November is Pet Diabetes Month, when you can help find out if your pet is happy and healthy using just one little test strip.

Vets all over the UK are asking for pet owners to test their cats and dogs for diabetes this November as part of Pet Diabetes Month. You can collect a test strip from your local vet practice to check your pet and then submit your results online to make up part of a bigger picture of the problem.

The Great Pet ‘Pee’ Test was started to make more owners aware of diabetes in cats and dogs, because many pets may have the condition without their owners even knowing it. Just like in humans, pet diabetes is a disease that can make dogs and cats very sick. It is caused when the animal’s body isn’t producing enough of a special hormone called insulin. One of the main causes of diabetes in pets is being overweight, which is very worrying as the RSPCA has estimated that 65% of pets are now overweight.

Owners who want to check their pet need to visit their vet during November to pick up a free Great Pet ‘Pee’ Test information leaflet and test strip. To do the test, an adult needs to dip the test strip in your cat or dog’s ‘pee’ to see whether or not they may need to go to the vet.

Results are then logged anonymously on www.petdiabetesmonth.co.uk. For each result logged, 10p will be donated to PDSA by the campaign’s organisers, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. The results of the survey will be used to help find out current pet diabetes levels throughout the UK.

The first ever Great Pet ‘Pee’ Test comes as rising numbers of UK vets believe that there are many pets who have diabetes but their owners don’t know it. It is currently estimated that up to 1 in 100 cats and dogs develop diabetes, but that number is expected to get higher as the number of overweight pets increases.

As with many diseases, the earlier you find out the better. Signs that your pet may be at risk of diabetes include drinking too much water, peeing too much, eating more but getting thinner, and being tired. However, these signs are not always obvious and can be easy to miss.

To find out more about The Great Pet ‘Pee’ Test and to join visit www.petdiabetesmonth.co.uk during Pet Diabetes Month this November.