Help! Did I just ruin my new AlphaTrak Monitor?

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Girly

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Hi, I'm new here and new to kitty diabetes. I'm afraid that I need to jump into the forum with both feet.

I just took my new AlphaTrak Blood Glucose Monitoring System out of the box. I did all of the set up.
When I did the control test, I put the control solution on the test strip, read the meter and it was within normal range.

BUT!!! When I picked the meter up to remove the test strip, I guess I had put too much solution on it, because I had tipped it up with the test strip still in it and when I removed the test strip and tipped the metor back down, a lot of control solution ran out of the meter.

I tried calling the help number on the meter booklet, but they don't open for several more hours.

I did another control test and it registered higher, but still within range after I think I got all of the solution out that I could.

Advice please. Did I just ruin my 240.00 meter???? Or am I okay?
 
You will have to call the manufacturer with your question.

But for future reference, you just touch the strip to a drop of the
solution. You can put a drop of solution on the back of your thumbnail and
sip it up from there.

Don't pour or squirt the solution onto the strip.
 
By any chance do you have a back up meter that you could do a test comparison with? If not, you may want to get one. Many of us use human meters rather than the "pet" meters and they work just fine for our cats.

If you don't have a back up meter, maybe go to the store and get one. If you have a walmart nearby, they sell the least expensive meter and strips - Relion and it only requires a small amount of blood.

I haven't used Relion, but i hear they are good. Personally, I've used Bayer contour and one touch ultra - I like both - the bayer takes less blood than the one touch. You can sometimes get the meters for free, however, the strips are little more pricey.

Hope this information helps.
 
I use an Alpha. Last weekend I got a bit of control solution in the channel where the strip goes and didn't notice it until it dried. I used a barely damp q-tip to clean it the best I could but then I was getting some high numbers. I used my back up Relion and tested them side by side because I was running a curve. For awhile the difference between the two was wider than normal but then it evened back out.

I don't think I got as much solution into mine as you might have, though. I would definitely call the customer service number. Mine happened late on a Saturday night so I wasn't able to call at the time. Let us know what they say.
 
I'm doing a curve today.

I did her first reading and it was within a couple of numbers of the reading that we got at the Vet on Tuesday.
So I am pretty confident that I didn't hurt the meter.

I ran the second reading 3 hours after she ate a little and the reading was quite a bit lower.

Curious, I then ran another control reading, putting a drop of the solution on my thumbnail this time :thumbup and this control reading was in the same range as the ones I did this morning. So I think we are good. Thank goodness.

I didn't call the company since I'm getting readings that seem to be what they should be. -- (as in the control readings and the reading at the Vet on Tuesday)
 
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