Alphatrak and other questions by a newbie

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sneaky pie

Member Since 2010
Hi,
We found out that one of our cats, who is 11, was diabetic just 2 weeks ago. He is already on insulin, 2 units, twice a day.

I have two questions at this point.

1. We need to start home testing. The vet's office ordered Alphatrak, and we got it yesterday. At the office, the technician did the first test, using the glucometer. He showed us how to use at home. He positioned the needle somewhere in the middle of Sebastian's ear. I asked whether we should be looking for a vein, but he said no.

Well, we have been having problems obtaining an adequate blood sample. The sample is too small, and we are getting error messages. Any thoughts on Alphatrak and how to use it would be welcome!! Any other good glucometer for cats?

2. We have to change the cat's diet. Right now, he is eating dry food for seniors. I read here that, overall, the recommendation is for wet food. However, we have another older cat, whose tummy is not reacting well to wet food.Is there any dry food, however, that would be suitable for both of our cats? Our vet is recommending M/D prescription.

Thank you for reading!
 
Hi and welcome.

What a great vet that they advocate home testing. That's fantastic. Regarding the food recommendation, don't bother with the prescription stuff. If you can keep going with the canned food, a slow transition, it would be beneficial to both cats in the long run. Your dry food eater, if you transition slowly, may get used to the canned. It just takes time. If you do feel that you need to stick with dry, Wellness Core, Natural Balance or EVO would be my choices, the ones that are grain free.

Regarding the meter, you can stick with the alpha trak, but if in time you find the test strips are too expensive, or you want a meter where you can run out and by strips at the store on a weekend or evening when the clinic is closed, there are several good ones. One Touch Ultra, Accu Check Aviva, the Walmart brand Relion, Walgreens I think carries the True Track, Freestyle meters - which I believe are manufactured by the same company that makes the alpha trak.

The meter that I think sucks the blood the fastest and would be simplest when first starting out is the Accu Check Aviva, the meter that I use now is Relion for price reasons.

Have you read about using a warm rice sock on the ear first to help with blood flow? Warming the ear and then *milking* the spot after you poke help with blood flow. You do not go for the vein, but the outside of it, between the edge and the vein. In time the ear gets *trained* to give blood pretty easily.

What type of insulin are you using? Will you be testing the BG before each shot and maybe getting some spot checks, during the day?

If you are transitioning away from dry food to canned, the blood sugar should come down naturally on its own and I would urge you to test more during this time.

Looking forward to hearing more about you and your kitties :-D
 
Hometesting info is here viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287 Great pic by Laur and Danny of the "sweet spot". Once you learn it becomes very easy to do and then maybe you can go back to that tech that used the middle of the ear and show him the correct way. You never test in the middle of the ear......only the very edges and no need to look for a vein. As for the AT meter and the cost, etc........you would have done just as well to have gone to Walmart and gotten the Reli-On meter and test strips.
 
Dear Tuckers mom and Hope,
Thank you for your quick responses! Sebastian is on Lantus now. The vet checked his blood sugar yesterday. It was still high--420!

We'll give Alphatrak a try since we already have it. Right now, the challenge is obtaining the sample correctly. We'll think about the cost and alternatives to it later, once we feel more comfortable testing. If there is a glucometer, which is more convenient to use for cats, I'll gladly consider it, of course.

Thank you also for the ideas about the food! I understand that changes have to be introduced slowly. The vet also wants to do a blood test on my other cat and check her kidneys before switching both of them to a high-protein diet.

Best,
Sneaky Pie
 
If you get a chance there's an insulin support group specifically for Lantus, on the main page there are sticky posts at the top with amazing information about Lantus, how to use, how to store it, how it works.

viewforum.php?f=9

Lantus is great insulin to be using and the folks on that forum know it well and could probably help you a lot going forward. Check it out when you can.
 
