? Anyone using the new Alpha Trak 3?

[Sandysdad]

Was just out buying some strips for my alpha trak 2, and noticed that everything switched over to the alpha trak 3. I saw the price for the starter kit was the same as the price of a vial of strip so I went ahead and picked one up.

Seems like major upgrades are bluetooth support for a mobile app and smaller blood dose needed for test.

Anyone been using it? Is it reading pretty close to the alpha trak 2? My biggest concern is the first units of any new product always are buggy - and I'd hate to get a bad one.


For anyone getting a new one, don't forget to sign up for zoetis rewards, its a nice chunka points, helps get that free vial quicker.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Might want to read this post, or at least chime in. https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/alpha-trak-3-problems.276539/

It's new to everyone, am curious what the feedback is.

 

[CandB]

Was just out buying some strips for my alpha trak 2, and noticed that everything switched over to the alpha trak 3. I saw the price for the starter kit was the same as the price of a vial of strip so I went ahead and picked one up.

Seems like major upgrades are bluetooth support for a mobile app and smaller blood dose needed for test.

Anyone been using it? Is it reading pretty close to the alpha trak 2? My biggest concern is the first units of any new product always are buggy - and I'd hate to get a bad one.


For anyone getting a new one, don't forget to sign up for zoetis rewards, its a nice chunka points, helps get that free vial quicker.

Yup I hate it. Been trying to test it against the Alpha Trak 2 just to make sure its the same readings or in the same range but I havent been able to get a successful test after.. 4 strips now? 5 with the control strip. 5 bucks down the drain so far. Cant get enough blood for the meter to read it, it takes a lot, far more than what the 2 needs. My cat doesn't have unlimited patience, specially as she is used to like a few seconds for the 2, and not minutes of me trying to get enough blood with the 3 so I am forced to give up and just use the 2.


Edit: Further clarification. People online like amazon are saying it uses less blood than the 2, absolutely not the case. Maybe they were or are already getting a lot of blood, but I can tell you the small amount of blood that I am able to get a reading for the 2, and have been for years, absolutely is not enough to get a reading on the 3.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

I used one last Saturday. I was helping someone attach a Libre and she had an Alpha Trak 3. She had trouble line described of taking many strips to get test. I had no problem. Got BG on first try/strip. What is nice is that it has bluetooth and you can download dat to your phone. It can create graphs of BG and other reports.

 

[CandB]

So I was finally able to get a successful test this morning. Now knowing that I need much blood than the AT2 helps. 69 on the AT2 and an 81 on the AT3. In terms of her diabetes she has always been a difficult DIVA especially as her low point or Nadir actually comes at the 10th Hour, rather than 6 as would be expected. Threw us for a loop and originally had the vet making me give her WAY too high a dose and almost killing her before I figured it out. So while it is alarming and this number is lower for her lately, she is on a very small amount of Lantus Insulin at this point, 1/4 of a dose and often lower and she free feeds and I work from home so this low number isn't as scary crisis mode as it may seem. Just throwing it out there, its really incredible how diabetes treatment gets when you know your kitty and such.

But anyway, interesting to finally have a comparison between the meters. Will keep doing dual tests and see how it really stacks up. The app functions will be nice to track it (I track on my phone and a spreadsheet of course)

Edit: Oh also yeah the alpha trak 2 clock is off, and I'm just too lazy to fix it as it never keeps so well and i track it myself, but yeah I assure you it is the same time test lol


One tip I can give to everyone is you need enough blood to fill the little strip window right away. I know with the Alpha Trak 2 you can go back and try to collect more blood without erroring out the strip, but not with the 3. If it doesn't fill up all in the first touch, it really doesn't work to go and touch it to more, it just errors out. So make sure you have enough blood there. It's been really difficult for me being so used to the Alpha Trak 2 and smaller amounts of blood and being able to touch it again to trigger the reading.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

69 on the AT2 and an 81 on the AT3.

Did you use the same drop of blood for both readings? If not that can contribute to the different readings. Even using the same meter and two different drops taken separately will result in different BGs because the glucose can be different in different drops of blood togeter with the small errs of one meter and one lot of strips.

 

[CandB]

Did you use the same drop of blood for both readings? If not that can contribute to the different readings. Even using the same meter and two different drops taken separately will result in different BGs because the glucose can be different in different drops of blood togeter with the small errs of one meter and one lot of strips.

It was the same spot at the same time. One after the other. I wouldn't expect the meters to be the same. Theoretically if they've made a new more accurate meter, while they should be close (as you would hope the previous meter isn't way off) they shouldn't be the same. So far with this test only having a difference of 12, so to me that seems fairly accurate with each other.

 

[CandB]

Here is tonight's test I just did a bit ago. Again the same spot, same blood, same time. The Alpha Trak 2 is 142 and the Alpha Trak 3 is 126, so this a difference of 16

 

[Larry and Kitties]

The Alpha Trak 2 is 142 and the Alpha Trak 3 is 126, so this a difference of 16

That is about a 12% difference. I difference like that is not unexpected since there is meter error and strip error and both are different for the two meter systems. Strip error would even be different between different lots of strips as well as between different meters of the same type.

 

[CandB]

That is about a 12% difference. I difference like that is not unexpected since there is meter error and strip error and both are different for the two meter systems. Strip error would even be different between different lots of strips as well as between different meters of the same type.

Yeah, basically no difference at all. This morning's test was 149 on the AT2 and 139 on the AT3 so at this point I have no qualms or reservations about the test accuracy and using it going forward.

 

[Sandysdad]

Yeah, basically no difference at all. This morning's test was 149 on the AT2 and 139 on the AT3 so at this point I have no qualms or reservations about the test accuracy and using it going forward.

Have you had any issues with the bluetooth? I've been using the 3 for a week now and overall I really like it, the only issue is the bluetooth NEVER works easy, and I always gotta double dip to get my phone to connect.

I will say, I've seen a lot of folks say it needs more blood, I'm actually finding the opposite, I'm managing to turn my plunger down a notch even since it uses so little.

Accuracy is the only thing I haven't done a ton of testing on, the couple times I've checked on both it hasn't been off by more than 20 tho.

Still wish they hadn't made the strips on the 2 go up like a million dollars, but hey, I'm fine with the new unit.

 

[CandB]

Have you had any issues with the bluetooth? I've been using the 3 for a week now and overall I really like it, the only issue is the bluetooth NEVER works easy, and I always gotta double dip to get my phone to connect.
.

Kind of. You have to be on the specific app screen, be on the specific device screen, hit connect again. If I have any other bluetooth devices connected connecting to the Alpha Trak 3 disconnects them all which is weird. Takes forever to send the results over to the app and my biggest issue is basically everytime I send new results, no matter what option I pick, it wipes the previous results. So from a historical perspective... the app really sucks and I've basically stopped using it.