Meters ... meters... everywhere ...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Lyte

Lyte

Member
Evening y'all,

My vet sent me home about a month ago with an Alphatrak meter so I could do a curve of Buzz's glucose. He recommended that I purchase one for myself so I went online to find one. While searching, I did some reading and now I'm not sure if the Alphatrak is the best route! I don't mind spending a $100 but I want to know that I'm buying a meter that's going to do the best job for Buzz!

One of the pages that got me wondering was here ... http://felinediabetes.com/glucometer.htm but apparently that was last updated in 2007. I did a search of the forum before posting ("meters" and "best meters") and I got like 11, 000 hits! ;-) So, I'm sure this question has been asked before and I'm hoping someone can point me to the thread or website or... that will help me answer the question... "What's the best meter for cats?"

I'm also open to any feedback/opinion regarding anything like... ease of use... ease of finding supplies... or whatever other issues I should consider besides just the most accurate reading.

Thanks in advance! :smile:

Lyte
 
I got mine from Wal-Mart- the Relion Micro. Since I have 3 in my area (15 miles) it is easy to get to and one should have what i need. It also takes a smaller amount of blood. Cost- meter- $9, 50 strips for $22, 100 strips for $35.

Others have a Bayer and other Relion meters.

Don't get a TRUE ANYTHING- not exactly accurate as I found out.

hope that helps.
 
I have an Alpha and a Relion Micro.
My Alpha always tests higher but I recently found out that not everyone's does. I choose to use it because its what my vet uses. Can I say one is absolutely better than the other? Nope. I don't know if there really is a way other than personal choice.
This shows how mine compare...


comparison by amaryllisroze, on Flickr
 
I use an AccuCheck.
I used to use a FreeStyleLite, but it's readings were really low, to the point where it was a problem, so I heaved it.
Only thing was, the lancet was better in the Freestyle (I could take the top off and poke by hand, which worked to get blood)
with the Accuchek lancet, I had to use it by loading and shooting, and it NEVER got any blood. So when I chucked the FreestyleLite, I kept the lancet and still use it for poking.

My main dot point: I like the AccuChek, and strongly advise against the FreeStyleLite.
 
Hey, Lyte -

When Hershey was diagnosed Nov, 2011, we bought an iPet meter because my husband wanted one that was pet specific. Honestly, the strips about broke the bank! We liked that it didn't take much blood, but I figured it was like $1/strip - YIKES! A few weeks ago, we bought a Relion Contour from Walmart and the strips were like $36/100, so that was much better. The Relion only uses a small amount of blood, too, and sucks it right up! We did a comparison of the two for a while and went exclusively with the Relion on 2/12. We're not that far from Walmart (~20 min) and there are some cheaper strips online that we'll probably order in the next day or two. I read tons of reviews and asked on here before deciding on this one, although it's certainly not the only choice.

Good luck -

Libby (and Hershey, too!)
 
I have 3 meters a One-Touch Mini, a Bayer Contour and a Relion Micro all work about the same and give numbers that are fairly close to each other. I have two diabetic cats so I use the Relion for my guy that is in remission because I can buy very small amounts of strips for it, the Bayer I use for my girl that is insulin dependent and the One touch is a back up should I need it.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
I use a Relion Micro and like it just fine; strips are less expensive and readily available (I order online from American Diabetes Wholesale; the Arkray Glucocard 01 strips work in the Relion Micro) and it has no bells and whistles that I don't need.

In general, the Alphatrak tends to read higher, and you just have to know that because it affects the normal range but especially the low range; as a rule of thumb we worry about hypo below 50 on a human meter or 80 on the AT. There are actually two versions of the Lantus Tight Regulation protocol for human meters vs. animal calibrated ones because of the variance, so if you want to follow that protocol, it is important.
 