With regards to the meter, I believe that thing is very expensive. We use a human glucometer, called TrueTrack, and we can purchase the strips at Walmart for under $27.00 for 50. I wouldn't get the vet's monitor as I read somewhere that it reads too high. This one is a +/- 20 margin.

With regards to the food, a gradual transition is best especially for the dry food eater. I have our Blackie (who was diagnosed in March with diabetes), on Fancy Feast now (as of Tuesday night after she hypo'ed that afternoon). I'm currently giving her psyllium to battle her diarrhea due to the new food. If this doesnt' work, I may switch her to Friskies, or even Special Kitty (Walmart brand) to see if that'll help with her diarrhea. Blackie started out on the Hill's Prescription W/D formula dry, and when she was at the vet's she was on the wet food, until she came home, then I'd graduate her to the W/D dry. Last weekend, I told the vet that I wanted to start her on the wet food. Fancy Feast. She wanted Blackie to eat the W/D wet (Hill's Prescription, mind you). I told her we'd try it for 1 week. Blackie was fine that afternoon, Sunday and Monday. Tuesday morning, she was fine. Then she went hypoglycemic Tuesday afternoon. It took me a couple of hours, and a fair amount of testing her bg to get her back up there. That night, she went straight to the Fancy Feast diet. Since then, because of the sudden change, she's had diarrhea. Yesterday, picked up some 100% pysllium capsules, and began giving her 1 with each meal. I think it's working as there is a bit of solidity in her stool. Most of it is still liquidish, though. I still need to check her for ketones today.

I hope that you can get your kitties regulated soon on a good diet, etc. :)
 
Here is the area you want to test - now anywhere along the edge is fine.

sweetspot.jpg
 
Are you sure warming up the ear? If you use a rice sack (put uncooked rice in a thinish sock and warm in microwave until very warm but not hot) you can warm up the ear so the blood flows better.

If you find that sweet spot and put a drop of vaseline on it before you poke, it will help the blood bead up.

It also helps to put something behind the ear when you poke. Some people use the rice sack, others a folded kleenix. We liked a small makeup sponge.
 
Thank you, all, for your kind and generous replies! We did manage to get two readings after I posted my question: The last was 379--still high. Now, our adrenalin is high, too :) Sebastian was squirming a lot and knew something was going on... I hope it will become easier with practice.

I appreciate the tips about the food as well. I think our vet wants us to go on the Hill's Prescription diet, but I see it has some bad rep here. I have a lot to research and think about. I'll look for Welness Core or Natural Balance at Petsmart. I hope they carry these two brands.
 
I use a cotton cosmetic pad to back up the ear. It is less squishy than a cotton ball. If you do not firmy back up the ear the lancet will deflect the ear vice penetrate the ear.
 
My vet also showed me getting blood from the middle of the ear. I wonder if the anatomy of a dog's ear is different, and there are capilaries in there for them to get good blood. From what I can tell the middle of the ear is harder to massage for extra blood, more painful, and is much slower to heal. Go for the side of the ear like the images above.

If you are using a lancing pen, then you might have to go up to the highest (deepest) setting. Human finger tips are easy to get blood from, kitty's ear can be tougher. The lancing needles that come with human meters can also be really thin. If you are always having trouble, then you might try a larger needle. BTW, a smaller gauge needle is larger than the larger numbered one. So, 31 gauge is thinner than 29 gauge.
 
Also, rather than a cotton ball. I usually just use a kleenex (one that doesn't have any lotions or anything on it). Fold it in half 3 times to get a rectangle. Put one end behind the ear. Then when you are done getting your sample, you can just fold the other half over to apply a little pressure to the edge of the ear.
 
