I have been having issues w/ the BCG meter that got a few months ago (from here). So to test for accuracy I took it to the vet to compare notes. The problem is 2-fold, first I have a people meter & the vet has a pet meter. Secondly the number was basically 100 off. Is this possible to have such a wide variable? It makes me nervous & trying to figure out what is wrong & why so off. Does anybody have any ideas or possible answers to the reasoning behind this?
different BCG meter readings
- Thread starter nkace
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MommaOfMuse
Very Active Member
Which meter are you using? Is it one that needs to be coded? Some meters need to be coded with each new batch of test strips, so if it is one of those it could need to be recoded. Otherwise not sure what is up, since my own vet uses a human meter on his diabetic patiences. So I've never really compared mine to the animal one.
Mel, Maxwell and The Fur Gang
Mel, Maxwell and The Fur Gang
Larry and Kitties
Very Active Member
The accuracy of the hand-held meters is no better than +/- 20%. Thus at high BG the numerical value of the acceptable difference is higher. What were the wo specific BsG that varied by 100 points?
Julia & Bandit (GA)
Very Active Member
nkace said:
What was your number, and what was the vet's number that were a hundred points apart?
Larry and Kitties
Very Active Member
The two meters are only slightly outside the +/- 20%. +20% of 233 is 276. -20% of 340 is 272.
Phoebe_TiggyGA_NortonGA
Very Active Member
Actually Larry, the ranges you note overlap -- ---233----276 272-----340---
so the meters are in agreement within the +/- 20% accuracy.
These miraculous devices are cheap enough for everyone to have one or two or three --- so they are designed to be "good enough".
If you want to precisely know the exact blood sugar level, you can buy a $10,000 piece of equipment - build a special environmentally controlled room - or spend $200 a test to have your vet send out a blood sample to a lab with said equipment.
These little hand held devices are "good enough" to save lives every day and cheap enough for everyone who needs one to get it.
actually 233 +20% == 279.6
so the meters are in agreement within the +/- 20% accuracy.
These miraculous devices are cheap enough for everyone to have one or two or three --- so they are designed to be "good enough".
If you want to precisely know the exact blood sugar level, you can buy a $10,000 piece of equipment - build a special environmentally controlled room - or spend $200 a test to have your vet send out a blood sample to a lab with said equipment.
These little hand held devices are "good enough" to save lives every day and cheap enough for everyone who needs one to get it.
actually 233 +20% == 279.6
MommaOfMuse
Very Active Member
You are looking more for trends in the numbers. Shooting below 200 depends on a lot of factors, what insulin you are using, the amount of data you have collected from testing, and how your particular cat responds to a set dosage. For most newbies a number lower than 200 without a lot of previous data would be a no shoot number but we would encourage you to wait and test again in about 30 mins to an hour to see if the cat is going up or down and if you now have a shootable number i.e. over 200.
Once the data is in place and you know how your cat responds then that no-shoot number can get lower, and those here using your particular insulin are a great resource to help you decide when and what to shoot. Some cats will dip really low quickly and then surf for a long time, some don't it is one of those every cat is differnt kind of things. So through lots of testing you can figure out what your cat's body is doing with a set dose and then can adjust off that. One of the very reasons why so many of us are testaholics, the more data we have the better choices we can make for our kitties.
Mel, Maxwell & The Fur Gang
Once the data is in place and you know how your cat responds then that no-shoot number can get lower, and those here using your particular insulin are a great resource to help you decide when and what to shoot. Some cats will dip really low quickly and then surf for a long time, some don't it is one of those every cat is differnt kind of things. So through lots of testing you can figure out what your cat's body is doing with a set dose and then can adjust off that. One of the very reasons why so many of us are testaholics, the more data we have the better choices we can make for our kitties.
Mel, Maxwell & The Fur Gang
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Anonymous
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Ncase, I sent you a BCG meter? what is that, I mean I don't recognize the meter name. Is it an Accu-check, a One Touch, a Confirm, a Freestyle? do any of those names appear on the meter??? I just am not sure I've ever sent a meter that I never heard of except once with someone I talked to about it.
Just curious.
I would send another if it was faulty.
Just curious.
I would send another if it was faulty.
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Anonymous
Guest
have you started testing regularly? before every shot? I remember you from that post about how to prevent hypo. I worried about you and your kitty.
