TWO meters say 3 cats HYPO, what!

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TigersMom2

TigersMom2

Member Since 2013
New and Old Glucose meter show difference of 10-20 pts using SAME large drop of blood from ear, also i use HUMAN glucometers which seem to show lower numbers than i think they really are; any suggestions? my main problem is when it shows too low i skip Lantus, but is it truly low? AND our AC broke so the house has been at 90, I hope this doesnt mess with my glucose sticks, JUST got wall AC unit, but it doesnt work all that great.

see below for history:

3 cats, 1 cat diagnosed a few months ago. under control with 2 units lantus twice a day.

used to do all 3 cats BG (blood glucose) every few days as a good ref point. normal cats were in the 60's through 80's pretty much any time i checked.
.........................................................................................Diabetic cat in the 100'2 to 200's

ALL 3 cats have recently transitioned to ALL Wellness grain free food (no more hard food, no more cheap food) & cooked chicken is used for a "Treat"

at first, the two normals were in the 80's and Diabetic cat in the 100's.

after a few weeks of all Wellness all three cats showed BG in the 60's. NOW I REALIZE THEY MAY SEEM LOWER ON THE METER CUZ I USE A PEOPLE BG METER, SO I'M NOT PANICKING SINCE ALL THREE CATS ARE THEIR USUAL PLAYFUL SELVES.

I've been using a FreeStyle Lite, so last night I go buy a Relion Micro. HERE"S what I got
8-12-13
5:55 pm NEW METER BG diabetic 31, NormalA 47, Normal2 43 5:55 PM, , new meter, before meal
OLD METER= 42 for diabetic cat (SKIPPED LANTUS)

8:14 PM, after meal DIABETIC CAT 41, NormalA 53, NormalB 46 8:14 PM (skipped lantus)

8-13-13, 8:45 AM ,after meal Diabetic cat, NEW METER 73 , NormalA 52, I skipped his shots last night & this AM
.....................Diabetic cat Old meter 91
 
Stick with the ReliOn; meters with "Free" in the name have not worked well in monitoring cats.

Here are some glucose reference ranges used for decision making using a human glucometer:

< 40 mg/dL
- Treat as if HYPO if on insulin
- At nadir (lowest point between shots) in a long term diabetic (more than a year), may earn a reduction.

< 50 mg/dL
- If before nadir, steer with food, ie, give modest amounts of medium carb food to keep from going below 50.
- At nadir, often indicates dose reduction is earned.

50 - 130 mg/dL
- On insulin - great control when following a tight regulation protocol.
- Off insulin - normal numbers. (May even go as low as the upper 30s; if not on insulin, this can be safe.

> 150 mg/dL
- At nadir, indicates a dose increase may be needed when following a tight regulation protocol.

180 - 280 mg/dL
- Any time - The renal threshold (depending on data source and cat's renal function) where glucose spills into the urine.
- Test for ketones, glucose is too high.

>= 280 mg/dL, if for most of the cycle between shots
- Uncontrolled diabetes and thus at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis and hepatic lipidosis
- Follow your insulin protocol for dose adjustments
- Test for ketones; if more than a trace level of ketones, go to vet ASAP.
 
By the way, your diabetic has earned a dose decrease of 0.25, given those test results < 50 mg/dL.
 
ok thanks, i'm gonna go return the reli on micro and get the regular relion.
THANKS FOR THE HUMAN GLUCOMETER TRANSLATION NUMBER'S!!!!!!!!!!
 
actually at those numbers, i wouldn't give any insulin at all right now, like you're doing. keep testing and collecting data to see if kitty ever actually goes high enough to need any more insulin at all. the diet change may be enough for your kitty :-)
 
i JUST FOUND your WEBSITE'S list of recommended glucometers. looks like i'm ok to keep relion micro BUT>>> MY experience shows the Relion Micro gives much lower numbers than my Freestyle Lite (your list says freestyle lite gives false lows. SO confused :(
and SO scared, just want my baby to be well ;(
 
You can't return blood testing equipment in the US.

And the ReliOn is the one to keep and use.

Low numbers is where you want to be most cautious, as a hypoglycemic attack can be fatal.

Better too high for a day, than too low for a moment.
 
the freestyle lite "can" show lower numbers than is accurate but it's not a guarantee. in all honesty, my own experience with the freestyle meters is that they've been relatively accurate. for others, not so much. i think the problem others have had is when the cat is actually in high high numbers like 300+, the freestyle will read let's say in the upper 100's. but when kitty is actually in lower numbers, the readings have been more accurate.

either way, BOTH meters are showing you low numbers, almost unsafe low, and what is most important is that you NOT give insulin when kitty is that low
 
The ReliOn Micro is fine to use. Something to be aware of is that it tests at the lower end of the +/-20% FDA-allowed meter variance on lower numbers under ~70. My non-diabetic has tested in the 20s on it when he's really in the 40s on the Prime. Because of this, I mainly use the ReliOn Prime for lower numbers and my Micro as a backup meter. The Prime does require a larger blood sample, but the strips are cheaper than the Confirm/Micro.
 
