Just Diagnosed - Different Readings Relion vs. Alphtrak

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daysquid

Member Since 2014
I just joined this board and am so glad to find this community. Our cat Frodo was just diagnosed with diabetes with a lab test that showed blood sugar at 600. We went out and bought the Relion Micro per reviewing post on this board. He had a visit with the vet tech today for training on how to give insulin and we tested Frodo with our Relion Micro 340 and vet's Alpha at 545. How do we interpret these differences? And how do we proceed to track human vs. feline glucose meters.
Many thanks.
 
We know they are different.

You need to use cat-specific reference numbers to monitor wsith a human glucometer. And once it is too high, the actual number really doesn't matter. Its still too high and you need to do something about it.

Also, see my signature link Glucometer Notes to understand more about their use, then ask any remaining questions.
 
Oh yeah - with the FDA 20%, they can be hugely far apart at the upper end
+/- 20% of 100 = 80 to 120, a range of 40 mg/dL
+/- 20% of 500 =400 to 600, a range of 200 mg/dL

At the low end, you may see a difference between 30-40%, or about 18 mg/dL on average.
 
Is there a simple conversion that can be made on the human reading for easier comparison to the feline meters readings?
 
There isn't really a need to do this; you are looking for trends over time and safety, not exact numbers, just like human diabetics do.

At the low end, it is roughly add 18 (about 35%).
At the high end, it doesn't matter.

When you report numbers here, give them as is, no conversion. Indicate your meter in your signature,
 
Understood. I just wanted to be able to report to vet who seems to have much more confidence in Alphtrak.
 
Pens do only whole unit increments and we adjust in 0.25 to 0.5 unit increments. In humans, a 1 unit difference is no big deal; for a small cat, it could be a serious overdose.

Plus, we refrigerate the pens to enhance longevity and the pressure mechanism was designed for room temperature use.
 
About how long will it take before I see improvement in my cat. I may see more energy but this is only day two of insulin. Just didn't know if I was being optimistic or seeing real change. Thanks again for your expertise and support. Much needed as we are still in shock.
 
With depot insulins like Lantus and Levemir, the first dose level can take 5-7 days to stabilize. Each day should be progressively better.

As you check during mid-cycle, you'll get data on how low the glucose is going. If the nadirs are consistently high, you'll have the data to make an increase according to what protocol you are using.

When you have a chance, go up left to the User Control Panel, and adjust your signature to include your name, your cat's name, date of diagnosis, what insulin, and any special notes on diet or health which may affect our feedback on what you might do.
 
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