? Meter won't wake when putting in test strip, need suggestions

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apple

Member Since 2017
Ok, this is not fun.

Meter will turn on to check past readings or set various functions, and will NOT wake up when a test strip has been placed into meter.

Need suggestions please.

Have tried:
Using other test strips
Put in different battery

Neither of these worked.

He's past due for his +1

Ideas please.

Thank you
 
Is this the AT meter you list in your signature? I only have experience with that one and mine works well. The strip has to be properly inserted so that it slides in easily. I always partially insert my strips (up to the black area above the butterfly logo) before testing and then activate the meter once I have a blood drop by pushing the strip all the way in.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Is this the AT meter you list in your signature? I only have experience with that one and mine works well. The strip has to be properly inserted so that it slides in easily. I always partially insert my strips (up to the black area above the butterfly logo) before testing and then activate the meter once I have a blood drop by pushing the strip all the way in.
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Yes, alphatrak2.

Strip was butterfly up.

I put the strip all the way in, make sure screen cycles to blood drop, lance, pull strip out (meter off) then in. While doing this, I massage the site for blood, then test.
 
apple said:
Yes, alphatrak2.

Strip was butterfly up.

I put the strip all the way in, make sure screen cycles to blood drop, lance, pull strip out (meter off) then in. While doing this, I massage the site for blood, then test.
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Sounds fine to me. Not sure what the current issue is.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Sounds fine to me. Not sure what the current issue is.
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[Said in best 10 year old disgruntled childlike voice] stupid meter, that's it's problem

Who knows. ....maybe it's disgruntled I'm looking at the one drop. You get unlimited strips, very enticing and I need to check into it further. Downside, company was created with VC.
 
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One drop/monthly subscription is cheaper than one box (50) at2 test strips. The meter syncs to your phone with all the data transferred for you.
 
Totally possible second battery is dead or half dead. If new battery is far away, not practical right now and cat does not typically go low you could skip dose and tell people it was a fur shot// give 1/4 the usual dose and update HYPO kit when you get battery// bring meter to pharmacy, test with new battery, get new meter if needed. Getting thrown off the 12/12 happens all the time. Meters are little computers, look at them the wrong way and they stop working. Very frustrating.
 
Wow apple! Just looked at your profile. Obviously you care and know what's going on. They don't make em' like they used to. Sorry, that's all I've got, good luck.
 
Noah & me said:
Totally possible second battery is dead or half dead. If new battery is far away, not practical right now and cat does not typically go low you could skip dose and tell people it was a fur shot// give 1/4 the usual dose and update HYPO kit when you get battery// bring meter to pharmacy, test with new battery, get new meter if needed. Getting thrown off the 12/12 happens all the time. Meters are little computers, look at them the wrong way and they stop working. Very frustrating.
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I never thought about the second battery being an issue as well. Thanks.
 
Have you accidentally changed some settings in your meter, like maybe turning sounds off or something else?

It could also be a bad strip.

One more suggestion, are you waiting too long after inserting strip and getting the symbol to add blood to strip and it times out?
 
The profile thing? Mine is full of personal blabbering, yours has relevant information about your cat's health, meds etc. It's not snooping, some people put nothing on their profile. You posted a very concise and detailed breakdown of what other members might find helpful someday if you're in a panic about something. "don't make em' like they used to" is what old people (me) say when things fall apart and no one at 1-800 cares. A meter not working is stressful enough, I wasn't trying to make things worse. Sorry.
 
Shoeskitty said:
Have you accidentally changed some settings in your meter?
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Good point. Mine will show average last 3 days, last 7 days etc. Useless info, too many features I didn't ask for. Grab the manual, is there a "Return to factory default" setting? Careful you return to CAT if the meter has that setting. Might also lose previous readings.
 
Noah & me said:
The profile thing? Mine is full of personal blabbering, yours has relevant information about your cat's health, meds etc. It's not snooping, some people put nothing on their profile. You posted a very concise and detailed breakdown of what other members might find helpful someday if you're in a panic about something. "don't make em' like they used to" is what old people (me) say when things fall apart and no one at 1-800 cares. A meter not working is stressful enough, I wasn't trying to make things worse. Sorry.
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You didn't make things worse. You made me smile! That is a commodity in short change in my life right now.

I was wondering how you saw my profile because I have been told by others they couldn't see it. I'm glad to know it can be seen.

You are right. It's not snooping, it was done so people could have information about him.

1-800-not-care seems to be a popular business these days. Seems many things work until just after the warranty expires.
 
Shoeskitty said:
Have you accidentally changed some settings in your meter, like maybe turning sounds off or something else?

It could also be a bad strip.

One more suggestion, are you waiting too long after inserting strip and getting the symbol to add blood to strip and it times out?
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I've tried different strips. It's not timing out, it is not turning on to be able to test blood.
 
apple said:
Yes, alphatrak2.

Strip was butterfly up.

I put the strip all the way in, make sure screen cycles to blood drop, lance, pull strip out (meter off) then in. While doing this, I massage the site for blood, then test.
Click to expand...
Your description in the quote above sounds like you are inserting the strip first, then pulling it out, then inserting it a 2nd time. That could be your problem if I am understanding what you wrote about the way you are doing this. I have actually done this myself when I inserted strip and could not get blood and then pulled the strip out and tried to reinsert it and test. Once the cycle in the testing process reaches the point where the meter shows the drop of blood, you can't pull it out and try to reuse it. You can pull it out before it gets to that point when it is showing the code of the strip, but if you pull it out past that point, it will shut off. Because I wasted a few strips I do it like Kris & Teasel does; I insert the strip just to the point where it does not fall out of meter but nothing turns on, put it down, then get the blood drop on cat's ear, then push the strip all of the way into the meter with one hand and then it turns on and goes through it's normal testing process.