Thank you 4 all the info!@#@!
update STILL NO lANTUS GIVEN, CURRENT READING BEFORE DINNER
New Glucometer Relion Micro; blood glucose 68
Old glucometer Freestyle Lite ; blood glucose 92

WOW my cat seems so much better lately! no slipping when he walks lately either his back feet WERE like he was skating on ice-(back when his sugar was in the 300's)
 
Kpassa: where do u get the +/_ 20 below 70 etc etc, how do u guys know all this stuff. my Doctor didn't know.
 
Everyone here shares info on feline diabetes, 24/7. Vets do a variety of animals with a variety of conditions.

The +/- 20% is an FDA criteria for selling a glucometer for home use.
50 -> 40 to 60
500 -> 400 to 600
Notice how the higher the number, the wider the spread? It doesn't mater - high is high and you follow the insulin protocol to adjust the dose properly.
 
I used the freestyle and I found it Inaccurate above 200. Anyway I would stick to the relion for price if nothing else. Also I wouldn't shoot at all as a newbie until he goes over 200 consistently. And at that point lets discuss dose first.

Keep us updated

Wendy
 
wow, glucometers for "home use" are different..., I should have my Aunt (she's a doctor) buy a hospital type for me, for greater accuracy :)
 
Its good enough for home monitoring, thats all that matters.

If, when you get a low number, you test twice, the overlap in the 20% ranges is a closer approximation of the glucose level.

Example: 2 tests of 70 and 80
70 +/- 20% -> 56 to 84
80 +/- 20% -> 64 to 96
The 84 is greater than the 64. the ranges overlap, so the 2 tests of 70 and 80 may be considered essentially the same.

At high numbers it doesn't matter. High is high and you follow your protocol to adjust the dose. You also test for ketones.
 
Its by Arkray USA, as are the Confirm/Glucocard 01 Mini/Micro home use glucometers. Those use a 0.3 µL blood drop, which is smaller.

The Platinum is NOT a lab equivalant glucometer. It will have the same kinds of +/- 20% variation, unless you find research documentation they submitted to FDA otherwise. Its designed for harder use on multiple patients. It uses a 0.5 µL blood drop.

You need a meter that is 'good enough', not one that gives you lab accurate results. And, you'll want one that doesn't have test strip costs that will break the bank. The Glucocard 01 uses one of the 2 least expensive test strips out there.
 
In that case, go for an pet specific AlphaTrak 2 (ADW has them, I think, as well as Amazon).
It reports numbers on the same scale as the vet labs do, so the doc won't have to figure it out.

Their research data says they get within 10% of what a lab would get, when I asked them.

Just be sure to put that in your signature, in a slightly larger and/or differently colored font so we'll recognize it and adjust interpretation accordingly.
 
very cool, thank you! my vet actually uses a human glucometer but she can order me the one you mentioned too. lots of options, great to know! thanks much!
 
I'd use the same thing she is using if she is using a human glucometer. She already knows how it works and is familiar with the numbers.

You can order the AlphaTrak 2 yourself - from our shopping partner ADW.
 
well as of the last several days, as I mentioned from my original post, Diabetic cat has been close to the same or lower than my other two cats, so no matter what meter, unless he gets way over my other two cats I don't suppose it matters at all if they are all the same-ish. Thank goodness!
 
TigersMom2 said:
well as of the last several days, as I mentioned from my original post, Diabetic cat has been close to the same or lower than my other two cats, so no matter what meter, unless he gets way over my other two cats I don't suppose it matters at all if they are all the same-ish. Thank goodness!
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
TigersMom2 said:
Kpassa: where do u get the +/_ 20 below 70 etc etc, how do u guys know all this stuff. my Doctor didn't know.
Click to expand...

The "under ~70" is from doing comparisons with my Micro and Prime side-by-side on the same droplet of blood. They're almost identical under 100 until around 70 or so, when the Micro suddenly starts showing significantly lower. When Mikey is in the 60s on the Prime, it'll show high 40s or 50s on the Micro. When Mikey is in the 50s on the Prime, it'll show high 30s or 40s on the Micro. When Mikey is in the 40s on the Prime, it'll show 20s or low 30s on the Micro. The reason I think the Prime is more accurate at these lower numbers is because my non-diabetic often tests in the 40s on the Prime (normal non-diabetic range) and in the 20s on the Micro (hypo range, which is next-to-impossible for healthy cats not getting insulin). There's also too steep a drop that occurs from 70 to 40 to 70 again in the span of an hour when using the Micro (the Prime shows it more like 71 to 62 to 69, which is more logical).

When it comes to glucometers, you can drive yourself insane. :lol:
 
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