Diabetic Nala the anteater fitted with human monitor
A GIANT anteater at Edinburgh Zoo with the first case of diabetes in the captive species is having her condition managed just like a human.
Vets are using a blood glucose monitor on Nala, who also gets an insulin injection every day.
The anteater appeared on the BBC Scotland series Inside the Zoo earlier this year showing the same symptoms as people do before being diagnosed with diabetes. Royal Zoological Society of Scotland vet Dr Stephanie Mota said: “Nala was losing weight despite eating the same amount. We found Nala had type 1 diabetes.”
While the condition is known to occur in domestic cats, dogs and in tamandua in the wild, no other cases have been reported in giant anteaters.
“Our keepers did an amazing job training Nala to take an insulin injection every day,” Dr Mota added. “But the challenge was how to continuously monitor her blood glucose levels.”
Taking bloods daily was not an option but human glucose monitor maker Dexcom donated a unit.
Dr Mota said: “We were able to apply it during her training sessions, which now allows us to check her blood glucose levels remotely.”