I have a Contour meter, the test strips expired last month, so I bought new ones. It just seems like a hard thing to do when checking is getting an accurate reading & not sure I am right now. It seems the more I test the more issues I am running into. I feel like I should go back to just giving the shot like before & have less issues. Pooor kitty has marks on both her ears from so much poking.
Julia & Bandit (GA)
Very Active Member
Are you applying pressure to stop the bleeding after each poke? If you do that and rub a little neosporin on it, it shouldn't leave marks.nkace said:
Once you get into the habit of testing, it will make your life so much easier. Giving shots like you were before very well could have killed your cat, and you're lucky it didn't. Without testing, there's also virtually no chance of remission because you're just guessing at a dose without having daily data to work from.
Your meter does not have to match your vet's meter exactly. There's going to be some variance, and that does not determine accuracy. Home meters read lower than the one your vet is using as a safety feature.This way people will take care of low blood sugar situation sooner than later. What is important is that the meter is giving you consistentnumbers. For example, if you test your own blood sugar and get a 99, and then immediately test again and get a 150--that would be an inaccurate meter. But if you test and get a 99, and test again and get a 98, then your meter is working fine. That's how my vet explained it to me, when we discussed what meter I should get when Bandit was diagnosed.
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Anonymous
Guest
trust me, it is accurate enuf.
take care of your kitties sore ear by applying pressure after you draw the blood, hopefully with a cotton ball.
there should not be any soreness at all if you do this.
the expy on the countour strips is not a factor...they remain good long after the expiration.
are you keeping the lid closed, pull a strip and immediatly close lid right?
ya know...this is just something that is hard until...one day very soon it is easy.
we ALL do it. NONE of us would NOT do it. get your big girl panties on and be the mom, take care of your cat, she is depending on you.
Lori
take care of your kitties sore ear by applying pressure after you draw the blood, hopefully with a cotton ball.
there should not be any soreness at all if you do this.
the expy on the countour strips is not a factor...they remain good long after the expiration.
are you keeping the lid closed, pull a strip and immediatly close lid right?
ya know...this is just something that is hard until...one day very soon it is easy.
we ALL do it. NONE of us would NOT do it. get your big girl panties on and be the mom, take care of your cat, she is depending on you.
Lori
totallybeachin
Active Member
Trust ME. I have been there! I thought my kitty was going to hate me for all the poking i was doing. Every hour or other hour every day, all hours of the night, but it did get better, and easier. Some one recommended to me to get some neosporin and I think it helped. I put a little on her ear before I poke it. I bought the neo +pain relief.nkace said:
Also, are you poking in the right spot? When I was first learning, I THOUGHT i was doing it right and my little girl's ears looked so red and sore I wanted to cry every time I had to check her again. But now, she sits there no problem. I rub all on her face and get her purring and rub her ears while I'm warming one and she just sits right there and purrs through the whole love fest ear poking session. I think she enjoys the attention and could care less about the ear poke!
It DOES get easier, and you have to remember, you are doing it to save her life! If you think the meter you have isn't accurate enough, buy a new one. I use a TrueTrack from CVS, but some folks here say it requires to much blood. Another board favorite seems to be the Relion from Walmart.
Of course, you could always ask your vet to check YOUR blood with their fancy meter and see what kind of reading you get?.... :lol: Not sure that would help though. Readings would still be different.
Good luck whatever you decide, but please don't decide to just stop checking. That's just crazy talk!! :mrgreen:
Well I accurately checked my OWN blood & everything is fine w/ the meter. She's really good about when I draw blood & give her insulin thankfully. There are so many people that depend the vet alone for help & spend tons of money. Although checking every single time I think is excessive since we have a system that works pretty well.But the whole +/- 20% is quite different in order to know whether or not to give which I think is throwing me off.
totallybeachin
Active Member
Well, I am under the impression that the human meters tend to read slightly lower, which is a god thing. Help us to be better prepared for a hypo episode.
Your kitty could be having a really great day. Numbers are low, but you don't know this because you don't check. At shot time, you just go with your usual dose and all of a sudden ***HYPO***. Now, you are in a panic state and having to bring your kitty back from the brink of death in a very high stress situation. OR worse, you shoot, go away somewhere for a while only to return that there is no bringing kitty back. It's to late. All because you felt it was not necessary to see where her numbers were before you gave her that shot of poison.
I am not trying to scare you, only trying to get you to understand that it really IS that important.
If you were a diabetic, would you just blindly shoot yourself with insulin not knowing whether or not you needed it? Insulin can KILL. It really can.
