World Diabetes Day – The History and Achievements in Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus (DM) has always been a part of humankind and it has for dogs and cats as well. The history of diabetes is so interesting to me, physicians recorded it thousands of years ago, scientists tried to crack the code for hundreds of years but it wasn’t until 1921 when insulin was discovered. And here we are today with different types of insulin, testing supplies that are easy to use and dietary guidelines that work.
Let’s explore the history and accomplishments surrounding diabetes mellitus. While this topic mainly relates to humans, it's thanks to the dedicated efforts of physicians and scientists who studied diabetes mellitus that we can now treat our pets as well.
In 1552 BC Hesy Ra, an Egyptian physician documented a disease that causes frequent urination and emaciation. He also noted that ants were attracted to the urine of people with this disease.
It wasn’t until 250 BC that Apollonius of Memphis, a Greek physician named the disease “diabetes.”
In the 11th century, “mellitus” was added due to the urine of a diabetic being sweet; mellitus is the Latin word for honey.
But it wasn’t until 1770 -1800 that Matthew Dobson identified urine is sweet in diabetics due to excess glucose in blood. John Rollow treated a diabetic patient with a high protein, high fat diet. This is the first dietary approach to diabetes mellitus that was in the right direction.
In the early 19th century a low-carbohydrate diet was developed by French physician Apollinaire Bouchardat. He also theorized that DM was caused by the pancreas…another step forward in discovering the cause of DM!
Paul Langerhans, who was a German medical student, discovered the pancreas has two types of cells with one type that secretes cell islands in 1869. While he didn’t understand the functions of the cells, he will be credited in the future by these cells being named the Islets of Langerhans.
In 1889, Joseph von Mering and Oskar Mikowski remove the pancreas from dogs discovering that they develop DM.
Jean de Meyer names the active substance from the Islets of Langerhans as “insulin” in the early 1900’s. Sir Edward Sharpey-Schafer theorizes that the Islets of Langerhans secretes a substance that regulates carbohydrate metabolism. He suggests the substance be named “insuline.”
In 1920 American physician Moses Baron published “The Relationship of the Islets of Langerhans to Diabetes.”
When Dr. Frederick Banting was young, he had a good friend Jane that was diagnosed at 14 years old with diabetes mellitus and sadly passed away a couple months later. This helped lead him to understanding and studying DM. In 1921 James MacLeod granted Banting and a medical student Charles Best the use of a laboratory to experiment and investigate the relationship between pancreatic secretions and diabetes mellitus. They successfully isolate insulin, produce DM in dogs and then give them insulin injections that lower blood glucose levels. James MacLeod then hired a biochemist, James Collip to purify insulin. After successfully purifying insulin, they inject 14-year-old Leonard Thompson who was hospitalized and dying of diabetic ketoacidosis. Leonard recovered due to insulin injections and lived until he was 27 years old. A feat that would have been impossible for type 1 diabetics back then.
Dr. Frederick Banting and James MacLeod win the Nobel prize and they split the prize money with Charles Best and James Collip. They also sell the patent for insulin for $1.00 each with Banting stating that “insulin does not belong to me; it belongs to the world.”
Fun fact: World Diabetes Day is celebrated on November 14th, this is Dr. Frederick Banting's birthday!
Since the discovery of insulin there have been many achievements for managing diabetes, insulin therapy and testing included!
Eli Lilly started producing and selling insulin named Iletin in 1923, insulin was extracted from bovine and porcine at the time. Over time, insulin was purified to reduce allergic reactions.
The first blood glucose monitoring system was developed by Dr. Elliott Joslin and his team in 1940.
In 1956, chemist Helen Free and her husband Afred Free who was also a chemist develop Clinistix, a dip test for reading glucose in urine. By 1964 glucose urine test strips are sold commercially.
Miles Laboratories release blood glucose test strips named Dextrostix in 1965. A large drop of blood, 30mL was placed on the test strip and then washed off after 60 seconds. The color generated was compared to a glucose color chart. These test strips were available for physicians’ offices only.
