Test Meter question

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spiderswoman

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Five year old Spider was just diagnosed with diabetes. I am diabetic and have a test meter for myself, so I am familiar with their function. The vet wants me to buy one ($200)for Spider because it is "programmed for cats". (The test strips have a code to enter on the meter for "dog" or "cat") I have tested my blood in both meters (I have a temporary loaner from the vet) and sure enough it read about 50 points higher on the "cat" setting on the meter than on my own "human" meter. I have seen comments on the online diabetic cat sites saying inexpensive meters are available from Walmart and various other stores. These are "human" meters. If the cat sites are recommending them, how are they converting the readings to an appropriate "cat" reading? Can I use one of these inexpensive human meters for Spider so I don't confuse the memory bank in my own meter with both his and my readings, and still expect to get an accurate reading for him on a "human" meter?

Please advise. I am being bled dry with the expense, but love Spider and want to do what is best for him.

Bottom line- how do I read a human meter so I have an accurate blood sugar reading on my cat? Why does the vet have separate setting on her meter for "dog" and "cat" sugar levels? It seems to me that a blood sugar level should read the same whether it is from a cat, dog, horse or human- blood sugar is blood sugar. Can anyone explain this? It seems like 150 mg/dL should be 150 mg/dL whether it came from a human or a cat or any other animal.

Thanks for any help!!!
 
Hi there!

Im going to link something here for u, its from Consumer Reports meter reviews...
http://docs.google.com/View?docID=dd5ck ... on=_latest

now they dont include the animal meters here, these are the most common human meters used.
I cant explain the technical stuff, so I'll leave that for others, as this issue with the animal meters comes up often, and you'll get some good responses on this.

I can tell you, many here use the One Touch(expensive strips) and the Relion meters (least expensive strips), these are two good meters and the strips and actual meter for both are way more inexpensive than the animal meters. As well as being easier to obtain (pharmacies and online) the animal meter and strips are only available at the vets and sometimes online.

But anyways, hope this link helps u with the variances at least...and like I said others will be along to offer more specifics on your concerns!
 
Human sipping meters are fine for cats since they are accurate enough. The reason why dag, cat and human s need different settings is that the distribution of glucose between the liquid and cellular portions of the blood differ significantly.

Species Glucose Concentration in RBCs Glucose Concentration in Plasma
Human ---------------42% ------------------58%
Canine ---------------12.5% ---------------7.5%
Feline ----------------7% -------------------93%
 
 
The advice given on this site is tailored to the results you get with cat blood on human meters. Because of the difference in cat and human blood (distribution of glucose, size of blood cells), you probably won't get *exactly* the same results on a human meter as you would from a lab (or from a "cat" meter). Yet those differences won't affect treatment decisions, because the protocols advocated here assume the use of human meters.

Some people using human meters on their cats do get virtually the same results as their vet does, though. Any small difference is certainly not worth the extreme difference in cost!

In any case, even my vet told me that although I probably wouldn't get exactly the same numbers on a human meter as he would on the animal meter he has in his office, what I would get is plenty close enough for my purposes. Actually, what you are looking for mostly is trends - if the numbers are moving higher or lower or staying steady - and general "areas" - if the number is excessively high, diabetic but not worrisome, or too low. These distinctions you can see even if the number your meter gives you isn't precisely what a lab would show.
 
The majority of us here use human meters.

My vet has a cats-only practice, and SHE uses a human glucometer in her practice.

If you don't have to switch between dogs and cats all day - just save your money and get a human glucometer.
 
Every meter has a 10-20 percent variation in readings. The "animal' meters are built by the same manufacturers (who know that we will do anything for our pets, so let's create a market!). The variation beetween 'animal' and 'human' meters falls into that level. '
 
Please don't feel pressured to purchase the animal meter. Only purchase it if you want to, not because you feel like you have to.

The majority of folks on this board use the human meters, without issue. While yes, there is a difference between animal and human blood, the fact is, the human meters (and test strips) are less expensive and easier to get. You're not relying on the vet to have the strips available.

So, if you have a human meter that you use for yourself, you can use the same meter for your cat.

I use the one touch ultra and mini meters and love them both.
 
Like you, I'm a human diabetic (30+ years on insulin). I use AccuChek Aviva for myself and for my 5 (yes I said 5) diabetic cats. I have a meter for each of us (because I can download the memory).

My Aviva readings are fairly close to the vet readings so I'm happy to stay with a human meter.

Not too happy with the marketing ploy used by the meter manufacturer of the Alpha Track. Lots of people can't afford the extra expenses that the vets suggest. I have 5 diabetic cats who were at risk of euthanasia before I agreed to foster or adopt them.

Do what you are comfortable with. Know that there will be some variation even from two meters of the same brand.

Good luck with your kitty,

Claudia
 
I test a lot, so it became very expensive and I recently switched to a new meter which is working out fine. You can order a Maxima meter and $100 strips for about $33, plus shipping from Hocks .com (see green box above, it benefits FDMB) Additional boxes of 50 strips are $16.50, I think, with free shipping if you buy 4 boxes.

Heres the direct link
http://hocks.com/hocks-healthcare/hocks ... FM-14.html

Another thought would be to buy another meter which uses the same strips you use.
 
I agree w/ Nancy about the Maxima meter, the strips are the least expensive and for tight regulation we test a lot. The only down side is that you need to think ahead, because they only seem to be available online. I usually order from Hocks too, but I have found the strips really cheap on eBay.
 
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