Veterinary clinics can begin enrolling September 1 in the Diabetes PetCare Alliance program, an initiative that aims to help educate clients about diabetes in pets.

The program, which was started in 2014, is led by Merck Animal Health, Purina and Zoetis. Its goal is to raise awareness of pet diabetes among pet owners and facilitate the screening of at least 2,000 pets during the month of November, which is Pet Diabetes Month.

Through the program, veterinarians receive free diabetes education and management tools to give to owners of pets newly diagnosed with diabetes. Clients whose pets are diagnosed between November 1 and December 31, 2021, are eligible to receive the free kits, which include:

One AlphaTRAK 2 blood glucose monitoring system from Zoetis.
One 6-pound bag of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management Feline Formula for cats or Purina Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Fiber Balance Dry Formula for dogs.
One 10 milliliter vial of Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension) from Merck Animal Health.

An estimated 1 in 300 adult dogs and 1 in 230 cats in the United States have diabetes, data shows. And while diabetes diagnoses are rising, increasing by 79.7% in dogs and 18.1% in cats since 2006, research shows only two-thirds of cat owners and half of dog owners are satisfied with diabetes treatment in their pets.

Once enrollment begins September 1, veterinarians will be able to enroll in the program at usa.petdiabetesmonth.com until October 31.

An upcoming program will help educate pet owners about diabetes