Quincy the Queensland koala has been equipped with the latest blood sugar monitor, hopefully quelling a quandary for the diabetic marsupial.

Experts from the San Diego Zoo, where Quincy resides, teamed up with glucose monitor maker Dexcom and Scripps Health to help Quincy, who has type 1 (insulin deficient) diabetes.

Instead of having his furry ear pricked several times a day, Quincy now just needs to accept having a sensor delicately implanted under his skin once every 10 days. The sensor wirelessly transmits readings every five minutes, day and night.

Humans may even be helped by the knowledge gained in this first-of-a-kind treatment for an animal.


On June 1, Quincy received Dexcom’s G6 continuous glucose monitoring system, which was recently approved for humans by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dexcom donated the system. It hasn’t yet disclosed what the system will cost.

Scripps Health contributed its expertise in diabetes, and familiarity with Dexcom’s technology, said Dr. Athena Philis-Tsimikas, corporate vice president of the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute. The hospital system is also testing the G6 system as a replacement for frequent finger pricks in patients who can’t verbalize.

The zoo, of course, provides a detailed understanding of koala biology and behavior. Its keepers know how to train animals to tolerate uncomfortable procedures — such as being stuck with a needle — with a minimum of stress.

Quincy came to San Diego from the Los Angeles Zoo, where his diabetes was first diagnosed — a rarity in the sleepy, tree-dwelling eucalyptus-eaters, native to coastal eastern Australia.


This posed a problem. Koalas, despite their placid appearance, can get touchy about being disturbed. But frequent glucose measurements are essential to maintaining levels close to normal.

Too much blood glucose, or hyperglycemia, damages the body. Too little, or hypoglycemia, can cause faintness, unconsciousness, or even death.

Scripps Health and San Diego Zoo senior veterinarian Cora Singleton closely examined Quincy’s condition. It turned out that Quincy was truly insulin deficient, said Philis-Tsimikas, a diabetes expert.

So other diabetes medicines, some of which can be taken orally, weren’t enough. He needed injections. And his blood glucose required frequent testing.


That’s where Dexcom came in. A pioneer in continuous glucose monitoring, Dexcom has developed a series of systems that wirelessly send glucose level readings from a sensor implanted just under the skin.

The information, updated every five minutes, enables keepers to be notified of Quincy’s status without having to disturb his sleep — and koalas love to sleep.

Previous Dexcom systems have to be calibrated with skin pricks from time to time, although much less frequently than manual reading.

The G6 system dispenses with the calibration. Moreover, its sensor lasts for 10 days; previous models lasted for 7 days.


Working with Quincy is somewhat like working with people who can’t talk or explain well how they’re feeling, Philis-Tsimikas said. Patients may be unconscious, or too young to articulate their symptoms, she said. In such cases, blood glucose is the main metric for their condition.

Moreover, many different kinds of insulin are now available, she said. They have different properties, such as the speed of absorption and action. So their effect must be closely monitored. As it happens, koalas absorb insulin much as do humans.

Philis-Tsimikas said she hopes that diabetic children might be inspired by the tale of a koala with their disease to be more vigilant in controlling their own blood glucose.

The power of a koala as a diabetes ambassador struck Philis-Tsimikas during a diabetes conference this week. After closing her presentation with a picture of Quincy, she heard from Ann Albright, a diabetes expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


“She told me, Athena, I had a koala (plush toy) growing up, and I have type 1 diabetes myself,” Philis-Tsimikas said. “I think it could inspire a lot of kids.”