Any elevation in glucose can cause glucosuria, including transient stress-related hyperglycemia. In these patients, all glucose filtered at the glomerulus is reabsorbed in the tubules as a result, no glucose is excreted in the urine. Glucose should be undetectable in the urine of normoglycemic patients. Advances in glucose monitoring include measurement of glucose levels in body fluids other than blood, as glucose in circulation is distributed quickly through most body compartments due to capillary permeability. The technique used to measure blood glucose must minimize stress on the animal because increased levels of catecholamines released during stress cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels that can exceed 300 mg/dl. Urine dipsticks often combine glucose indicators with ketone indicators to detect glucosuria and ketonuria in diabetics.Īccurate measurement of blood glucose is important for monitoring diabetes control because treatment decisions, such as altering the type or amount of insulin administered, may be based on these measurements. Urine glucose test strips are easy to use and interpret and require only a small amount of urine, so they can be used by owners at home. Urine glucose is commonly measured as part of routine urinalysis in healthy pets, for screening patients for diabetes mellitus, and for monitoring glycemic control in patients being treated for diabetes mellitus. Related Article: The Role of the Glucose Curve These less-invasive techniques should more accurately reflect blood glucose levels by decreasing the stress experienced by the animal.
Recent advances in blood glucose monitoring techniques have been designed to minimize stress and to allow owners to perform serial blood glucose monitoring at home. In the hospital, interpretation of how well blood glucose measurement reflects control of diabetes is notoriously difficult because of both the high level of stress experienced by animals in the hospital environment and the handling and restraint required for blood sampling. Blood glucose monitors are used to quickly provide accurate measurements of blood glucose levels they are commonly used in the hospital to monitor severely ill patients and at home for patients with diabetes mellitus. Glucose is frequently measured in the blood and urine of veterinary patients.