alphatrak II meter reliability issues? and human meter reccomendation

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Arathi & Yuki

Arathi & Yuki

Member Since 2018
I have been using the alphatrak II to test Yuki's BG. I have seen many conflicting readings, a couple of times from the same blood drop. For instance yesterday I got first reading of 17.2, and when I rechecked with a new test strip, same blood drop, I got a second reading of 21.3. Is this normal?
I used the control solution to check the meter and it gave a reading within the range mentioned on the test strip container. Also the code is matching with batch of test strips.

I know in the UK many people have recommended the accu chek aviva, but with the recall, test strips are not available yet (as posted on their website). Any recommendations? I want something that is reliable, but also one that doesn't require a lot of blood.

How often should one change the lancets? currently i change on average after 4 uses.

thanks!
 
Hi. The AlphaTrak is supposed to be the most accurate meter you can use for a cat or dog. None of the meters are going to be 100% perfect, you always have to allow for a variance in results. You may find it to be even greater with other meters. Also, any little factor can change the results a little... even if the blood drop is a little older in one test than another.

Lancets are no longer sterile after one use. So, I discard them after one use.

I don't know if I have told you before, but I love your profile photo. It looks like she is wearing a floppy hat :D I know that is not what it is, but it looks like it, and it is so cute.
 
I just ordered an AlphaTrak 2 this morning after using a Freestyle Precision Neo human monitor. The Neo just needs too much blood to give a reading. I can't believe the difference in price for the test strips between the two ($13 US for 25 Neo vs $40 US for 25 AlphaTrak). I hope the accuracy is okay with the new one. I'm a little concerned after your post.
 
Beck and Grandpa said:
I can't believe the difference in price for the test strips between the two ($13 US for 25 Neo vs $40 US for 25 AlphaTrak).
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Strips are expensive for the AlphaTrak. That is one of the reasons many people choose to use human meters. Some people use the AlphaTrak but use Freestyle strips. You can search this site and find a lot of threads where this has been discussed.

I buy my strips via Amazon. Currently, it is $44 for 50.

Beck and Grandpa said:
I hope the accuracy is okay with the new one. I'm a little concerned after your post.
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I have been using an AlphaTrak2 for almost a year with no issues. There are others who have been using them much longer.
 
FurBabiesMama said:
Hi. The AlphaTrak is supposed to be the most accurate meter you can use for a cat or dog. None of the meters are going to be 100% perfect, you always have to allow for a variance in results. You may find it to be even greater with other meters. Also, any little factor can change the results a little... even if the blood drop is a little older in one test than another.

Lancets are no longer sterile after one use. So, I discard them after one use.

I don't know if I have told you before, but I love your profile photo. It looks like she is wearing a floppy hat :D I know that is not what it is, but it looks like it, and it is so cute.
Click to expand...
OK, I'll keep that in mind, just that it is a big difference. The test strips are very expensive!
Thanks for your comment about yuki.... It is one of my favourite pics of her:cat:
 
I do still wNt to try the humzn glucometer, even just as a back up. I read here that there are some that don't require as much blood.
 
I found another meter for pets at Amazon. It's called Pettest. I ordered it as a spare, but I found it to be just as good as the AlphaTrax when I compared both meters with the same drop of blood. Both the meter and the strips cost less than the AlphaTrax strips. I watch for sales and buy a bunch at a time. I have also used the Freestyle light strips in my AlphaTrax meter with good results. They are made by the same company and the strips look identical. I just don't want to be short on strips when Callie's BG goes wonky.
 
This Freestyle Precision Neo is just cruel. I can get a bubble of blood fairly easily, but it is normally not enough to fill the area of the strip required for a reading. Even if I squeeze the ear, I get an error that the sample is too small. It may be ok for a person, but I would not recommend this for a cat.
 
maybe a bad batch of strips?? i need to buy more AT2 strips since i use them to verify very low numbers/odd FS readings (i use freestyle lite strips institutional version normally with AT2 meter) and i noticed a lot of complaints with the AT2 strips on amazon lately. i had no issues with the ones i bought that are ship and sold by amazon though but, they cost $59!
 
So I've been using AlphaTrack 2 for almost 6 months, and I love and trust it. I used ReliOn Confirm for a few weeks at first, but the numbers were SO imprecise when re-checked, I gave up and went with the pet meter.

The way to ensure consistent and accurate results, you have to make sure your drop of blood is big enough. If it is too small, or if you have to "double dip" to get it to beep, the numbers are often lower. If your drop is of a good size and doesn't get totally sucked in when you put the strip on it, your results should be accurate. If you feel your drop of blood is enough but your results are still off, try contacting the manufacturer. It's possible the device is faulty.

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks everyone! I asked my vet also about this issue. She said that as long as the difference is within 3 mmol/L then it is okay. For now I will stick with alphatrak.
 
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