I had an old Freestyle lite which I loved, but couldn't get good strips for it any more. The new strips are inaccurate. so they sent me the Relion Ultima to replace it. I've been using that one but hate it because it takes too much blood but the strips are definitely cheap. I also have a Bayer Contour which I used to dislike compared to my Freestyle but compared to the Relion Ultima, I like it much better but it also reads low and strips are more expensive. It takes very little blood though. I use both the Relion and the Bayer on the same drop on some days just to keep it real, that's why on my SS you'll see double readings sometimes for the same day.

I also like the Freestyle Lance Pen the best and was using mine until tonight when it finally broke. Now I'm freehanding it until I get another one that works. Both the Relion and the Bayer have terrible lance pens. If I ever found a perfect set I'd be thrilled. :lol:

Melanie & Racci
 
Wow! Thanks everyone for such speedy responses! :-D

BTW and FYI... I just remembered... the Alphatrak that my vet lent me died by getting stuck in memory/history mode. It would just give me the past values but wouldn't take any new ones. I called their Help Desk and was told it was a known issue and they would send my vet a new one.

I think that's like four votes for Relion products! I've been sitting at the PC for the last few hours reading... reading... reading trying to figure out which would be best. I like the idea of having two different ones... just to be able to make a comparison now and then! I came across that iPet one a few minutes ago and appreciate that someone has already tried it! Does anyone have thoughts about the One Touch Ultra2? I'm reading that you can record whether the sample sample is pre or post meal. Is that feature of any value when you're testing a cat? You can also purchase some kind of tracking software for it.

Thanks again and keep it coming!! Clearly y'all have gone before me so sharing your experiences is greatly appreciated!

Lyte
 
Most people recommend the ReliOns but I can't get them up here in Canada. I use a Bayer Contour and I like it well enough, it's simple to use, takes a small amount of blood, doesn't need coding, doesn't time out after you load a strip, and it also saves a huge amount of your previous tests to memory. The downside is the strips are really expensive, about $75 for 100. I find the lancing device inaccurate but other than that fine, I use it with only minor issues.

I would like to try the new Bayer USB meter. if it's possible someone will probably make custom firmware for it eventually, which could make it very useful for feline diabetics.
 
I use a ReliOn Confirm (aka Glucocard 01 - same company, just not brand labeled). Supplies from ADW - one of our supporting retailers (check our shopping links above) are very reasonable and if a large enough purchase is made, shipping is free.
 
I have always used the OTU...not the mini, not the OTU2, etc.....just the plain old OTU. Yes, the strips cost more but in my comparisons with over 9 meters and the years I have been testing and comparing with lab values, I trust my OTU.....especially in low numbers. Die hard fan of OTU.
 
I have an Aviva Accuchek and a Relion Micro. The Relions are pretty popular because they are a decent meter have the cheapest in-store strips. I prefer the Accuchek to the Relion, but strips in store for that one are crazy expensive. I get mine online from amazon or ebay, and they're about half the price.
 
Thanks BJM,

I'm a little UGH with my vet right now! I told him I really wanted to see about getting Buzz off the Humulin N and my Vet is resistant. He says we have to get Buzz as close to regulated as possible before we go and change the type of insulin we're using. My thought is (tell me if I'm wrong) is that on the Hum N Buzz's values drop really fast and then come back up really fast... just like people have been describing here on forum! When doing the curves he would be at 400+ at 5pm and by the time I came home that night he would be right back up at 400 or higher! And then somewhere in between he could drop to 100 or slightly less. So, if that's how Hum N affects Buzz, how the heck is he gonna get even close to regulated??

I do agree with my vet that it's not wise to change insulins cold turkey! He said it would basically be like starting from scratch and it can be dangerous. It's a bit ironic cuz I already feel like I'm starting from scratch because after 12 months Buzz still hasn't reached a regulated state!

