What should numbers be with a reli on meter?

Status
Not open for further replies.
dirtybirdsoaps

dirtybirdsoaps

Member Since 2014
I apologize I've tried looking on this site and could not find my answer. I figure Im overwhelmed and looking in the wrong spot.

My question is what should numbers be with a Reli on meter? Ive been using an Alphatrak2 and I know I should be between 100-200 for that one. I am out of strips so I bought a reli on for back up. Just checked Hideys numbers and they were 571. I have not given him his shot yet this morning because hes been vomiting and has diarrhea. Im almost positive its because I switched his food, but I didn't want to give him his insulin without seeing his numbers, I thought maybe his numbers would be different. Any help would be appreciated on how to convert, if I convert numbers.

Thank you
Samantha
 
Hi Samantha,

I hope Hidey feels better soon!

On Relion (and other human meters) a BG level of over 200 is safe to shoot. So, I would suggest that you give him insulin, even though his GI tract is upset.

For food transitions, it is best to do a slow transition between foods. Try switching only 10% of the food from the original brand to the new brand each day. So, Day 1, switch 10%, Day 2 20%, Day 3 30%, until you get to 100% new food. This helps prevent GI upset during transition.

There's a great post that contains a conversion for Alphatrak and human meter ranges. I'll see if I can find it and repost it here for you.

Liz
 
This post is originally from BJM. I copied and pasted it here:

Comparing a human glucometer to a pet-specific glucometer is like reading temperature in Celsius vs Fahrenheit. Both are correct. You just need to know the reference ranges to interpret what the numbers mean.

[Glucose reference ranges are unsubstantiated and have been removed by Moderator]
 
Thank you I really appreciate the help, and thank you for that article on conversions. I just don't get it. I have slowly been introducing him to the EVO and as of the other day it was 75% EVO, 25% Blue Buffalo. He only started having this problem since I went 100% I've also been testing Ketones and theyre negative.
 
Perhaps go back to 75% EVO and 25% Blue Buffalo and hold there for a few days for the digestive upset to clear, then proceed to 90% EVO for a few days and finally to 100% EVO?

Liz
 
Liz&Gus said:
Perhaps go back to 75% EVO and 25% Blue Buffalo and hold there for a few days for the digestive upset to clear, then proceed to 90% EVO for a few days and finally to 100% EVO?

Liz
Click to expand...

I agree with Liz on the food. You might want to add the percentages of each every day in the comments on your ss for reference. :smile:

Also, indicate on your ss when you are using the Relion meter...would help us understand the numbers better.

Don't worry...Hidey will be in better numbers soon. RumpelT is sending blue/green vines to him right now. :smile:
 
well now im really lost LOL I just tested with the alphatrak2 and got 404, when I checked with the reli on it said 29???
 
Hi Samantha,

I am certainly guess the 29 was a bad strip. reliOn will give a little lower number, but not that much!

The days missing on your ss - did you get one unit each of those days when you weren't able to get tests?

If so, I would definitely give insulin and probably increase the dose to 1.25. Hold 3 cycles and if you are not seeing lower numbers, increase by .25 again. He is sitting in very high numbers. Now that you are testing, you can watch, and even with the food change, keep him safe if he drops. Get another test before the shot, to reassure yourself (and us) that he is still high.

And I'm with everyone else. Make a slower food switch.
 
I was thinking it was a bad test but wasn't sure, tried another one and didn't get enough blood so it errored out on me. I did update Hideys SS thank you for that. The past few days he's been getting 1.5 units I was just worried about the timing for the next shot. I also have been able to test for ketones and they were negative. As to the food I think Ill keep it 75/25 and just keep cutting back on the amount until they're off the dry food.
 
Sounds like a plan. I hope his numbers improve on 1.5. How long have you been giving it?

You might try Fancy Feast or Friskies and see if they are less rich than Evo and cause less stomach upset.
 
Hes been on the 1.5 units 2 x a day for about a week. As to the food, my apologies I should of stated dry evo that's why Im not too worried about it being 75/25 for a while because the dry food is slowly going away. For wet they get Avoderm and Tiki and that seems to sit well
 
Then I wouldn't be in a hurry to change the dose, if he is still eating high carb dry. I would be very careful as you switch to more wet. Be sure to always get a preshot as you never know when he might decide to drop. confused_cat
 
Well I just took his bg again before I get him his dinner and his numbers were 351 alphatrak2 and reads 363 on the reli on which converts to 324 correct? He's acting better this evening and eating some now :-D I cannot update his ss on my iPad though so I will update in the am.
 
