Help calibrating Alphatrak 2

Hi, I was hoping someone has some knowledge about the expensive Alphatrak 2 meter? We got the sample kit and the code on the bottle says 38 for cats. Is that the code I am supposed to use when calibrating? I've heard some people use 7 to code, but that may have been for the first version of the meter (manual mentions that too).

The reason I'm asking is the results I've been getting are questionable. I tried calling Alphatrak's CS number but of course they're closed on weekends. My cat's first reading was 51...3 hours after eating (P.M.)....seems low! So I stopped giving her insulin the next day because I noticed her excessive urination had stopped a couple weeks ago, and she had been twitching. One time she was twitching/muscle spasm and she looked like she was falling over. I was scared she was hypoglycemic and her body started producing insulin again. She's only been diabetic for two months after vet gave her a steroid shot for skin allergies.

So I tested her the next day (when I didn't give insulin), it said 27! There's no way without insulin and 3 hours after eating (P.M.) she would be 27. I calibrated again and the 2nd test said she was 68. It still seems low but...I just don't know. She's been eating C/D canned for urinary health. I want to get her off that one and onto Wellness Core Indoor canned since C/D has a lot of corn.

I'm going to test her again today and tomorrow and report the results to my vet. But it's hard because I can't be there to watch her during the day. My mom watches her a little bit, but she doesn't know or care much about diabetes. I have to constantly remind her to talk to my cat, play with her, don't let her just sleep in a corner and make sure she's okay. I don't trust her to give insulin because she can't see the needle lines well. I know it's not good to just stop insulin but if her readings are so slow, I don't want to make her hypo. Btw her insulin was Lantus, 1.5 units, and she's 10 years old. I was giving her shots every 12 hours. When she was first diagnosed, her reading was 220.

Sorry so long :shock:

 

You enter the code on the vial of strips that is for cats, Other species get different codes.
Have you tried using the control solution?

68 and 51 are in the normal range.

Maybe your cat is going into remission.

Edited to add
I just looked at my vial and it says 20 for cats and 7 for dogs.

 

[Glucose reference ranges are unsubstantiated and have been removed by Moderator]

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Examples of using the chart:

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 Bubbletea,

The code varies with the batches of test strips. Each time you get a new tub of strips, you need to check the code on the label for "Cat" then if necessary recailbrate your meter so that it shows the same number as on the tub of test strips you're using. Hope that helps.

 

I have a new Alphatrak 2. The strip container does say 38 for cats.
When the vet loaned me their alphatrak the weekend, the strip number was 7 for cats
It must be the model type. On the back mine has the code CFGT156-M0430.

 

This is correct. With the original AlphaTrak all batches of strips used Code 7 for cats. With AlphaTrak 2, every batch of strips produced uses a different code and you need to match the code to the specific code specified on your particular strip container. When I was using the AlphaTrak 2 every bottle I bought had a completely different code, so you do need to check and reset the number each time you start a new container.

 

Yet another reason to switch from the Alphatrak to a human meter. Having to change the code to match the test strip is a pain in the butt. Most human meters don't require that you enter a code, reading it from the test strip when you put it in the meter.