@Heather&Dagron and
@Angel's mommie
Not only is there no easy or precise conversion, there shouldn’t be between human meters and pet meters with the assay methods and technology currently used.
There has not been enough research to see how they might correlate and the small scatterings of data taken by members here and there (including me) are indicative of the inconsistency in comparisons.
The TR protocol does reference that a plasma equivalent pet meter, such as the AT2, is approximately 30-40% higher
at the lower ranges and further, they suggest that at
the lower limit of the range of the TR protocol, 18 mg/dL be added so that a reduction point of 50 on a human meter becomes 68 on the AT2. This was done so that pet meter users would have some idea of where a safe reduction point would be.
I did a multitude of comparisons between my AT2 and my ReliOn Micro (you can see them on Gracie’s SS under the “AT2/Micro Comparison” tab). Let me give you some examples of the variation from different days with low numbers on the Micro:
AT2 Micro
76 38
58 35
52 30
81 46
59 44
That’s just a few of the comparisons I did using the exact same AT2 and the exact same Micro. As you can see, there is no consistency. For me, I tested a lot and the AT2 strips would have really been expensive over the long haul but if they hadn’t been, it would have been the only meter I would have used. It’s the one I trusted when numbers were headed down.
Based on the data I collected, I concluded:
- if I wanted to know what her number was on the AT2, I tested with both of them from the same blood sample and the number I always trusted was the AT2 number
- making a comparison between the two is purely speculative and there is not enough consistency to draw safe conclusions
- never get complacent about a low number on the Micro by assuming it’s much higher on the AT2; sometimes it was, sometimes it wasn’t
- when Gracie was really sick the last week of her life and was at numbers she had never, ever even been close to, the AT2 actually read less than the Micro....repeatedly.
It doesn’t matter what the numbers are in comparison to each other on the high end because the immediate concern of hypoglycemia is not there. It’s the reason why we don’t get wrapped up in when to take increases on the AT2. If the cat’s nadirs are 300 on the AT2 or the Micro, the cat needs more juice. you’re looking at trends and not specific numbers.
Here is an interesting discussion about
Pet and Human Meter Comparisons.
The allowable variation between tests for
a specific meter (not brand but the one you hold in your hand) is 20% from test to test.
I hope that helps. From time to time, we see the discussions arise again about pet and human meter comparisons. My advice is: avoid them.
Questions or thoughts?
It didn’t really matter...I kinda did it just cuz I’m a biologist and I love numbers. If I wasn’t such a testaholic (which I needed to be with my Gracie girl), I’d have used the AT2 all the time.