How SGLT2 inhibitors are changing feline diabetes management

Advances in SGLT2 inhibitors are reshaping treatment options for feline diabetes, and Ellen Behrend, VMD, PhD, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), believes they represent one of the most significant developments in the field. During the 2026 AVMA Convention in Anaheim, California, Behrend spoke with dvm360 about what excites her most about the future of feline diabetes care. In this video, she discusses why she believes these medications can improve treatment adherence, expand options for difficult-to-manage cases, and help more cats with diabetes receive treatment.

Below is the transcript, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

dvm360: After years of researching and teaching veterinary endocrinology, what excites you most about where feline diabetes care is headed?

Ellen Behrend, VMD, PhD, MS, DACVIM (SAIM): I'm most excited about these drugs. I think they are just a godsend for feline diabetes. When I first heard about this class of drug, I thought it was the stupidest idea I had ever heard because the way they work is by putting glucose in the urine, so it should make the PUPD [polyuria and polydipsia, or excessive urination and thirst] horrific. But it doesn't for any number of different reasons.

I think there are a lot of owners who will now treat their diabetic cats with an oral hypoglycemic because it's once a day. The cat still needs to be eating, but you don't have to pair it with the food. Using these drugs is so much easier for clients that I think we're going to be able to treat a lot more diabetic cats than we used to, and I think that they're going to be helpful in situations like cats that are on glucocorticoids and they're a diabetic. I think that's a great use for SGLT2 inhibitors.

I just presented research at the ACVIM [American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine] Forum last month about [the] use of these drugs in cats with acromegaly and diabetes. Those cats can be impossible to treat with insulin alone, and SGLT2 inhibitors are a godsend and can really help those cats a lot.