Your story sounds just like mine! Scoop is on 2u of lantus and we started out with the alphatrak and M/D RX dry food. Recently we switched off the RX food and are feeding low carb wet friskies and saw the effects almost immediately. We also switched from alphatrak to freestyle lite. I am having to train myself to stop poking his ear so hard with the freestyle because it takes half the blood the alphatrak did. I know you have already shelled out $$$ for the alphatrak - but you may want to consider getting a human one that uses less blood to start out with. That way you can practice getting blood using WAY cheaper test strips. The meters are only like $18. I use a warm towel behind his ear and the vein pops out really well. Also make sure to do it in a well lit room. Check out the food charts - I couldn't believe how many grams of carbs was in that M/D "diabetic" food. I feel like the vets have stock in RX food/alphatrack - I am sure they have some reason for recommending the most expensive options to their clients - it can be frustrating!

Be sure you're testing his blood often because 2u is a lot to start out with! We started at 1/2u and worked out way up. Don't get too frustrated! There are a lot of people on the message board with a lot of opinions but remember to do what's best for YOUR cat, your budget and your lifestyle!
 
Wow! Free Style uses less blood than Alphatrak? We were told that Alphatrak needs as little blood as possible from the cat, unlike other meters.

Sebastian's BG has been around 400, so the vet advised us to give him 3 units. We started this morning. I don't plan on getting the Prescription diet, having read all the comments about it on this board.
 
Both claim to use .3 microliters but to me it seems that the freestyle either uses less or sucks up the blood faster - I don't know what it is. Also when you insert the test strip it take mere seconds to boot up. I hated having to insert the test strip, turn it on and wait for it to boot up. It will give you more accurate results as compared to your vet - but it's up to you.

I guess your vet is just more aggressively treating than mine, our levels were "high" for the first week or so of treatment and we still started at .5u... you may want to read about Somogyi rebound - I remember it saying somewhere that 2 units was a lot to start out with, but every cat is different!
 
Alphatrak 2 vs. Freestyle Lite

Has anyone used both of these meters, and determined if the Freestyle Lite test strips are interchangeable with the AlpahTrak 2's? The strips look identical, and the Freestyle strips are half the price!

I do have an email ino Abbott Labs. However, who knows if they will be honest.

Thanks.

DZ and Sarah
 
Re: Alphatrak 2 vs. Freestyle Lite

d0zivyhoo said:
Has anyone used both of these meters, and determined if the Freestyle Lite test strips are interchangeable with the AlpahTrak 2's? The strips look identical, and the Freestyle strips are half the price!

I do have an email ino Abbott Labs. However, who knows if they will be honest.

Thanks.

DZ and Sarah
Click to expand...

My mom read that they do work, I ordered some yesterday. The only thing I would wonder is what code to put in. I read somewhere to put 7 for cats but my bottle says 37 for cats. I don't get it.
My vet charged me $82 for 50 strips. Seriously. I didn't open the box, I hope they will take them back. I shouldn't have bought them but I was kind of in shock. I thought $50 for 50 was a lot.

I noticed this is a really old thread so maybe they are talking about the original AlphaTrak but the AlphaTrak 2 seems like it only needs a tiny amount of blood. I don't have any trouble getting enough blood and with the ReliOn I can almost never get enough. And they claim to need the same exact amount. I don't like how the Relion beeps before it has enough blood. I have wasted so many test strips because of it. Out of 30 strips I have only filled 2 with enough blood. Out of 25 AlphaTrak I only wasted 2, right in the beginning.
 
Wow, awesome. Thank you so much. Might I ask you to repost once you've done the comparison? It would be great if the strips were indeed interchangeble.

However, yikes, what a rip-off from Abbott if this is the case.