In 1982 synthetic insulin is produced and made available by Eli Lilly. This was another great achievement for diabetes.
The Dextrometer was made available for home use in 1980 and used the Dextrostix to read blood glucose results. The blood sample size was decreased from 30mL to 20mL. Between the 80’s until now the required blood sample size has dropped from 20mL to 0.3mL, this is a major achievement for us, I cannot imagine trying to get a 30mL sample!
All this leads me to innovations for our diabetic dogs and cats!
In 1991, MSD Animal Health launched Caninsulin in Australia, a U40 porcine insulin made specifically for dogs and cats.
Vetsulin was introduced in 2004 by Merck Animal Health in the USA. Vetsulin and Caninsulin are the same insulin, just a different name in the USA.
The AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) publishes the first Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cat in 2006.
Abbott Laboratories offers the first animal blood glucose meter in 2006. This recognizes that dogs and cats require the same types of treatment for diabetes as humans.
In 2009, Caninsulin is launched in Canada by MSD Animal Health, and in 2012 it became available in Europe.
Another insulin, ProZinc was approved in 2009 for use in dogs and cats by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. This is a porcine, U40 insulin.
In 2015 PetTest launches the PetTest Classic Meter for dogs and cats. The blood sample size required is a mere 0.3mL and requires no coding. There are two settings, one for dogs and one for cats.
In 2024, PetTest announces the PetLink+ Meter for dogs and cats. It includes wireless technology which syncs with their Digital Companion App. Blood sample size remains the smallest available in human and companion animal world and still, no coding needed.
As you can see, we have come such a long way in a short time. While we don’t have a cure for diabetes mellitus there are successful trials via stem cell therapy, islet or pancreas transplants, and immunotherapies.
I also want to give a huge shoutout to PetTest! Since 2015 PetTest has strived to make dog and cat diabetes more manageable and affordable. The thoughtful product line has our pets’ health in mind; they have expanded their product lines to include supplements that are not only companion animal safe, but they are safe for diabetic dogs and cats. And PetTest understands that this disease can be expensive so they make their products as affordable as possible while having a high standard for their products. High quality, human-grade supplements that we can count on.
PetTest is also dedicated to supporting pet owners in caring for animals with diabetes through online resources, social media communities, and fantastic customer support, ensuring assistance is available at every stage. PetTest stands out by prioritizing transparency and innovation, giving pet owners the information and assurance they need to care for their diabetic animals.
Overall, while there's no cure for diabetes yet, we've come a long way in managing the disease for both humans and pets. Thanks to ongoing research and dedicated companies like PetTest, living with diabetes is more manageable than ever.
Until next time stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
Want to learn all you can in a simple and easy to follow format? Please join DDO-U: Diabetic Dog Owners University, graciously sponsored by PetTest.
Be sure to join the PetTest family on Facebook and Instagram. PetTest has fun, interactive posts AND they have fabulous giveaways every week!
Do you need a blood glucose meter kit for your diabetes arsenal? There are two meters you can choose from, the PetTest Classic and the PetLink+ meter that has wireless technology and works seamlessly with the Digital Companion App.
USA links:
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://shoppettest.com/pettest-meter-kit/
PetLink+ Meter Kit: https://shoppettest.com/petlink-plus-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
PetTest link: https://shoppettest.com/
Canada links:
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://pettest.ca/pettest-meter-kit/
PetLink+ Meter Kit: https://pettest.ca/pettest-petlink-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
PetTest link: https://pettest.ca/
UK links:
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://pettest.uk/pettest-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
PetTest link: https://pettest.uk
New Zealand now has PetTest products through VetPost.
Don’t forget to check your email for the latest PetTest promo codes and if you aren’t subscribed to receive PetTest emails sign up now. You can also go to PetTest on Facebook or Instagram for current promo code info.