Not trying to say you are not doing it right, just saying what has happened to me in the past and how I use the meter.
 
I don't have an Alphatrak2 but I have put batteries in upside down, frustration makes me miss the obvious. Is a trip to the pharmacy possible? Take lancets and strips with you and test both new and old meter on yourself at the store. Blood is blood. Meters here are "free". Not wanting to waste money is not a guilt trip. If you get a new meter do not tell the head pharmacist (the one who can vouch for your situation as opposed to the cashier) the meter is for your cat (cats are third class citizens). Alpha might reimburse you. Someone fibbed to you about privacy, it was not the board, we'll talk later. Let us know how it's going.
 
Shoeskitty said:
Your description in the quote above sounds like you are inserting the strip first, then pulling it out, then inserting it a 2nd time.
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That's happened to me. Strips are coated with something and they're contaminated the second you touch them. My meter shuts itself off after a minute. I put the same strip back in and I get "ERROR". Sheer annoyance! Take a deep breath, start all over again.
 
"apple"....

Marje sent you a conversation that she would set up your ss for you on your other thread .....

at the very top of this page is an inbox link on the top right.... click on it.....
 
I'm not sure what kind of batteries alpha track uses but if it's the 2032 type... I ordered a ten pack of Energizer on Amazon for $5! I paid $5 for ONE at Walmart.
They last just as long as the one I bought at Walmart too.
 
I pull the strip out while I squeeze the area and grow the blood drop.

I do this to reset the timer on the meter.

Blood is applied to the strip after the second time the meter is activated. This has allowed me to have a larger window to grow the blood and less chance ok waste a strip due to low blood volume of the sample.

The meter started ok work again because I ______________. Fill in the blank I have no idea. Just like it randomly stopped working it randomly started working.
 
Apple, what you describe above is not the correct way to operate the meter. That is why you are having the issues with it not turning on when you put the strip back in.
 
Shoeskitty said:
Your description in the quote above sounds like you are inserting the strip first, then pulling it out, then inserting it a 2nd time. That could be your problem if I am understanding what you wrote about the way you are doing this. I have actually done this myself when I inserted strip and could not get blood and then pulled the strip out and tried to reinsert it and test. Once the cycle in the testing process reaches the point where the meter shows the drop of blood, you can't pull it out and try to reuse it. You can pull it out before it gets to that point when it is showing the code of the strip, but if you pull it out past that point, it will shut off. Because I wasted a few strips I do it like Kris & Teasel does; I insert the strip just to the point where it does not fall out of meter but nothing turns on, put it down, then get the blood drop on cat's ear, then push the strip all of the way into the meter with one hand and then it turns on and goes through it's normal testing process.

Not trying to say you are not doing it right, just saying what has happened to me in the past and how I use the meter.
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As long as there is no blood on the strip, you should be able to pull the strip out at anytime and put that same strip in and use it for a reading.

While it's not the best for the meter, you can remove the strip while the meter cycles.

I let the meter run the calibration cycle, (show the drop on the screen) then pull out the strip (meter screen goes dark) then, when ready to get reading, push strip back in, start calibration cycle and get reading.

If the meter has a low battery icon displayed and you have a beautiful drop of blood to test, I have wasted the blood because the meter will not read when there is a low battery icon shown. I want to know BEFORE I get the blood that it will be used by the meter.

I don't want to waste blood or time finding out mid=procedure that I need to replace tie battery.
 
I understand that you don't want any unexpected problems when you are testing your kitty or at any other time, but the AT2 meter doesn't work like that. I know that you won't accept what all AT2 meter users tell you so maybe you should call Zoetis, if you haven't already and request a new meter from them. I don't wish to be mean to you or anyone but honestly, your meter problems most likely are operator failure. Perhaps you can try a different brand of meter, either animal or human and have more success.
 
Per my manual. Yes, the same unused strip may be removed and reinserted.
 
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Mine says that also; however, it obviously does not work in real practice does it? It did not work for me nor Phoebes nor you. Life doesn't always follow a script from a manual. Again, you really should call Zoetis and request a new meter or change meters because you are not willing to change how you use the meter or accept what other users tell you. I truly wish you the best in finding one that works exactly like you think it should. I hope your kitty is doing well also.
 
Agreement with Shoeskitty, "your mileage may vary". Frustrating yes but when I bang my head on the wall it hurts and all the cats stare at me. We're not being insensitive, I'm on my third meter.
 
"apple"....

Marje sent you a conversation that she would set up your ss for you on your other thread .....

at the very top of this page is an inbox link on the top right.... click on it.....
 
I checked my AT2 meter and didn't have any problem letting it calibrate, pulling the strip out and reinserting it. That said, you will wear out the battery a lot faster doing that and since the meter is a little computer, it may be that it gets "confused" depending on how quickly the strip is reinserted. You could also inadvertently "bend" the strip a bit doing the double insert which could prevent the strip from registering when pushed back in.

While getting a blood drop can be challenging in the early days, and some kitties bleed easier than others, with the AT2 meter you do not need a blood drop bigger than a straight pin head, the meter allows for blood to be re-added to the strip for 60 seconds and won't start testing until the sample is sufficient. I personally leave the "beep" turned on so I know when the meter starts reading the sample.

Just wondering if you have tried using a very thin layer of vaseline on the poke site to help the blood bead up to make getting a sample a bit easier and faster so the double inserting is not necessary. "Squeezing" the area is more likely to cause sore bruised ears and potentially inhibit rather than encourage a blood drop. Sore ears will make kitty less co-operative too. Try massaging the ear from the head to the ear tip instead of squeezing and you may find it easier to get the blood bead you need.
 
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