Meter Reading Conflict-me vs. the vet

So yesterday I did my first curve with my new Rite Aid True Result meter and was so happy at the results (the results mind you, not the process but it's getting easier with all the wonderful tips I've found here). At 4:00 a.m.she was at 240, we gave up at 8:30 due to frustration, 10 am at 142, 217 at noon, and 206 at 2pm. I took her to the vet so they could test her and I could show them what a great cat mom I was being and how good she was doing and her results come back at 437! What the hey? I read that our human meters can differ 20-30% from the professional one's that the vets use but this? Of course, me and my husband both want to think that the vet's meter is wrong and of course my vet thinks mine is. I won't even go into what else he said about hometesting but we came to an understanding that perhaps my meter would do to see that she's not fluctuating too much.

Oh, and at 7:30 pm last night my meter said she was at 37. Yeah, okay, my insulin shocked kitty was walking & eating just fine thank you but I didn't have the heart to retest her as she/we had been through so much yesterday (she was at 272 this morning at 4 am).

So anyways, my question is what can cause such a drastic difference in our meters? Is it because mine is for humans? My doctor didn't seem to think ear prick vs. other body vein would cause it.

Help! confused_cat

 

First off - I HATE THE True result meters. I started with one and got what I thought were good reads only to get conflicts between that and the one touch. (See my ss and you will see).

The true result sadly doesn't have a good reputation for accuracy - so it's very possible that your meter is going to read lower than what the cat actually is.

If you are looking for inexpensive - many have used the Walmart Relion meters with ease and great success. I would recommend that meter over true results any day.

Vets don't have professional meters. There is no such thing. It's possible your vet is using an alphatrak or other animal meter. Again - there is no proof that this meter is any better than a human meter.

Did you and the vet test at the same time, with the same poke sample? If you tested prior to going to vet and then vet tested at a different time, yes you are going to get different readings. Vet stress, car ride, etc. all can cause the BG to rise.

If you tested at same time - I'd bet you the large variance would be due to the fact you have a crappy meter (sorry had to say it).

It is normal to get a 20% variance between meters using same sample.

hope this helps. PS - you can return the meter to rite aid and get a refund - I got mine at walgreens and returned it and the strips.

 

One probable reason for the higher vet number is that just being at the vets tends to raise BG. Regarding the 37, many cats can have a BG of 37 and have no symptoms of low BG.

 

Vet stress.........I had one cat test at 384 and she was not a diabetic cat. Reli-On for inexpensive meter and OTU for a good meter. I only use the One Touch Ultra, not the mini, and that is all I will use. You could test before the vet visit, at the vet, and right after the vet has taken blood and that blood is sent out to either IDEXX or Antech.....not what the vets machine says.. Then, and this is only after weeks on insulin and number gathering, run a fructosamine.

 

Most vets have in-house blood chemistry machines. They are very frequently used and would be termed to be "professional" meters.
Do you know how Sabrina's BG was determined by the vet?
As I previously have discussed many times, there are significant differences between human and feline blood that should result in animal-specific meter such as the AlphaTrack being more accurate than human meters. However, human meters are accurate enough for use with a diabetic cat.

Hillary & Maui wrote:
Snip
Vets don't have professional meters. There is no such thing. It's possible your vet is using an alphatrak or other animal meter. Again - there is no proof that this meter is any better than a human meter.
Snip

 

My cats-only private practice vet uses a human glucometer for testing her patients. She does draw blood from a vein - not capillary.

Stress can really raise the BG.

I am not familiar with your meter, but I highly recommend the Maxima AST from www.hocks.com

 

When BA was at vet's they tested my meter against there and it very small difference. Since you are getting feedback your meter may have lower reliability, can you consider another meter and compare results at the vets?

 

I did test her today right before going to the vet and she was at 194. At the vet she was at 314. At least the 4 was similar :lol: My vet is using a meter that is for cats/dogs-I saw it yesterday (sorry, he didn't say "professional" meter, I couldn't think of a better way to explain his-more expensive? ;-) ). I wouldn't have thought that I could return an opened meter/blood strips but I think after this lesson I'm going to give it a shot. Thanks Hillary & Maui for that advice and to everyone else for the help. I'll take a look at costs of the one's you all suggested (and reputability on this forum's website) and go from there.

Have a great weekend with your furry loved one's

 

I have tried three different meters, Relion ultima, Relion Micro and Free style lite. I have brought all three with me to the vet and had the Tech check their in-house readings against the meters using the same blood sample, all have a huge difference. It must be stress, there is no other explanation.
Terri

 

I browsed around and decided to go with the Maxima AST over at Hocks (I also like that they help this website). The meter and test strips were only $33 combined. Off to Rite Aid to get my money back. :mrgreen:

Terri & Tananda-I'm beginning to think that these meters are like bathroom scales. They're never the same from scale to scale and of course the one at the doctor's office is always the "correct" one. As long as this one's closer to the vet's than the p.o.j. (piece of junk or other similar abbreviation) True result meter I'll be happy. Well, looks like Sabrina gets a reprieve from poking this weekend. Why poke her when the meter is that out of whack? I don't think she'll complain too much drinking24

Thanks again everyone.