more efficiently and ensure they stay happy and well.
Brady and I would love to hear from you. Let me know how it’s going. Please leave your comments or questions below.