OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2016. Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) today announced the launch of the Pet Diabetes Tracker, a free app that helps pet owners manage their pet’s diabetes on their smartphone or tablet.

Diabetes is a serious condition that can be easily and effectively managed if pet owners know what to look for, and work with their veterinarian on a health plan for their dog or cat. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats ranges from at least one in 1001 to one in 5002. The number of dogs diagnosed with the condition has tripled during the past 30 years3. Dogs receiving the proper treatment, however, have the same lifespan as a non-diabetic dog of the same age and sex3. A diabetic cat can also have a happy and healthy life with treatment, an appropriate diet and regular healthcare routine.

The Pet Diabetes Tracker helps the pet owner to do routine, daily monitoring by entering important health information including blood glucose levels, food and water consumption, body condition and weight – all important factors to effectively managing a pet’s diabetes. Ensuring the pet’s veterinarian stays up-to-date with the pet’s management plan is important and with the Pet Diabetes Tracker, owners can send reports directly to the veterinarian with a touch of one button.

“To help ensure the long-term health and well-being of a pet, successfully managing the various facets of the disease and treatment is critical,” said Madeleine Stahl, DVM, Associate Director, Scientific Marketing Affairs, Merck Animal Health. “I think pet owners – especially those with a newly diagnosed pet – will find this app an incredibly useful tool because it puts all the pertinent diabetic health information at their fingertips.”

Another important part of diabetes management is ensuring that the pet has the proper levels of insulin and the Pet Diabetes Tracker helps with that as well. Pet owners can track the amount of insulin given and also set reminders for when the next dose is needed. They can even reorder insulin directly through the app to ensure they never miss a dose.

To download the Pet Diabetes Tracker, visit:

 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pet-diabetes-tracker/id1055356950?mt=8 or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flightpath.merkdiabetes&hl=en.

For more information about pet diabetes go to petdiabetesmonth.com or talk to your veterinarian. To learn more about the app, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMXCJzPyKTg&feature=youtu.be. 

About Merck Animal Health

Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @MerckAH. 

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

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[1] Nelson RW. Canine diabetes mellitus. In: Ettinger SJ, Feldman EC, eds. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: Saunders; 2010: 1782-1796.

[2] Reusch C. Feline diabetes mellitus. In: Ettinger SJ, Feldman EC, eds. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: Saunders; 2010: 1796-1816.

[3] Fleeman, LM, Rand JS. Beyond insulin therapy: Achieving optimal control in diabetic dogs. Waltham FOCUS 2005; 15:12-19.