AlphaTrak meter and Purina DM canned question

Status
Not open for further replies.
SarahD

SarahD

Member Since 2015
hi there!

I have the AlphaTRAK 2 glucose meter and read somewhere in one of the forums that I can use Freestyle Lite strips in it instead of the expensive AlphaTRAK ones? Is this true...and if so... How do I calibrate the meter to work with the freestyle lite strips? I'm doing my first ever glucose curve next week :). It's been only at the vet till now.

Another question about food. My vet has my cat on the Purina DM wet and dry. I want to at least start by switching out the Purina DM canned to fancy feast pates. The DM is crazy expensive!
Right now Archie gets 1/2-3/4 can of purina Dm per day (I split into 2...morning and night) plus 1/4 cup of the dry purina Dm kibble (I do this at lunch). I guess I would just calculate how many calories that is and check over the new canned food calories to make sure I give the same amount?
 
Hi Sarah,

Here is a post I did previously regarding use of the FS strips in the AT meter. I am not advocating this practice but if you choose to go that route, this is a summary of how to do so to get the most accurate results possible.

"Having thoroughly investigated the FS vs. AT strips (checking patents, manufacturing location, assay used in the strips, calling both human and animal divisions of Abbott etc.) I am 99.9% sure the FS strips and AT strips are identical in their physical composition. The AT strips however have been batch tested to determine what code on the AT meter will produce a reading closest to animal lab values. Without the AT code for each vial of FS strips, your results will not be as accurate as those using AT strips with the meter set to the appropriate code. My own cross checking elicited results within 10% of the AT strips. Others have indicated their results were within 5%. The difference may depend on how high or low the reading being compared is.

I am not advocating use of the FS strips in the AT meter, but they will work. If you choose to do so, it is imperative that you have your AT meter set on one of the cat codes (known codes are 08, 37, 38, and 93) to get a reasonably accurate result. Do NOT use the code on the FS strip vial as that is for use only with older FS human meters.

It is also imperative that you keep some AT strips on hand to do baseline checks of your results with the same drop of blood, each time you open a new vial of FS strips or alternately, use AT meter control solution to ensure the strips are readings within the expected range. Also double check any unexpected, especially low FS strip readings using an AT strip.

All meters have an allowed variance in their results of up to +/- 20% in the US (I think Canadian allowance is now 15%) and using the FS strips in the AT meter adds another variance into the picture so your results, while in the ballpark, may not be as accurate as is possible."

I answered your question about food/calorie count over on your other thread.
 
Hi!
I also use AT2 an I have found a place that is less expensive than amazon for strips with free shipping
https://www.pricefalls.com/
I know some people use freestyle and I am sure someone will drop in and answer that ?
Most people use fancy feast classic variety only or friskies pate-there is a list in the stickys from Dr. Lisa
If you can avoid the kibble as it is a bit high in carbs….are you doing tight reg or go slow?
 
jayla said:
Hi!
I also use AT2 an I have found a place that is less expensive than amazon for strips with free shipping
https://www.pricefalls.com/
I know some people use freestyle and I am sure someone will drop in and answer that ?
Most people use fancy feast classic variety only or friskies pate-there is a list in the stickys from Dr. Lisa
If you can avoid the kibble as it is a bit high in carbs….are you doing tight reg or go slow?
Click to expand...

Hello! Is pricefalls US or Canada? I'm in Ontario, Canada :)
And yes I will work o getting rid of the kibble... It will be slow to change. He loves the kibble.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Hi Sarah,

Here is a post I did previously regarding use of the FS strips in the AT meter. I am not advocating this practice but if you choose to go that route, this is a summary of how to do so to get the most accurate results possible.

"Having thoroughly investigated the FS vs. AT strips (checking patents, manufacturing location, assay used in the strips, calling both human and animal divisions of Abbott etc.) I am 99.9% sure the FS strips and AT strips are identical in their physical composition. The AT strips however have been batch tested to determine what code on the AT meter will produce a reading closest to animal lab values. Without the AT code for each vial of FS strips, your results will not be as accurate as those using AT strips with the meter set to the appropriate code. My own cross checking elicited results within 10% of the AT strips. Others have indicated their results were within 5%. The difference may depend on how high or low the reading being compared is.

I am not advocating use of the FS strips in the AT meter, but they will work. If you choose to do so, it is imperative that you have your AT meter set on one of the cat codes (known codes are 08, 37, 38, and 93) to get a reasonably accurate result. Do NOT use the code on the FS strip vial as that is for use only with older FS human meters.

It is also imperative that you keep some AT strips on hand to do baseline checks of your results with the same drop of blood, each time you open a new vial of FS strips or alternately, use AT meter control solution to ensure the strips are readings within the expected range. Also double check any unexpected, especially low FS strip readings using an AT strip.

All meters have an allowed variance in their results of up to +/- 20% in the US (I think Canadian allowance is now 15%) and using the FS strips in the AT meter adds another variance into the picture so your results, while in the ballpark, may not be as accurate as is possible."

I answered your question about food/calorie count over on your other thread.
Click to expand...

Thank you! And I saw your food reply :). You have been extremely helpful to me. I really appreciate it.
 
@jayla unfortunately for Sarah and me, we are in Canada and don't get free shipping from US sites even if they will send stuff across the border and then of course there are border holdups or confiscation to worry about in some cases. And then of course there is our floundering Canadian dollar which doesn't make things in the US any cheaper for us at this point!

ETA Pricefalls only ships to US and at $54.00 a box plus exchange and taxes and possibly duty, this would be more expensive for us.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
@jayla unfortunately for Sarah and me, we are in Canada and don't get free shipping from US sites even if they will send stuff across the border and then of course there are border holdups or confiscation to worry about in some cases. And then of course there is our floundering Canadian dollar which doesn't make things in the US any cheaper for us at this point!

ETA Pricefalls only ships to US and at $54.00 a box plus exchange and taxes and possibly duty, this would be more expensive for us.
Click to expand...

Booo... Ya I looked into the pet pharmacy glen shields place and it works out to a little more after shipping and tax what I pay at the vet.
 
I'll second your BOO! I'm lucky enough to be able to make a trip up to the pharmacy and forego the shipping charges but it was worth a shot given that another member found other pet meds she needed cheaper at Glen Shields. :(
 
Hi Sarah,

Hope you and Archie are doing OK today. :)

I'm also an Alphatrak 2 user. If ever cost became a bigger issue for me with regard to test strips for the meter I would possibly consider using the FS strips instead of the Alphatrak branded ones if - and only if - Saoirse was running in higher numbers. If any of her nadirs were measured on an Alphatrak with an FS strip as being below 7.0 mmol/L I would not trust FS strips: between the typical legally allowable meter variance and the absence of some sort of assurance from the manufacturer there would be too much room for potentially dangerous errors at low BG numbers. Therefore if I did, for financial reasons, opt to use FS strips I would still make sure I always had a good supply of Alphatrak 2 test strips in the house so that I could use them if Saoirse were in lower numbers so that I would have greater certainty about exactly how low she was going. Too wide an error margin at high numbers can be frustrating, but too wide an error margin at low numbers could be fatal.

My two penn'orth.


Mogs
.
 
Thanks :).
Ya I'm fine buying the AlphaTRAK strips... I just thought if the freestyle works exactly the same I'd buy those instead ;)
Archie has been doing so well with the vet glucose curves so I want to stay consistent with them right now. She thinks there is a really good chance he will go into remission! I'm hoping after this curve I'll know....fingers crossed!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top