Alpha Trak 2 Test Strips Warning!

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Peeps Dad

Peeps Dad

Member Since 2021
I purchased AlphaTrak2 test strips from Chewy as I have been doing since June of 2021 when our cat was diagnosed as diabetic. The cat codes that we first received from Chewy were consistent at code 37. In November I received a batch with cat code 93. We saw an increase in our cats blood Glucose numbers and thought he needed more insulin so we went from two units to eventually five units when we did not see the readings coming down.

Our cat began acting strangely and we did not attribute it to bad readings since we have always had good service from our meter and always use the control solution to test the batches. He had multiple vet appointments to try to determine why he was not able to be regulated and was showing other symptoms of severe neuropathy.

The vet ordered blood work where they tested his glucose and it showed 97. The AT2 meter showed 320 that same morning!

We purchased a cheap Walgreens True Metrix human meter as a comparison to the AT2 and found that there was a 64% difference in the readings! We have since adjusted our cats insulin based on the Walgreens meter and his symptoms have resolved.

We also received another shipment from Chewy with the cat code 37 and these readings are more in line with the Walgreens meter at 5% difference so we were able to prove that the batches with cat code 93 are defective.

If you use the AT2, do yourself a favor and buy a cheap human meter to compare.

I tried to upload photos of the readings but was not allowed for some reason.
 
Peeps Dad said:
I purchased AlphaTrak2 test strips from Chewy as I have been doing since June of 2021 when our cat was diagnosed as diabetic. The cat codes that we first received from Chewy were consistent at code 37. In November I received a batch with cat code 93. We saw an increase in our cats blood Glucose numbers and thought he needed more insulin so we went from two units to eventually five units when we did not see the readings coming down.

Our cat began acting strangely and we did not attribute it to bad readings since we have always had good service from our meter and always use the control solution to test the batches. He had multiple vet appointments to try to determine why he was not able to be regulated and was showing other symptoms of severe neuropathy.

The vet ordered blood work where they tested his glucose and it showed 97. The AT2 meter showed 320 that same morning!

We purchased a cheap Walgreens True Metrix human meter as a comparison to the AT2 and found that there was a 64% difference in the readings! We have since adjusted our cats insulin based on the Walgreens meter and his symptoms have resolved.

We also received another shipment from Chewy with the cat code 37 and these readings are more in line with the Walgreens meter at 5% difference so we were able to prove that the batches with cat code 93 are defective.

If you use the AT2, do yourself a favor and buy a cheap human meter to compare.

I tried to upload photos of the readings but was not allowed for some reason.
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Wow, what a spooky ordeal! I have been so happy since i switched from alphatrak toa human meter. I hope you will be happy with the change (including the “money change”) saved
 
Update: I talked to a vet tech at Zoetis who tried to explain to me that the AT2 was more accurate than the vet testing. She said that the variations in coding and the difference in readings could be as much as 20%. When I explained that the difference between codes was more like 55% she did not know what to say. She claimed that no one should be using human meters because they would be way far off so I guess we are all fools for doing so. I'm done with Alpha Trak and will continue to dose my boy based on his Walgreens meter and his clinical signs that match what I see on the meter.
 
I think my strips have 93 on them, just got the unit a week ago. Also have a human one and a combo bg/ketones tester on order though.

Thanks for the heads up!!
 
Denver said:
I’m really surprised you’re having an issue with the AT2. Mine is within 10 of my vets lab gizmo.
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What is the cat code you are using? Ours worked fine with the code numbers 37 and 38. It is 93 we had a problem with.
 
I always opened a new vial of strips when I still had a few remaining from the old vial, then tested with strips from both vials to get a feel for whether there might be an issue or significant discrepancy. It’s not foolproof and there are expected variances even with strips from the same vial (i.e., don’t expect the numbers to ever match exactly) but it was at least a reality check. I also had a backup meter on hand for a third check. Human meters run lower than pet meters, of course, but huge discrepancies perhaps warrant a bit more investigation. Strips can be subjected to high/low temps during shipping (even to a pharmacy) or at home, as well as humidity, which can potentially impact them, so nothing is ever guaranteed. The best we can do is “tune in” and try a different batch/meter/etc if concerned.
 
