Glucose meter readings question

[orlandomike]

Hi,

My vet told me that doing home glucose testing is fine but they had situations where the readings were misread because of the common glucose testers for people. They recommended the ones they use.

I know many here home test with Reli-on etc. Is there any conversion that needs to be done or will the glucose level be accurate? Also, what range should I look for. I know it varies by cat and time and I have heard 80 - 180 or so before feeding. Can anyone give me some info on how to read the meter?

 

[Shelly & Jersey (GA)]

Good morning!

Most vets use the AlphaTrak (AT). Although some of us here use the AT, the majority of us use regular human meters because they are less expensive. I've never used the AT, but I've heard that test strips cost about a dollar each. That adds up quickly if you are testing multiple times a day! I used the ReliOn Micro and was very happy with it.

One of our experienced members, Julie (& Punkin), gave some information about human meters versus the "vet" meters last night in a post to someone else. I thought it might be helpful for you!

normal numbers on the human meter is 50-120 (for a cat getting insulin). A non-diabetic cat might test in the 40's, but we use the 40's to take action so we have the safety zone to keep our kitties safe.

on the Alpha Track, it's roughly 68-160. We've had people compare the AT to a human meter and honestly, there's quite a bit of variation. The meters seem to compare fairly close in numbers in the lower ranges, but the difference between human/AT is often measured greater in the high numbers. The newest protocol says 68 is considered the low range of normal - and really, the low number is the most important for safety. Your vet is probably thinking the 68-160 range is what they would like to see. You could ask to double-check.

You can download and read the latest update here on the TR yellow-starred sticky. Go about 5 "paragraphs" down from the top of the post and look for the PDF that's called "Management of Diabetic Cats Using Long-Lasting Insulin." There are some references in there about using the AT.

I hope that helps!

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

I have had 4 diabetic cats and used the Relion meters for the last 3 of them. I have been very satisfied with the meters. The problem with the "pet" meters are both the meter and strips are expensive, but they are not easily available, especially in an emergency. With human meters, depending on your brand of meter, you can get the strips at most pharmacies. Even some Walmarts are open 24 hours, so you can get the Relion strips in the middle of the night if you need them.

For newbies, we usually tell them not to give insulin if the BG is under 200. However, as they gain more experience and know how their cat reacts to the insulin and dose, that number can be lowered. My don't shoot number was significantly lower. But that was because I knew my cats and how they would respond. They were also on a low dose.

I never used any type of conversion. If the BG was around 50 and depending on when the last dose was given, would determine how I would respond to it. If it was 10 - 12 hours, then usually food was all that was needed to raise it. If sooner, then I would be on a hypo watch. I would still give the food, but keep the karo handy if needed.

Many of us have been using human meters long before the AlphaTrak and other pet meters were in business. My first meter was an old Precision meter that my vet gave to me. My vet's office gives human meters to their patient's owners so they can hometest. So if it is good enough for my vet (who I really like) then it is good enough for me.