Help! Vet is going to dispute my Relion testing!

[Clemptor]

I am asking the vet clinic to refund my Prozinc because my cat has been giving me good numbers for almost a week, and their vets advice almost hypo'd my cat! The practice manager is disputing my numbers with the Relion, what do I say when the head vet calls me on Monday! He will most assuredly argue with me as well.

What is the conversion again? I can't findings it!

 

[BJM]

1) there are pet-specific reference numbers for using a human glucometer with a cat

ex http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/docs/diabetesinfo/link3.pdf

Blood glucose concentrations measured using a whole blood glucose meter calibrated for human
blood may measure 30-40% lower at the low end of the range than glucose concentrations measured
using a serum chemistry analyser or a plasma-equivalent meters calibrated for feline use (AlphaTRAK
Abbott).

- Its conceptually like reading a thermometer in Celsius vs Fahrenheit.
- Dr Rand is an international expert in feline diabetes.

2) the FDA allows meters to read + or - 20% from the 'true' lab value.

3) if all your numbers are between 40-120 (roughly 70 - 150 on a pet-specific meter), without insulin, for 2 or more weeks, you have achieved diet-controlled status. Using insulin with those numbers would kill the cat.

 

[Clemptor]

1) there are pet-specific reference numbers for using a human glucometer with a cat

ex http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/docs/diabetesinfo/link3.pdf

Blood glucose concentrations measured using a whole blood glucose meter calibrated for human
blood may measure 30-40% lower at the low end of the range than glucose concentrations measured
using a serum chemistry analyser or a plasma-equivalent meters calibrated for feline use (AlphaTRAK
Abbott).

- Its conceptually like reading a thermometer in Celsius vs Fahrenheit.
- Dr Rand is an international expert in feline diabetes.

2) the FDA allows meters to read + or - 20% from the 'true' lab value.

3) if all your numbers are between 40-120 (roughly 70 - 150 on a pet-specific meter), without insulin, for 2 or more weeks, you have achieved diet-controlled status. Using insulin with those numbers would kill the cat.

Awesome, thank you! You kick ass.
Floyd has been between 80-50 for almost a week, now.

 

[BJM]

You're very welcome.

You might print out the AAHA Guidelines and the linked article from Rand and drop it off at the vet's office. You may choose to politely indicate you know how difficult it is to stay on top of ever disease in every species, so you thought you'd save the vet some time by providing these contemporary, veterinary-written articles on managing diabetes.

 

[Clemptor]

I just want this ordeal to end already! I need that money back, I gave you jerks enough, I just want to return the insulin!
I wasn't aggressive or accusatory, I just stated that I was tracking him and he didn't need the prozinc.

 

[rhiannon and shadow (GA)]

Congratulations on becoming diet controlled!!!

 

[Clemptor]

Thanks, it's a huge relief! Down with dry food.

 

[Clemptor]

Success! Spoke to the head vet and I'm getting refunded for the unused insulin AND the box of syringes! He also seemed very interested in the dry food correlation and had already been researching it. Win.

 

[BJM]

Its great when logic prevails. Give him the link to http://www.catinfo.org for Dr Pierson's take on feline nutrition.

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[KPassa]

Success! Spoke to the head vet and I'm getting refunded for the unused insulin AND the box of syringes! He also seemed very interested in the dry food correlation and had already been researching it. Win.

That's a double win! You got your cat diet controlled and you made your vet take notice. :thumbup Fabulous job with your cat and here's hoping you've just changed the lives of the vet's other diabetic cats for the better.