Much new information has been published in the last few years regarding pathophysiology of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in diabetic rats and mice. Our group has been studying the time-course cardiovascular changes associated with experimental diabetes in the last years, and obtained consistent evidences of severe dysautonomia in diabetes animal models. The aim of this manuscript is to review the contribution that studies involving different animal models of insulin deficiency or resistance have given to understand, treat and prevent diabetic cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.