Rumba funds a ‘quiet revolution’ in pet diabetes care

We are excited and proud to share news of a revolutionary App, developed with Rumba’s support, by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). This incredible App will help owners of pets with diabetes to monitor and manage their treatment, while contributing towards invaluable research into the disease.

The App has been developed by Dr Stijn Niessen, Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine and pet diabetes expert at the RVC. Stijn had two objectives in its creation: firstly, to help owners take an active part in the control of their pets’ diabetes, so that monitoring and insulin dosage can be managed so much more effectively. And secondly, to provide a means for owners to easily share anonymous data about their animals’ condition that will help advance research into the disease and its effective treatment.
Diabetes is a subject particularly close to the hearts of Rumba’s founding Trustees, Jim and Fiona Hindle, who have donated £15,000 – the entire cost for the development of the App. They said:  

“We have first-hand experience of what it is like to care for and live with two diabetic cats and the stress and anxiety that causes. When we heard that the RVC were looking for funding to develop the App, it was immediately something we wanted to support. For the Trustees of the Rumba Foundation, the inspirational work of Dr Stijn Niessen and his team at the Royal Veterinary College is in harmony with our mission to support specific projects that have a direct impact on companion animal health and particularly those that have the potential to benefit both animals and humans.”
The App was launched at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Annual Conference and received immediate acclaim. Vets themselves are delighted that owners can be given the opportunity to record and easily share important information essential in managing pet diabetes.

Among the clinical indicators that can be logged on the App are: weight, appetite, thirst and urination changes, as well as blood sugar values for those owners who are able to test blood and urine glucose at home.

Further features have been designed to help improve pets’ quality of life on an ongoing basis. These include a medication reminder function; scientifically-validated tools to calculate and score the pets’ clinical signs and a tool to calculate the amount of food the animal requires.  

The App is free and available from Android and iPhone App stores. Designed for dogs and cats, it can be personalised to feature the pet’s photograph. The App serves as a personal assistant, helping owners to provide the very best care for their diabetic pets and to work more closely with their veterinary care team to manage the treatment programme. The typical complications from fluctuating blood sugar levels can be avoided as owners chart their pets’ blood glucose curve on the App. Entries can be inputted in the Diabetes Log to provide an ongoing record.

Dr Niessen has been equally excited at the response the App has received. He said:
“Over 10,000 downloads for Android and Apple devices in four languages! Thank you everyone for supporting this quiet pet diabetes revolution; for decades us vets have not involved pet owners enough in their diabetic pet's care; until now... the App empowers owners to keep track of the diabetes, helps visualise trends, helps communicate all that matters with the vet team, and... all the data helps pet diabetes research!”

“If this story has inspired you to make a contribution to help fund our next life-enhancing purchase, you can donate here. Your gift will be enormously appreciated.”