? How to use the Precision Xtra Blood Ketone For Cat?

I got the Precision Xtra Blood Glucose and Ketone in today along with a box of ketone strips for it.

Do I use this the same as I would the Alpha Trax 2? Does it use the same amount of blood(just a tiny drop)?
What should a good reading be for a 11 pound cat whose glucose stays between 420 and 550?

 

Hey there, I have the same ketone meter. It does not take a lot of blood, probably the same sample you would use for BG. The readings for cats are different than the range in the booklet as that is for humans. The latest published research/studies in cats indicate ketones will begin to show up at readings of 2.4 and 2.55 on a blood ketone meter:

Measurement of ketones - Weingart_J VET Diagn Invest-2012(1).pdf
Measuring ketones - JSAP_Zeugswetter - 2012.pdf

The strips are terribly expensive. The best place I found them are Universal Drugstore in Canada
1866-456-2456
I bought 40 strips from them for 90.00 plus $7 for S/H
That was the best deal I found.

 

Hi,

I've not used a blood ketone meter so can't do much to help. Here's a link to information about the Precision Xtra on the Abbot website:

https://www.abbottdiabetescare.com/precision-xtra

According to the info at the above link, the blood glucose strips for the Xtra need a blood sample size of 0.6 microlitres and the ketone test strips need a sample size of 1.5 microlitres. Alphatrak 2 strips work with a sample size of 0.3 microlitres.

I suggest consulting with your vet to get a cat-specific reference range to use with the meter.


Mogs
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Wow, that thing is nice compared to my alpha track.

The meter read 0.2....does that sound accurate?

 

eh....tonight it read 0.4. Is this fluctuation normal?

 

I've not used a blood ketone meter but I have seen results posted by a member who does. Those numbers seem to be similar to the ones she posted from time to time. I think that you need to ask your vet about a reference range to use with the meter so that you will know when a reading alerts you that ketones are above 'trace' levels.

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