uk best meter
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Elizabeth and Bertie
Member Since 2010
Hi there,
I use the One Touch Ultra which, I think, needs a 1 microlitre blood sample.
A popular one with Brits is the Accucheck Aviva which (according to Google just now) needs just .6 microlitre.
There is a meter that takes an even smaller sample, the Freestyle Lite, but members here have experienced problems with it's accuracy (at the higher range of numbers).
What are you using at the moment?
And is Tom still on 1 unit Caninsulin BID?
Eliz
I use the One Touch Ultra which, I think, needs a 1 microlitre blood sample.
A popular one with Brits is the Accucheck Aviva which (according to Google just now) needs just .6 microlitre.
There is a meter that takes an even smaller sample, the Freestyle Lite, but members here have experienced problems with it's accuracy (at the higher range of numbers).
What are you using at the moment?
And is Tom still on 1 unit Caninsulin BID?
Eliz
Elizabeth and Bertie
Member Since 2010
Further to the above...
Tips to get more blood include;
Making sure the ear is warm. Massaging the ear can help blood flow.
Putting a teesny smear of vaseline on the edge of the ear can help the blood to 'bead up' rather than disappearing into the fur.
Making two ear pricks close together. Two can sometimes give enough blood where one alone may not.
Massaging immediately below the ear prick can 'milk' out a larger sample .
Putting pressure immediately behind the place your pricking, the lancet needs something to resist otherwise it pushes the ear away. (I put a fingertip on the inside of the ear (opposite to where I'm pricking the outside), but some folks use a piece of cotton wool or folded tissue.)
Eliz
Tips to get more blood include;
Making sure the ear is warm. Massaging the ear can help blood flow.
Putting a teesny smear of vaseline on the edge of the ear can help the blood to 'bead up' rather than disappearing into the fur.
Making two ear pricks close together. Two can sometimes give enough blood where one alone may not.
Massaging immediately below the ear prick can 'milk' out a larger sample .
Putting pressure immediately behind the place your pricking, the lancet needs something to resist otherwise it pushes the ear away. (I put a fingertip on the inside of the ear (opposite to where I'm pricking the outside), but some folks use a piece of cotton wool or folded tissue.)
Eliz
Hi Eliz, Yup still on same dose at present. Who makes the one touch ultra? I am sure my local chemist has accu check so liking the sound of that one. All I have at the mo is a boots chemist own brand which I bought just to get us going but it seems to require more than just a little drop so when you think you have enough it never is so time to upgrade. Thanks for that
Wendy&Tiggy(GA)
Member Since 2011
You can get the strips in boots http://www.boots.com/en/One-Touch-ultra-blood-glucose-test-strip-50-test-strips_1205538
and maybe a free meter here - https://www.lifescan.co.uk/corporate/register/get-free-meter - I had to choose "freestyle lite meter" and "Insulin fixed dose" to make sure I qualified for one
I think its the ultra mini you want?
and maybe a free meter here - https://www.lifescan.co.uk/corporate/register/get-free-meter - I had to choose "freestyle lite meter" and "Insulin fixed dose" to make sure I qualified for one
I think its the ultra mini you want?
Elizabeth and Bertie
Member Since 2010
Hi (sorry, I don't know your name yet 
),
I don't know the meter you're using. Do you know what size sample your current meter needs..?
Eliz
Oh, PS. Have sent you a PM (see top of the page, left hand side). It may or may not be relevant depending on where you are in the UK...
),Lifescan make the OTU meters (see Wendy's link in above post). But if you're looking for one that takes a really small blood sample you may be happier with the Accucheck Aviva.pentom said:
I don't know the meter you're using. Do you know what size sample your current meter needs..?
Eliz
Oh, PS. Have sent you a PM (see top of the page, left hand side). It may or may not be relevant depending on where you are in the UK...
It's not on the paperwork how much blood mine requires but it's too much LOL. Reading the info on the accu check aviva, I think this is the one for us and they stock it locally. Thanks for your help. Gonna try for the free one first thou.! Have replied to your PM. :smile:
Apparently according to the website my meter test strips do only require .6 of blood, same as the accu check aviva, so it seems what I have got does require a tiny blood drop, so maybe need now to look at technique. The info on strips also says they are tip or top fill ? We usually put it at a 90 degree angle to the blood drop?
Elizabeth and Bertie
Member Since 2010
Hi Penny,
If the strip sips blood through the very tip (as my OTU ones do) then you can imagine that you're sucking up the blood through a tiny drinking straw (that's what I do, anyway...).
What is the name of your meter? (I couldn't find a Boots brand one; does it have a different name?)
Is the blood disappearing into the fur at all? If so then a teensy weensy smear of vaseline on the edge of the ear will help the blood 'bead up' into a nice droplet.
Eliz
If the strip sips blood through the very tip (as my OTU ones do) then you can imagine that you're sucking up the blood through a tiny drinking straw (that's what I do, anyway...).
What is the name of your meter? (I couldn't find a Boots brand one; does it have a different name?)
Is the blood disappearing into the fur at all? If so then a teensy weensy smear of vaseline on the edge of the ear will help the blood 'bead up' into a nice droplet.
Eliz
Hi Eliz, it's a boots own brand glucose monitor. The strips and Lancets are freestyle optimum. We do his paw pad as he's got problems whereby he produces excess wax so does not like them touched and he's on drops for this. I didn't understand what it meant by top fill on the test strip description thou it says tip fill too which is I presume is what we are doing where we place strip at an angle to it and we've also had it at 45° to blood drop. ?
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