How to convince vet human meter is ok

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Red'sMomHeather

Red'sMomHeather

Member Since 2015
I want to home test but thanks to this site I'd much rather go with the less expensive human meter vs the suggested alpha-trak 2. My vet assures me the human meter won't be accurate and will require too much blood.
I feel certain there was great info regarding this on here but I can't find it - I should say I've found some information but not quite what I was looking for re: amount of blood required, specific names of most highly recommended human meters, and accuracy vs. pet-specific meters.
I'm a wuss when it comes to confrontation but also someone for whom cost is very much a factor. Please help!!!
 
The meters most of us use are the Relion Confirm or Micro from WalMart because they take the tiniest sample of any meter, and the strips are affordable.

The difference between the pet and human meters are just the "scale"....it's like knowing the difference between Celcius and Farenheight....If you understand the scale, it makes prefect sense, but if you don't, then you don't know that 32C is HOT and 32F is COLD....both are accurate, you just have to understand the scale.

Some people here will take their meter in and compare with the meter the vet uses (they're usually very close) but what it's going to come down to is you being able to hold your ground that you can't afford the pet meter/strips and you're doing the best you can with what you can afford to use.

Here are some glucometer notes from BJM

Remember, he works for you, not the other way around
 
Unless your vet is going to pay for the pet meter ($$$) and the test strips ($$$), tell him it isn't in your budget.

Ex. At $1 per strip, testing before each shot, that is about $60 per month. And we test around the nadir, too, to make sure the cat isn't going too low, so that could up it to $90 per month, if you did it daily, or ran a curve once a week.

He's just going to have to learn how to deal with it. Also note that Dr Rand, an international expert in feline diabetes has published feline-specific reference numbers for human glucometers and those numbers are contained in my signature link Glucometer Notes.
 
I don't know where these vets keep getting the info that the Alphatrak takes less blood. This is directly from Abbott:

AlphaTRAK Requires a Small Blood Sample:
blood_sample.png


ReliOn Confirm/Micro takes .25 size drop so it actually takes LESS blood to work.
 
I still use an AlphaTrak but I am using the Freestyle strips - they are less expensive (yes, I've done the comparisons, etc.) but still a significant cost.

When I was first getting my cat regulated and doing curves all the time, and in-between checks, etc. it was running me $150.00 a month for strips. That's ridiculous. The AlphaTrak is only good for people who seldom test, which appears to be most veterinarian's expectations.

The best advice I have received here was to control my cat's diabetes care myself and and let the vet take care of other things. Good luck!

Judy&Emmy
 
It does not take that much more blood... if it did so what? My cat has gotten use to the pokes, does not like it, but will sit still for them. I've often tested with Alpha Trak and then the Relion on the same poke. My vet told me he preferred me use AlphaTrak but I could still use the Relion. Since he was re diagnosed with diabetes I've been using the AlphaTrak since November. Catee seems to be regulated so I will more than likely switch to Relion and use AlphaTrak for double checks.
 
My Infinity meter from American Diabetes Wholesale .com uses 0.5 ul blood sample which is pretty small. I rarely have any problem getting a big enough drop.
 
My vet refused to take my Relion readings, and insisted on the AlphaTrakt, to the point where she would not treat my cat. I have been searching for a new vet, but so far, I've gotten two vets who think dosing twice a day without home testing is a great idea, and that "it's impossible to regulate a cat into transmission" (after I told him that's exactly what I did). So I'm still with my vet who, despite her insistence on the Alpha, recommended home testing and tight regulation to me.

I found the Alpha a real pain- the Relion strips scoop and sip the blood much more easily than the Alphatrak, and once you put the strip in the Relion, it stays primed for the drop for much longer than the AlphaTrak. With the Alpha, I was always having to pull out the strip and put it back in to turn on the meter again if it was taking a while to get the blood drop. Also, it's much easier to get help and work with the experts on this board if you use human numbers; **make sure that you add a note at the top of your spreadsheet and on your spreadsheet link in your signature that you use AlphaTrak. See mine for example.**

You could use the Relion for your regular testing, and every now and then take an Alpha reading just for your vet. They certainly won't want to see all the tests we do.
 
I just fired my vet for the same issue. Google "Roomp and Rand University of Queensland" and there are a couple of studies they did showing that the ReliOn meters are just fine. Good luck!
 
My vet uses the human meter. I don't think we can get the Alpha Trak here in Australia. And the cats/ dogs out here with diabetes are doing fine. So you can tell your vet that and see what he/she says.
 
Bron and Sheba said:
My vet uses the human meter. I don't think we can get the Alpha Trak here in Australia. And the cats/ dogs out here with diabetes are doing fine. So you can tell your vet that and see what he/she says.
Click to expand...

The research on AlphaTrak vs human meters was done there at the University of Queensland. I think your Aussie vets are smarter than ours...
 
Human glucometers are not calibrated for animals...only humans. So, the readings can be a bit off. However looking at the results fro consistentcy of findings does seem toe fit the bill. I use a Reli-on meter from Walmart. It is made for human use. It requires a miniscule amount of blood to do the testing. The blood sugar curves at the vets' was costing me over a hundred dollars each time. I could not afford that either. When I took her in for her annual wellness exam. Her blodd panel (drawn at the vet) matched the reading I had done at home within 3. The doctor was very impressed. Just use common sense and keep your baby on a tight schedule of feedin, blood sugar testing, and insulin delivery. You can do this and do it well! Good luck from jane and stewey.
 
Wow!! Thanks for all th information everyone! I did not expect this big of a response.
I feel sort of ungrateful now because I ended up buying the alphatrak. The reason behind this was due to the necessity of me getting a meter sooner than later and a long, non-interesting story about complications buying the relion meter. I've been taking Red into the vets 1 to 2x a week without my own meter and its $20 every time so I figured I'll buy this one now while I still feel very dependent on the vet for help, use it while learning the ins and outs of this situation until I feel more comfortable and then late on switch to a less expensive meter.
It may seem odd but I procrastinated over it for too long and now that I have a meter and can test myself there's been such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
Thank you again everyone so much for all of your amazing help!!
 
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