PROBLEM Comparing meters

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Tuxedo Mom

Tuxedo Mom

Member Since 2014
I already own an AlphaTrak 2 meter and a Free Style Lite and at this point cannot afford to buy another meter.

My question is:

I tested Tuxie on the AlphaTrak and got a reading of 29.2 approx 520

I tested Tuxie on the Free Style Lite...(same time but different drop of blood)and got 17.6 approx. 315

I tested myself with the FreeStyle and got an acceptable range for myself (non-diabetic)

I did a control liquid test on the AlphaTrak meter and it is working fine from the reading.

I know human meters are off by some %, but the FreeStyle Lite (from all the reading I have done) is supposed to be close enough in the higher number range which is where we are at right now.

Can anyone offer a reason why there should be such a difference in the meters.

Thanks
 
Yes.

This issue comes up so often, I wrote my signature link Glucometer Notes.

Short version: home glucometers are meant to give you a clue to general trends, not an exact lab-equivalent value.

Just pick one to use consistently and don't try to convert between meter types.
 
BJM

Thanks for the information and the link to your post on glucometers. I was hoping to be able to use the FreeStyle Lite while Tuxie is still in the high range but I don't know if I am comfortable with the big difference in numbers.

I was concerned since I had bought new strips for the AlphaTrak and coded them according to the new bottle. The reading was one of the higher ones lately for that time period, I did the control test and it was good. but was still concerned about the higher number so I tried the FreeStyle Lite to compare.

I will continue doing BG testing and see if there is any pattern emerging....even though his vet said that home testing would stress him and give bad readings. Yeah right!! Tuxie is fine with his ear pokes since I always gibe him a little piece of chicken or salmon after. I had a blood curve done at the vet and it was totally all over the place..THAT was stress. I am looking at several other vet clinics right now since I won't deal with one that discourages home testing and monitoring.
 
The whole meter thing confussed me. If I'm getting a BG of 68 but the real lab number would be 200 how does home testing really help. How do I know if my cats are really even in remission for all I know their BG is 200 not 68 and I'm no longer giving insulin even if they really do need it. This is why I think after a month OTJ I'm going to take them back to the vet for a blood sugar test.
 
I'm having the same concern and will be following this thread. I just got back from the vet where Henry had his first glucose curve. We haven't done a lot of home tests (he's only been on insulin a week), but the highest value we've gotten at home has been 260 at PMPS yesterday. At the vet's office today, he hit 404 at AMPS +10. One hour later at AMPS +11, we tested him at home with our meter and it read 210. I know there's a stress factor too, but a 200 point discrepancy in one hour? He's been upped to 2U BID. I think I'll pick up the Walmart meter many people here use and compare to the one we've been using, but otherwise I'm not sure how to proceed.
 
I originally bought the AlphaTrak meter since that is the same one the vet uses and of course she said it is the only one that works for cats. I am since learning more about human glucometers from reading all the posts and I do believe that the right human one will still be a good tool.

When Tuxie had his BG curve done at the vet his readings just kept going up each time so they cancelled it before the last 2 readings. Tuxie has always been a very skitterish kittie and going to the vet for 8 hours did not sit well with him. He has only been away from home without me once and he was having dental work done so he was sedated. He was VERY upset and even threw up that night...although he was fine a few hours later.

I was hoping the Freestyle Lite would work since it is made by the same company as the AlphaTrak and the strips are the same. I have to be careful if I am doing a comparison between the two meters since the test strips are identical. The AlphaTrak has to be coded each time you use a new batch of strips but the Freestyle Lite does not. Plus for 50 strips for the AlphaTrak it costs me here in Canada $84.00 while I can get 100 Freestyle Lite strips for $80.00 Since I will continue doing home monitoring no matter what the vet says that makes a big difference in the cost.

I will keep reading on the human glucometers and when I can afford to buy another one with strips I will have a better idea what works best for cats. I definitely feel that home testing in a stress free place is the best way to track my Tuxie's levels.
 
Well now I'm nervous, what if they do have a high BG and I'm sitting here thinking all is good. I wonder if the vet would let me use there meter for a small fee if I brought it back within the hour. Thinking a I need to call the vet and see what they suggest . :shock:
 
I am still very new to the diabetes treatment regime. However from what I have read at this stage of the treatment and with just doing a dose increase you should probably not be over concerned with the high numbers. It is more the low numbers that would be a concern which could indicate hypoglycemia. At 200 he is not in that range.

I will let someone with more experience clarify this situation but it is my understanding that if you are using a human glucometer it is still a tool for watching changes. I can't say which human meter gives the closest readings since I have read differing opinions from different members.

Hopefully someone with more experience will post or you could start a new topic with your concerns.
 
Human meters can still be fairly close to the lab results. I had Neko's bloodwork done a couple of weeks ago. Before leaving home she was 5.3 (95) on my Relion and the blood work from the labs listed her as 5.6 (100) and that was probably half an hour later. I know from previous comparisons that she doesn't get much of a blood glucose spike at the vet. Unlike my non diabetic cat who has tested as much as 150 higher a the vet. The meters tend to be a lot closer in normal numbers, where it counts and there are larger differences when the numbers are higher. But at that point, too high is just too high.
 
We have reference values for using human glucometers, derived from research done by folks such as Dr Rand, or the Roomp and Rand study which started the Tight Regulation method for Lantus.

Once you are above normal numbers and have exceeded the renal threshold of about 240 mg/dL (depending on the cat), it really doesn't matter what number a glucometer gives you.

You're still going to be working to reduce the glucose, primarily by increasing the insulin according to the protocol you are following (Tight Regulation; Start Low, Go Slow; or ProZinc), and secondarily by making any food adjustments that may help, such as eliminating high carb foods, spread food into mini-meals to reduce sharp food spikes, and not letting the cat get too hungry.

You'll also be on the alert for any forms of infection or inflammation which may elevated glucose levels such as bladder infections or pancreatitis.

If there are medical conditions which require steroids, you'll adjust the insulin around them, and may possibly use a short-acting insulin as a supplement when a stable dose of Lantus or Levemir won't cover the spikes.
 
A FreeStype meter is not recommended for cats since, as you have seen, they read lower than an animal meter like the AT.
I would see what happens whn yo get a much lower reading with the FS and then tke an AT reading to see if they a lot closer than at high BG since with the high BGs you got the action you take would be the same.
Here is one reference point that I obtained
9-14-2014
I just did two tests with my original AlphaTrak and my human Easy Gluco Plus meter. Both comparisons used same drop of blood from two different cats

Dulce OTJ
AT = 72
Easy Gluco Plus = 54
The AT is 133% of the EGP value
Badgar
AT = 377
Easy Gluco Plus = 331
The AT is only 113% of the EGP value
 
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