? 100 point difference btwn glucometers - which to use?

Status
Not open for further replies.
TurkeyCat

TurkeyCat

Member Since 2016
Hi, all. I've been using a human meter, Bayer Contour, to test Turkey's BG since he was diagnosed about a week and a half ago. The "high" numbers (mid-high 400s) it has been giving me are very close to the number from the vet's AlphaTrak glucometer used when he was diagnosed. I ordered an AlphaTrak for home use as well and just received it in the mail. I calibrated it to the cat code on the test strip vial and checked it with the control solution; it was within the suggested control solution range. However, I did side by side comparisons of the Contour and the AlphaTrak with both the same blood sample and the test solution and the AlphaTrak is testing between 100-140 points higher than the Contour. He tested over 600 on the AlphaTrak whereas he was high 400s on the Contour. I'm unsure at this point as to which meter I should use moving forward given that the Bayer seemed to better match the number from the vet's AlphaTrak but I don't want to underestimate his BG levels. Any input is appreciated!
 
All meters, both human and pet are allowed to have up to a 20% variance between the number they give you and the number you'd get on professional lab equipment

Even if you use the exact same meter on the exact same drop of blood, the results can be quite a bit different, especially at those high numbers....at the low numbers, they'll be much closer (and that's where it's really important)

Too high is too high....doesn't really matter how much "too high" it is

Example....your 475 on the human meter could be up to 20% higher....or 570

and your 615 on the AT could be up to 20% lower...or 492

so actually, although it looks like there's a big difference between the 475 and 615, they're actually in the same range of numbers

Trying to compare two different meters will drive you absolutely insane....it's much better to pick one meter, learn what ranges to watch for with that meter and put the other one away for emergencies only....like when you're main one breaks
 
  • Like
Reactions: BJM
@Chris & China , thanks- I totally forgot about the 20% variance. I'd combed through some previous threads on glucometers a few days ago and it slipped my mind! Given that the variances overlap, I think I'll stick with the Bayer Contour only because it seems similar to what the vet's originally read and the test strips are way cheaper than the AlphaTrak!
 
Hi,
there is a lot of debate about meters and I understand your frustration.
My advice to you is to keep things simple because dealing with FD is complicated enough!
I have done a lot of comparisons between meters (I'm just like that - I like to know and experiment ha ha ha!) and there is one thing which really stands up: the difference on high numbers is USUALLY very noticeable and on low numbers it is minimal. And also one test of reading at the vet's in comparison with your meter at home does not give you enough data to rely on.
Another consideration is that most advice given here is based on using human meter and also a cost of test strips is something to think about as you've observed yourself.
I hope you don't mind that I mention cat food. I've noticed on your signature that you feed your kitty dry food which is not what we advocate here. Even if your cat has other health problems we suggest proper diet of specific wet food and one of the most common problem is kidney disease which can be progressing rapidly due to dry food.
I don't know your reasons for feeding vet prescription diet to your TurkeyCat and if anybody from FDMB has already talked to you about it so forgive me if you have already discussed that but if not please let us know if you need any assistance in deciding what to feed your kitty.
There is a lot of information here on the Feline Health Forum if you have time to read through this.
Another thing I've noticed is that you use Novolin insulin which rarely works well in cats. Again, lots of info here and lots of really experienced members who could give you their expertise as with regards to insulin.
Remember, vets are supposed to be experts but unfortunately they often are not and you have to become an expert yourself if you want good results like remission and really question everything vets are telling you. I disregard most allopathic doctors and vets expertise as I've seen so many mistakes made and we and our animals suffer as a consequence. Last straw is an illness of a young family member who just has been diagnosed with last stage of very aggressive cancer after visiting doctors many times over 2 years and always has been fobbed off with painkillers!
I hope you find all information here useful and let us know if we could direct you to best care for your dear TurkeyCat.
Wishing you good luck,
Marlena:):cat::)
 
Thanks, @Marlena ! Since it's only been a week and a half I wanted to give the vet's recommendations a chance but she did say that she typically recommends Humulin/Novolin to patients for the cost factor and not necessarily efficacy. I think he's going to need to be on a longer acting insulin because this isn't keeping him low for long and he's not even getting into the 100s at the 2 unit dosage.

I haven't switched his food yet because I originally wanted to apply one treatment at a time to more accurately measure effect. That is, I wanted to know how he responds to the insulin holding other aspects of his life constant before adding in another treatment variable that could affect outcomes. However, I realize that the insulin may not be working as well as it could given the diet he's on so that complicates things. He has Chronic Renal Failure and the dry K/D has really worked for him, bringing his kidney values into the normal range within a year. I planned to ask the vet about low-carb/kidney-friendly foods down the road once we've settled on an insulin but it may be difficult to decide on an insulin when he's on this food! I've been consulting these sites for ideas for food: http://www.felinecrf.org/dry_food_usa.htm http://www.felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...-carb-low-phos-food-list.135320/#post-1653949
 
