MSD Animal Health launches pet diabetes awareness campaign

MSD Animal Health has announced the launch of a global awareness campaign to educate owners on the risk diabetes can pose to their pets.

Coinciding with Pet Diabetes Month, the initiative aims to alert pet owners to the signs of the condition in an effort to encourage them to visit their veterinarians to have the animals screened or treated.

Common signs include excessive thirst, frequent urination and changes in appetite, as well as increased hunger while losing weight, cloudy eyes in dogs and weakness of the back legs in cats.

The company will also promote the potential therapeutic benefits of its pet diabetes product Vetsulin, which is intended for use on both dogs and cats.

Madeleine Stahl, associate director for scientific marketing affairs at MSD Animal Health, said: "Lack of owner awareness is the biggest risk factor associated with pet diabetes, [which] can be easily and effectively managed if the owners know the signs and take action."

The company offers a wide range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. It employs around 400 people in the UK.