How to approach glucose curve? Might disagree with vet

fortheloveofugin

fortheloveofugin

Member Since 2025
Hello everyone,

My boy was recently in the hospital for DKA, and came out a few weeks ago. He seems to be doing much better, but we are needing to do a glucose curve.
We started figuring out how to test at home and it has been a great success! My husband is still struggling to do it on his own and get a reading every time but for the most part Ugin is cooperative. Which has been very exciting, and much easier than we thought.

Now for the glucose curve, I do not know whether it is better to do an at home glucose test or use the Libre, which my vet recommends.
My vet has been low key insistent that we need to use a Libre. She said cannot give insulin dose change recommendations based off the glucose meter we use (Nova Max Plus). So if we sent her our spreadsheet with readings every 2 hrs, she couldn't accept it. She said she isn't familiar with it, and the only meter data used for pets is the Alphatrak, so we would have to get a new meter if we wanted to do a curve at home to give to her. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with the Nova Max and it would just be a waste of money to buy a new meter just because the vet says so.
She also said there is risk of scarring with at home testing? Which I don't think is true?

The issue with the Libre is that we have to take him in for a technician appointment so they can apply it. So the cost of a Libre ($30) and an appointment ($60), is just not doable. On top of that, he has ripped off the past 3 Libres, one of them was literally within a few hours of having it put on. Her solution is to buy more fitting shirts, cone/donut, to test new ways of him not being able to access it.
I really am exhausted with the whole song and dance of driving to the pharmacy, driving to the appointment, and trying to keep this Libre and shirt on him that he hates. And we are not in a position to be wasting money trying all these different methods.

I hate the idea of making Ugin leave the house again, to go to another appointment after just getting out of the hospital. I want him to be a happy, lazy cat and not force him to go anywhere if I don't have to. I don't want to always be messing with him and forcing him to go to appointments, wearing a cone, a shirt, if I can help it. But I will, if a Libre is the better option.

**Should I try with this Libre again? Should I just do the glucose curve at home, and tell the vet that that is the way it's gonna be?
**Are there any significant differences between using a Libre and an at home curve? Does it hurt his ears to test every 2 hours?

PS: Please excuse how incomplete my spreadsheet is. Not everyday has been perfect but we are figuring it out.
Thank you all for your time 💗💕
 
Sigh.... If your vet is comfortable with the Libre, she should be comfortable with readings from any human meter. The Libre was initially developed for humans. And frankly, a handheld glucometer doesn't have the same problem with providing inaccurately low numbers in the lower ranges. What she's saying doesn't make sense.

Many vets are wed to the AlphaTrack. What they typically don't appreciate is that the cost for AlphaTrack strips is $1.00 each. Many members here use the Walmart Relion meter. The cost for strips is $0.17 (17 cents) each. As a way to accommodate your vet, use the meter you're comfortable with on a day-to-day basis. When you need to send a curve to your vet, use the AlphaTrack.

There's a very high likelihood that a curve at the vet's office will result in spuriously high numbers. Most cats experience vet stress which inflates their blood glucose numbers. This can cause the vet suggesting an increase in insulin dose which could result in a hypoglycemic episode. The results you will get at home will be far more reliable.

I've linked the guidelines for the treatment of diabetes from the American Animal Hospital Assn. On p. 10, they discuss at home glucose testing. It also discusses the use of the Libre and the discrepancies between those results and results from the AlphaTrack. Your vet may be more willing to get information from a veterinary journal than a caregiver.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Sigh.... If your vet is comfortable with the Libre, she should be comfortable with readings from any human meter. The Libre was initially developed for humans. And frankly, a handheld glucometer doesn't have the same problem with providing inaccurately low numbers in the lower ranges. What she's saying doesn't make sense.

Many vets are wed to the AlphaTrack. What they typically don't appreciate is that the cost for AlphaTrack strips is $1.00 each. Many members here use the Walmart Relion meter. The cost for strips is $0.17 (17 cents) each. As a way to accommodate your vet, use the meter you're comfortable with on a day-to-day basis. When you need to send a curve to your vet, use the AlphaTrack.

There's a very high likelihood that a curve at the vet's office will result in spuriously high numbers. Most cats experience vet stress which inflates their blood glucose numbers. This can cause the vet suggesting an increase in insulin dose which could result in a hypoglycemic episode. The results you will get at home will be far more reliable.

I've linked the guidelines for the treatment of diabetes from the American Animal Hospital Assn. On p. 10, they discuss at home glucose testing. It also discusses the use of the Libre and the discrepancies between those results and results from the AlphaTrack. Your vet may be more willing to get information from a veterinary journal than a caregiver.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your replying, I agree with everything you said.
And I have also read that the AlphaTrack strips are much more expensive. I feel the vet does not take cost into consideration when she makes her recommendations.
I think she sees at home testing as "the old way" with the Libre as being the better option that she is kind of pushing onto us. But it is really not working out.
I will let her know that we are doing a curve at home, and yes if she will only accept an AlphaTrack for a curve then we will use it for that. I think I just needed validation in this decision, since this is what I feel is best for us.
 
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