My vet is also resistant to my using anything but an Alphatrak. He says the AT has been vet reviewed, it's been around a while and the only one specifically for pets. I have all the values from when I used the Alpha so if I get similar readings from a Relion then "Ha!" ;-)

Also, I read around here/there that it may loose it's potency after 30 days so I"m going to go and get a fresh bottle. I'm nearly out of the Hum N in the frig but I do think it's about six weeks old.

So, this is where we're at for the next two weeks ... a fresh bottle of Hum N .... a non-Alphatrak meter ... and a bunch of testing!

Lyte
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
I have always used the OTU...not the mini, not the OTU2, etc.....just the plain old OTU. Yes, the strips cost more but in my comparisons with over 9 meters and the years I have been testing and comparing with lab values, I trust my OTU.....especially in low numbers. Die hard fan of OTU.
Click to expand...

I may be having a brain fart... what's OTU?
 
I like the AccuChek Aviva. It takes very little blood, gives a reading in a few seconds, and very cat-friendly. The test strips are pricey, though.

Many people here recommend the Relion but it is a Wal Mart-only brand. If you have to go out of your way to get to the nearest Wal Mart, then it might not be worth buying. Better to buy a big brand name meter that your local pharmacy carries, like AccuChek.

OTU is One Touch Ultra. There are several different models. The Ultra 2 is too high tech for a diabetic cat (meal tracking, graphing, etc) so I wouldn't bother buying it.
 
squeem3 said:
OTU is One Touch Ultra. There are several different models. The Ultra 2 is too high tech for a diabetic cat (meal tracking, graphing, etc) so I wouldn't bother buying it.
Click to expand...

OMG... duh... One Touch Ultra! lol Thanks!

BTW ... I figured out how to add a pic of Buzz as my avatar. Isn't he the most handsome fuzzy creature on the planet?! :cool:

Okay, I'm off to buy the beast a new meter.

Lyte
 
Always, always remember - Buzz is YOUR cat. Not your vet's cat. You do not need your vet's approval to do ANYTHING with YOUR CAT. You know Buzz better than anyone else does. Your vet is working for YOU. Not the other way around. If your vet isn't willing to be open to your ideas and make compromises with you, I really, really suggest you find a new vet who will.

I don't think there's any other way you can switch to Lantus. The longer you wait, the longer he will have to suffer unregulated. It's been a year - Humulin N isn't working, and it's never going to work. Your vet needs to accept that times have changed, and so have treatment protocols. Stop living out of textbooks and literature from 15 years ago.

The AlphaTrak and Ipet meters are both calibrated for cats, yes. What that means is they read about 20% higher. Hypo line on a human meter is 50, on a cat meter it is 80. High range normal is 120 and 150 respectively. That's the ONLY difference. Look at all the kitties here who have gotten regulated and even OTJ using only human meters. Not all meters are the same, yes, but there are hundreds of people here who have used hundreds of meters on their cats and they know which ones are accurate and safe to rely on.

I don't now about N, but I do know that Lantus can be kept a LOT longer than its expiry date claims, up to 6 months, as long as you keep it refrigerated and handle it properly. A 3ml pen cartridge of Lantus lasts me just under 2 months, so, a pack of 5 ($105) lasts me probably 9 months! It is so much easier on your wallet than throwing out "bad" insulin because you aren't using it fast enough.
 
Buzz is most handsome...but then again maybe I'm just a little biased...lol...

As this is my Maxwell, my big guy that is in remission right now...He and Buzz could be brothers :-D
060.jpg


Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
I have been using the AlphaTrak which I rent from the vet. The thinking was that I'd only need it for a month or so. Now after almost three months, I've spent over $450 on the meter and test strips alone, and I didn't even test as much as a lot of people do. I'm going to get the Relion Micro this weekend and do some side by side tests while I finish the last of my AlphaTrak strips. I know people say not to compare meter to meter, but I just want to get an idea of the difference since I think my baby is heading for the falls. If you are planning on doing a lot of testing, the Alphatrak is really hard on your wallet.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top