DZ and Sarah
 
Hi there,
We're new to the FDMB and not sure where to start. Our kitty (14 year old female) just got diagnosed (3 weeks ago) with diabetes and looking for some help on the Alphatrak 2 glucose monitor.
Our vet has put Dhoby on 1unit of Lantus (GLargine) 2x a day and we have switched her food to DM.
After the initial shock (and vet bill), we are trying to figure out the best way to manage and care for her.
I've since found our local drugstore carries the same insulin $40 cheaper ! and managed to find the Alphatrak 2 glucose meter online at half the cost my vet was going to charge.
She is making me feel guilty about not bringing her in to do the blood glucose curve (which is going to cost me $170) when I said I would try and do the blood glucose levels from home, to minimize the stress on my poor kitty.
We finally received the meter in the mail and it says to make sure it is calibrated for the proper test strips.
On the Alphatrak 2 test strips, it says the code for cats is 37 but on the actual meter, my only options for codes are 7,14 and 30.
Has anyone else come across this? Not sure what code i should use to make sure I get an accurate reading.

Thank you so much for any help...
Jo-Ey
 
bagelprincess7 said:
I read somewhere to put 7 for cats but my bottle says 37 for cats.
Click to expand...

Use code 7 ONLY if you are using the original AlphaTrak test strips with the AlphaTrack2 meter.

If you are using AlphaTrak2 test strips with an AlphaTrak2 meter, check the code number on the bottle of test strips and then set the meter code to it.If it says 37 on the bottle of test strips, then set your meter code to 37.

From the AlphaTrak2 user manual:
Code the meter
When and code number appear
• Press the c to scroll forward or
• Press m to scroll backward until the number matches the on the
test strip vial for dogs or cats or package insert for ferret, rat or mouse. The
AlphaTRAK 2 meter has a total of 99 codes.

Note: Make sure the code on the meter matches the code on the test strip vial for
dog or cat or package insert for ferret, rat or mouse.
• To return to the code number display screen, press the c button.
http://www.alphatrakmeter.com/static/cms_workspace/pdfs/AlphaTRAK_2_Full_User_Guide.pdf

AlphaTrak2 test strip insert with info and what code to select: http://www.alphatrakmeter.com/static/cms_workspace/pdfs/AlphaTRAK_2_Test_Strip_Package_Insert.pdf

AlphaTrak2 test strips can be used with the original AlphaTrak. I don't think coding is needed at all.

I noticed this is a really old thread so maybe they are talking about the original AlphaTrak but the AlphaTrak 2 seems like it only needs a tiny amount of blood.
Click to expand...

The AlphaTrak2 uses a 0.3 ul drop of blood.

AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com sells both the AlphaTrak test strips and the AlphaTrak2 test strips for around $50. Use the blue ADW ad link that is at the top of the FDMB boards and on the FDMB Shop page to make your purchase (and insulin syringes too) so that FDMB gets a commission to keep this board running :smile:

Most meters have the option to turn off the beep noise. Check the user manual.

Keep in mind that a Human blood glucose meter can be used, costs less than the AlphaTrak, and you can run to most any pharmacy to get more test strips :smile:
 
onepixeloff said:
Hi there,
We're new to the FDMB and not sure where to start. Our kitty (14 year old female) just got diagnosed (3 weeks ago) with diabetes and looking for some help on the Alphatrak 2 glucose monitor.
Click to expand...


You should start a new thread to get help and advice for your cat :smile: Your post is buried in an old thread and few people will see it.
 
d0zivyhoo said:
Wow, awesome. Thank you so much. Might I ask you to repost once you've done the comparison? It would be great if the strips were indeed interchangeble.

However, yikes, what a rip-off from Abbott if this is the case.

DZ and Sarah
Click to expand...

Soo my mom read some things about using the Freestyle strips with the AlphaTrak and she told me not to try it. I am not sure exactly...she said she found the info on this forum but I haven't looked yet. Something about the numbers not being right and it being dangerous for the kitty. And I am getting comfortable with the ReliOn so I think I will just use the AlphaTrak as a backup. Sorry I couldn't help :\
 
No problem. I just received an email from Abbott Labs, and they stated: "The FreeStyle strips are specific to the human blood type. The glucose levels among the red and white blood cells are different from animals to humans."

Darn, really, because the things are so-o expensive.

Thanks for your reply.

DZ and Sarah
 
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