looking for Freestyle meter/ got one

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Lalkabee, May 21, 2020.

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  1. Lalkabee

    Lalkabee Member

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    May 1, 2020
    Using an Alpha track at the moment but strips are too expensive, i have 100 freestyle strips but no meter. I am in QC, Canada. I don't want to complain but i am on my last leg and saving money for the syringes and next bottle of Prozinc. If you also have 29 3/10 with half marking syringes i'd take that too...

    Thank you
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  2. AmandaE

    AmandaE Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2019
    I'm not sure if you found a free monitor yet, but my experience in Canada is that sometimes they will give you a free monitor if you buy 100 strips

    Woudn't hurt to ask :)
     
  3. Lalkabee

    Lalkabee Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2020
    I bought one and the readings are very off compared to my Alphatrak. The Freestyle strips used in the AT seem to be accurate tho...not all is lost. But thank you AmandaE :) i did request the free FS meter but already said it was for my cat so they didn't want to give it for free. Lesson learned!
     
    AmandaE likes this.
  4. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    We truly DO NOT recommend using strips in ANY meter not specifically meant for that meter.

    User beware. Especially at lower number ranges.
     
  5. Lalkabee

    Lalkabee Member

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    May 1, 2020
    Don't worry Deb...i did compare the strips. Also compared the meters with both strips. If i have a weird result, i will double test. I also dont have enough money now to buy strips for the Alphatrak, still trying to pay the vet bills >< Doing my best, sorry .
     
  6. Lalkabee

    Lalkabee Member

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    May 1, 2020
    Results were off the chart with the Freestyle meter (using Freestyle strips) . The BG was 10.8 VS AT with AT strips at 17.3. FS strips in AT meter gave me 16.9 or maybe 18.9, didn't write it down.
     
  7. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    Please make a VERY prominent note on your SS that you are NOT using the Alphatrak strips in your Alphatrak meter.

    It's going to make a big difference if Bee drops into the low numbers, <100 mg/dL.
     
  8. Lalkabee

    Lalkabee Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2020
    Will do..I never changed my SS and still use the AT (big note for when i used the stips). My vet looked at my SS today and didnt charged me so far. For the first time, she talked to me like i knew what i was doing. She do want me to go to 2.50 unit Prozinc (didnt tell her i was doing 2.25) . i'd like your advice if you aren't too pissed at me
     
    Deb & Wink likes this.
  9. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

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    Jan 31, 2013
    Not mad at you. Simply want to base what we tell you on the fact that you are using non-standard strips in your AT meter. Seriously, there is a thread in Think Tank forum about using non-AT strips in an AT meter. Results can be off by quite a bit.. If your cat's BG is <100, that difference could be enough to rethink what you would do in a low numbers situation, to prevent a hypo.

    Here is what @MrWorfMen's Mom said about using non-AT strips in an AT meter. "Right now, given the cat codes we know of, there is only an 18% chance of getting lab equivalent results with alternate strips leaving 82% of results off by an unknown amount. That is in my estimation a variance added into normal meter variance I would not want to be dealing if my cat was in low BG range."
    I agree with your vet that Bee needs a dose increase of 0.25U. So up to 2.5U of Prozinc.

    @Wendy&Neko Please move this thread to Feline Health. Thank you.
     
  10. Lalkabee

    Lalkabee Member

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    May 1, 2020

    Thank you Deb. Bee is now on 2.50. How do ppl test with human meter if the result are so different?
     
  11. Lalkabee

    Lalkabee Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2020
    I know..but there is me testing with FS or not because i cant pay for the AT strips :/ I know its not accurate. I really appreciate your help but i dont think i ll be able to keep up with the testing with AT strips because of the cost.
     
  12. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

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    Jan 31, 2013
    Actually, I'm not suggesting you keep using the Alphatrak meter at all. In fact, all and I do mean ALL, of our dosing protocols are based on using human meters with human test strips. From data that has been gathered over more than 3 decades. Human meters existed for years before pharmaceutical companies saw a market and came out with more expensive "Pet specific" meters. That would have been ok, if they had kept the price of the test strips reasonable, but they didn't. Not with Alphatrak test strips being $1-2 each. That cost is WAY out of reach for many people. Vets need to understand and accept that fact and work WITH people and what they can afford for home testing.

    Most people here that are going to be helping you are much, much more familiar with the human meter range numbers. Neither pet or human meters are 100% or even 80-90% accurate all the time. It's called "meter variance" where a hand held glucometer is allowed to be off by 15 to 20% from test to test. Any meter is going to give you a range of values. You don't look for a specific value each time you test, but look to see where your cat falls within the color range. It's why we use a color coded SS. Look at the top of the SS, where the values are written inside each color coded box at the very top, to see what I'm talking about.

    How do you switch meters if you are interested? You simply stop using the Alphatrak and use the human meter, make a note on your SS and go from there. It's that simple.

    So we recommend to folks that they purchase a human meter based on the test strip cost. Folks in the US have the option of the Walmart Relion line of meters. Good low cost on the test strips. People in Canada have fewer options with such low cost test strips, but there are still some good meters to use for cats.

    A good meter that people in Canada buy is the Contour Next One human glucometer and the matching test strips. It has a really nice feature. It lets you add more blood to the test strip within 60 seconds if your first blood drop was not big enough. So you have a second chance for a good test with only 1 test strip.

    I've also found references to the One Touch meter, and the Freestyle Lite meter.
    Check out this thread, where someone was recently asking about meters available in Canada.
    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/spreadsheet.227765/#post-2551329

    If you live close enough to the border, people used to come across to shop a couple of times a year to pick up supplies. That option is not available right now, with covid19 impacting travel.
     
    jt and trouble (GA) likes this.
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