Peeps Dad said:
Update: I talked to a vet tech at Zoetis who tried to explain to me that the AT2 was more accurate than the vet testing. She said that the variations in coding and the difference in readings could be as much as 20%. When I explained that the difference between codes was more like 55% she did not know what to say. She claimed that no one should be using human meters because they would be way far off so I guess we are all fools for doing so. I'm done with Alpha Trak and will continue to dose my boy based on his Walgreens meter and his clinical signs that match what I see on the meter.
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I will stick with the human meter. My vet gave me my first human meter when my cat Rascal was diagnosed with FD in 2003. We were using human meters long before someone came up with the idea of calling the meters "pet meters" and charging a lot more for them
 
Yikes! I've been using the AT2 for the past 2 weeks. Our code has been 93. Both vet places I went to suggested using the AT versus a human meter. :(
 
SaraMV said:
Yikes! I've been using the AT2 for the past 2 weeks. Our code has been 93. Both vet places I went to suggested using the AT versus a human meter. :(
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My vet also insists on 'pet meter' numbers. I've honestly never had an accuracy problem with mine. I check every vial with control solution prior to use, even if it's the same lot/code.

I do know storage/shipping temperature can REALLY screw up test strips and cause them to read all over the place. This may have been what happened to @Peeps Dad. My mother was a severe diabetic and accidentally left her test strips in her car one day. They read high and when she went with her sliding-scale insulin dose at dinner we landed in the ER because of it.
 
Denver said:
My vet also insists on 'pet meter' numbers. I've honestly never had an accuracy problem with mine. I check every vial with control solution prior to use, even if it's the same lot/code.

I do know storage/shipping temperature can REALLY screw up test strips and cause them to read all over the place. This may have been what happened to @Peeps Dad. My mother was a severe diabetic and accidentally left her test strips in her car one day. They read high and when she went with her sliding-scale insulin dose at dinner we landed in the ER because of it.
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Of course there is always a possibility of a bad batch of strips. We had three batches of code 93 and the best I can tell looking back at my measurements they were all reading high. We live in South Florida so it's possible that the time it takes for Chewy to get them here they could be heat damaged. Always open to the possibilities. I think the moral of the story is to have at least two means of measurement and to cross check them regularly especially if your baby just seems "off" as happened to me. The good news is that after a few days of proper dosing he is back to his 17 year old normal self. I'm going to wait a week and run a curve to see whether he needs to be moved or not.
 
Peeps Dad said:
Update: I talked to a vet tech at Zoetis who tried to explain to me that the AT2 was more accurate than the vet testing. She said that the variations in coding and the difference in readings could be as much as 20%. When I explained that the difference between codes was more like 55% she did not know what to say. She claimed that no one should be using human meters because they would be way far off so I guess we are all fools for doing so. I'm done with Alpha Trak and will continue to dose my boy based on his Walgreens meter and his clinical signs that match what I see on the meter.
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Exactly, if i see Ares in nice green colors on a human monitor, if he is not sleeping, he is playing and grooming and the like...hmm, the numbers are obviously NOt lying! I think AT2 is seriously banking on fear...and bank they do! A buck per strip is IMPOSSIBLE to afford!
 
After just a couple of days of adjusting his dose based on the Walgreens meter, Peep is doing much better. No more dizziness or episodes where he was "out of it". The AT2 caused me to overdose him. Thank God he rode through it. This could have been very bad. Be warned.
 
Vets don’t like human meters because they don’t understand human ones. When Max became diabetic in 2014 I bought a human Relion meter. My vet had never used one. He’s a board certified internist. I brought mine into his office to check for accuracy and he had no problem with my using it. He’s a rare vet that although very experienced still willing to try new things and constantly up on the latest research. I wish I could clone him.
 
Denver said:
I do know storage/shipping temperature can REALLY screw up test strips and cause them to read all over the place. This may have been what happened to @Peeps Dad. My mother was a severe diabetic and accidentally left her test strips in her car one day. They read high and when she went with her sliding-scale insulin dose at dinner we landed in the ER because of it.
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I think this is true. I was going to switch to Relion and every strip from the Relion bottle I have used so far came up with an error code. I think something happened to damage the bottle of strips, maybe in shipping, so I am going to get another one. I have had no problems with Alphatrack so far, they are just too expensive.
 
My vet uses a human meter when doing curves and spot checks. I do not remember the brand they use now. They used to used an old LifeScan meter, by old I mean the ones that used a lot of blood and.the strip changed color based on the amount of glucose in the blood and when inserted in the meter the meter converted to color to a BG value. Now they uses a self-coded human meter.
 
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