Darling, you are on the right track!
Just post your question in the Feline Health (Main Forum), there are masses of very experienced members dealing with kidney issues.
And one of the best advice you will find is on Tanya's site, highly recommend!
Humulin/ Novolin is too harsh for your kitty and can drop BG really rapidly in the early hours after injection and my sister (member here as well) ended up in an emergency with her cat only after first or second injection as per vet's advice and spent a lot of money and had so much stress trying to save the cat from effects of this insulin. I have heard many stories like that so be very vigilant, specially shortly after giving your cat a shot.
Please read info here regarding different insulin we use to see which regime would suit you most like with Lantus or Levemir you have to be committed to exactly 12 hours injections and with ProZinc you have a more flexible approach.
I like the idea of Levemir very much indeed. On Lantus/Levemir (L/L) forum you will find all information about these insulins and people will tell you what is the best way to obtain it without breaking the bank.
But first thing you need to do is to change your kitty's food from dry to wet and I can't stress enough how important this is. New wet low carbohydrate food will likely cause your kitty to drop BG even by 100 points which you have to consider when you try to switch.
Unless you have an exceptional vet (rare beast shall I say) there is no point asking your vet about better food for your kitty as they are trained by pet food manufacturers like Purina and Hill's and don't really have a wider view what's best.
You have to be your own expert, read everything we suggest, ask questions and voila you will be sailing!
And first thing you have to remember when you start insulin you have to go S L O W L Y with it at first but we will come to this when you get better insulin for your TurkeyCat which, by the way looks absolutely stunning!
I hope you enjoyed my a bit too long post (I could go even longer ha ha ha but don't want to put you off!) and just spend some time reading and thinking about it.
We are here for you and your kitty, you're in the best hands.
PS. I should mention that you need to find a vet you like, who listens to your concerns and takes your ideas regarding the health of your cat on board.
Best of luck,
Marlena:bighug:
 
Check my signature link on human and veterinary glucose numbers. There's a graph that shows how wide the +/- 20% variation can get as the numbers increase, plus some of the reference levels for various methods of glucose management.
 
Thanks, @BJM for that link and @Marlena for the encouraging words and advice. Turkey is unfortunately a dry food addict so getting him off of it will be tricky but I think we're headed in that direction (plus a longer acting insulin). I'm traveling overseas starting early next week but am hoping to make some changes when I return.
 
Have a good trip!
It would be absolutely brilliant if you could read what members said about transitioning your dry kibble addict to proper food - there is a lot of tricks you can use and I think it is essential that you do it as soon as possible. I can tell you from my own experience that certain things seem impossible to do at first but when you put your mind into it you do it without a problem. I have heard from many people this: oh no, my cat only likes dry food and would not touch anything else! Be open minded and it might be easier than you think. But of course some cats are very difficult and I can only sympathise as I'm so lucky with Rocky - he eats absolutely everything and never left any food in his bowl, always licks it clean and I can put lots of supplements in his food including turmeric (curry spice)!
Wishing you luck and let us know if you need any advice.
Marlena
 
Suggested to my vet both a switch in insulin and a transition to wet food. She supported an increase in the amount of insulin but suggested I keep the type of insulin and W/D dry food for the moment. I don't want to offend her because she's the one with the VetMD (I have a PhD and I know it drives me nuts when people act as if that doesn't qualify me to make professional judgments) but I have a feeling that continuing on the dry food/short acting insulin combo won't bring us to where I want him to be. I'm sure I'm not the first person to bump heads with their vet over this...any advice for how to broach the subject down the road? I'm going to leave it alone while I'm traveling for the next few weeks.
 
TurkeyCat said:
Suggested to my vet both a switch in insulin and a transition to wet food. She supported an increase in the amount of insulin but suggested I keep the type of insulin and W/D dry food for the moment. I don't want to offend her because she's the one with the VetMD (I have a PhD and I know it drives me nuts when people act as if that doesn't qualify me to make professional judgments) but I have a feeling that continuing on the dry food/short acting insulin combo won't bring us to where I want him to be. I'm sure I'm not the first person to bump heads with their vet over this...any advice for how to broach the subject down the road? I'm going to leave it alone while I'm traveling for the next few weeks.
Click to expand...
Just like doctors, most veternarian's can't specialize in every type of illness. I know of one (who I've worked personally with at a previous job) who recommends home testing, low carb, canned diet & even recommends people to FDMB. Many vets are not equipped with enough knowledge to treat feline diabetes because it's a subject that is covered maybe one or two classes throughout an eight year period. In my opinion, you don't need their permission to change to a canned diet and if your vet will not give you a RX for a longer-acting insulin, another vet probably would. My vet wanted to start Carter on DM dry & 4 units of Vetsulin BID. I said no to the dry food, used the Vetsulin for two weeks without home-testing, did my reasearch, found this site and then told her I wanted to switch to Lantus and would be home-testing and following TR. She insisted she had a lot of clients on Vetsulin (most were dogs) and I insisted that I wanted Lantus and after a day of her "doing research" from links I provided she agreed, but in the sense of "I'll let you try this, but I don't think it's the right choice!" which was good enough for me, as all I wanted was the perescription. You don't have to be rude, but you can be firm. I doubt Carter would be on his eight day of an OTJ Trial right now after only 3 months on Lantus if I would have been too afraid to push for Lantus as soon as I did. Just my opinion though!
 
Maybe switch to the canned Purina DM (3% calories from carbohydrate) instead of the Hills W/D (25% calories from carbohydrate). Using high fiber in diabetic cats is out of date treatment.

Some reading to review, and maybe share with your vet:
ISFM Consensus Guidelines on the Practical Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Cats]/url]
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...nagement-of-diabetes-mellitus-in-cats.134507/
AAHA Feline Diabetes Treatment Guidelines
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...nagement-of-diabetes-mellitus-in-cats.134507/
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top