Yup. I'm going to do 1.5 the next few days and if they're not looking better I will up it to 2. My vet said I can go to 2.5 but I don't want that drastic of a jump.
 
Interesting differences between the alphatrak and reliOn. According to conventional wisdom on here, the human meter should read lower than the alpha, but yours read higher. I tracked down the numbers when we compared my human meter to the vets alphatrak. I got a similar result as you, mine read 28 mmol/l (504) and the vets read 26.7 mmol/l (480). I would love to get another comparison done at the vets now that Clarence is on the low end of the scale.

I dont know how many alpha test strips you have left but I am certainly reading with interest the numbers you are getting on both units.
 
For human meters, for example, a 40 is considered hypo-territory whereas for pet meters, it's 70. There's a cheat sheet around here posted by BJ that I'll try to find a link to that does a comparison of the meter differences.

ETA: Liz&Gus already quoted it above. :lol: ohmygod_smile
 
I have been making sure to put the reli on numbers in my comments if I tested with both at that time. Although this morning and last night I could not test both since I was low on time. I am trying to test with both for my own comfort. I prefer to use the alphatrak 2 but since I have to order test strips on line I do agree its a good idea to have a back up meter. In order for me to feel comfortable doing that though I need to be able to know how much of a number difference there is, even if it is just an estimate. I have also upped Hideys dosage to 2 units 2x a day so hopefully he'll get in lower numbers soon. My vet said I could take him to 2.5 but that's a big jump in my opinion so I figure Ill take it slow.
 
Looks like Hidey got a decent drop on the 1.5u. I'm thinking the 500 this AM may be a bounce. Will be curious to see what he does today with the 2u. :smile:
 
[Glucose reference ranges are unsubstantiated and have been removed by Moderator]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

How to use the glucose reference values chart:

When you get a test, look for the number on the chart that either equals, or contains, the test value you have. Read the information. As needed, make a decision and act.

Ex. You are a new insulin user and you test your cat before giving insulin. The test is 300. It probably is safe to give insulin.

Ex. You are an established user of Lantus, following the Tight Regulation protocol. You've tested around +5 to +7 to spot the nadir. It is 200 mg/dL. You probably need to increase the dose, following the instructions for the protocol.

Ex. Your cat is acting funny. The eyes are a bit dilated. You are concerned and test the glucose. The number is 35 mg/dL. ACK! The cat may be in a hypoglycemic state. You quickly follow the HYPO protocol linked in the glucose reference values chart. (which we really, really, suggest you print out and post on your refrigerator.)
 
Hi,

At the beginning, when I brought Wink home to foster, the shelter gave me an Alpahtrak 2 for BG testing. I used that a bit, but then the shelter didn't like me using so many test strips. At $1 -2 each, it gets expensive quickly, especially if you are trying to regulate your cat and do curves at home to see what is going on. The Relion Confirm test strips are only 36 cents a piece, so you can do 3 to 6 tests with the Relion meter for the same price as a single test on the Alphatrak. It adds up quickly in a month.

So, I ended up going out and buying a Relion Confirm meter on my own dime and I did side by side testing, on the exact same blood drop for a while until I was comfortable with the results. I learned what the reference ranges were for the two different meters (BJM gave you that already). It took me a while, but eventually I was able to convince the shelter that using the Relion meter was saving a lot of money and giving me results accurate enough to manage the insulin dosing.

After about 2 weeks, I switched entirely to the Relion Confirm meter. It was easy to use, needs the exact same small blood drop size, 0.3 microliters, and the test strips are very readily available. I even thought the sipping action on the Reliion meter was a bit better than on the Alphatrak. Plus, having the spot to sip at the end of the test strip instead of on the side, was easier to use for me. You can even order the Arkray glucocard 01 test strips from a place like American Diabetes Wholesale if you don't want to go to Wal-Mart. Those 2 meters are made by the same company, Arkray, and the strips are interchangeable.

Trying to use two different meters, and trying to compare the readings is like comparing apples to oranges. Very similar, but the BG ranges are a bit different. It can drive you crazy, trying to figure out which meter is "more accurate". In actuality, both meters are accurate but simply give slightly different readings.

You can look at Wink's SS and see some of the testing I did, back in January/February 2013. When I was doing parallel testing with the meters, I listed the Alphatrak numbers first, then the second line was the Relion Confirm.

Hope this information is helpful to you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top