Some of us test a little excessive, I'm sure. I know I do at times, but that's because my kitty was started on 5units twice a day and increased up to 9 within a month or so. This was before I started home testing, and my kitty was on the vet's dry food diet. That dry food was literally saving my cat's life. With the guidance of the folks on this board, my kitty is on day 6 with NO insulin. Yes, I did LOTS of testing in the beginning, but now, it's only at pre-shot times. Well, that's not entirely true.I am curious at times and can't help myself.. :lol:
But, all we're asking for here is 2 pricks a day. Just 2. Check kitty's numbers, feed, and shoot! Unless of course her numbers show it's not necessary!!! :mrgreen:
Wanna see excessive poking? Have a look at Callie Mae's SS................. :shock:
Here is what concerns me. You think that checking every time seems excessive, but think of it like this.
Your kitty could be having a really great day. Numbers are low, but you don't know this because you don't check. At shot time, you just go with your usual dose and all of a sudden ***HYPO***. Now, you are in a panic state and having to bring your kitty back from the brink of death in a very high stress situation. OR worse, you shoot, go away somewhere for a while only to return that there is no bringing kitty back. It's to late. All because you felt it was not necessary to see where her numbers were before you gave her that shot of poison.
I am not trying to scare you, only trying to get you to understand that it really IS that important.
If you were a diabetic, would you just blindly shoot yourself with insulin not knowing whether or not you needed it? Insulin can KILL. It really can.
Some of us test a little excessive, I'm sure. I know I do at times, but that's because my kitty was started on 5units twice a day and increased up to 9 within a month or so. This was before I started home testing, and my kitty was on the vet's dry food diet. That dry food was literally saving my cat's life. With the guidance of the folks on this board, my kitty is on day 6 with NO insulin. Yes, I did LOTS of testing in the beginning, but now, it's only at pre-shot times. Well, that's not entirely true.I am curious at times and can't help myself.. :lol:
But, all we're asking for here is 2 pricks a day. Just 2. Check kitty's numbers, feed, and shoot! Unless of course her numbers show it's not necessary!!! :mrgreen:
Wanna see excessive poking? Have a look at Callie Mae's SS................. :shock:
beggargirl
Active Member
I use the contour meter and like it a great deal.
I wouldn't bother worrying about converting your contours numbers to match those of your vet, that were taken on a meter meant for cats (instead of the human one you are now using), and taken while under the stress of a vet visit. There is no need to get so fancy.
Just get used to the numbers your kitty gives off on the contour, and those are the ones you need to pay attention to. The idea is to stick to one meter, so that you can see trends, and be wary of highs and lows.
I wouldn't bother worrying about converting your contours numbers to match those of your vet, that were taken on a meter meant for cats (instead of the human one you are now using), and taken while under the stress of a vet visit. There is no need to get so fancy.
Just get used to the numbers your kitty gives off on the contour, and those are the ones you need to pay attention to. The idea is to stick to one meter, so that you can see trends, and be wary of highs and lows.
A
Anonymous
Guest
:shock: Really? Well, I don't know what to say...
If you change your mind we are here for you.
We will always be here if you hit trouble too ok.
If you change your mind we are here for you.
We will always be here if you hit trouble too ok.
Julia & Bandit (GA)
Very Active Member
nkace said:
No one is trying to say you're lazy--we are all just concerned that not testing before each shot is dangerous for your cat. That's all. But in the end it's your decision, and your risk. Logically speaking, I think there's enough health risks with a diabetic cat that there's no reason to take a major risk with something like hypoglycemia, which can be easily monitored with home testing.
nkace said:
On the other hand, remember that your human friends will go get their meters and check if they are not feeling well, if they feel like their sugars are dropping too low, etc.. They also can go eat something to prevent a hypo. Your kitty can't do that, which is why we have to monitor them.
If you are on a diet, you use the same scale each time to monitor your weight loss. If you go see your doc, you know his scale will probably show you a different number - maybe 5 or 10 pounds different than the one you have at home. But for your trend, your own monitoring, you just follow what the one scale you have is telling you. It's the same with the meter. Although that is a fairly big difference in BGs, you really can only follow the same monitor each time, to track the trends. You also don't know that the vet's monitor was more accurate than yours, just different.
And we need to remember that feline diabetes is more than just the BGs. It's the whole cat - the coat, the PU/PD, the playing, the appetite, the energy, etc. When you look at the whole cat, how is he doing? *That* is what's important. :smile:
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