The best glucose monitors for dogs and cats: a buyer's guide

There are two ways to monitor a diabetic pet's glucose at home, and the right one depends on your pet, your nerves, and your budget: a pet-calibrated blood glucose meter for quick spot-checks, or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) — a small wearable sensor that tracks glucose around the clock. Both beat guessing by a mile. Here's how to choose between them.

What to look for in a pet glucose meter

Four things matter most. First — and this is the big one — it must be calibrated for dogs and cats, because pet blood carries glucose differently from human blood and pet-specific meters read more accurately. Second, the ongoing cost and availability of test strips, which is where the real money goes. Third, how small a blood sample it needs — smaller is kinder. Fourth, ease of use, because a fiddly meter is a meter you'll avoid at 7am.

Are continuous glucose monitors worth it?

For many owners, genuinely yes — especially with a needle-shy cat. A CGM sensor sits on the skin and streams readings to a phone or reader for up to a couple of weeks, making it easy to build a full glucose curve and to spot overnight lows you'd otherwise miss entirely. Human CGMs such as the FreeStyle Libre are widely used on pets, typically fitted with your vet's involvement. The trade-offs are sensor cost and the occasional sensor that doesn't stay put — a protective cover helps.

Meter or CGM — the honest answer

Want low running costs and occasional readings? A pet-calibrated meter. Needle-shy pet, detailed curves, or worry about overnight lows? A CGM earns its cost. Plenty of owners use both: meter for the day-to-day, CGM for periodic deep dives. And whichever you choose, the readings are only as useful as the record you keep.

Mello logs every reading — meter or sensor — and turns them into the curve and the report your vet actually wants to see.