Newbie Glucose Monitor Questions - Freestyle Lite

My vet recommended I look for an AlphaTrak 2, but since I can't afford that right now, I had a friend give me an unused Freestyle Lite. I have NO idea how these things work at all in the first place. I also noticed my vet had given me a number to calibrate the AlphaTrak for cats, if I had been able to get it..... Does the human meter need a code? I'm sure there's some sort of resource somewhere for this meter but I do t know where to look yet.

I DO know I'm losing an opportunity to collect valuable data on where Alice is at. I moved her to friskies/fancy feast pates after some research and the fact that she hated her Purina DM. Now she's actually eating. <3

We are pretty low income at the moment and just trying to do what we can on our own, between vet visits. My work schedule has flexibility and I have roommate help and support so I will be able to test her multiple times a day, and I'm not sure I know what the best times are yet, either.

Thanks for any/all responses.

 

Your vet gave you a number to use on the AlphaTrak? There is a code on every vial of strips, and you have to use that code with those strips. Sounds like your vet may not realize that.

A lot of people here use human meters, so that is more than fine. I don't use one, and I don't know which ones require coding, so I'll leave that for someone with some knowledge to answer.

As far as when to test, you will want to test before every shot to make sure it is safe to give the shot. You will also want to get in mid-cycle test when you can to see what impact the insulin is having. If you can do one or two during each cycle, varying the times, you can accumulate enough data to help with dosing decisions.

 

Oh, and if you are home testing, you really do not need regular vet visits for them to do the testing. So, that will save you money!

 

First of all kudos for deciding to home test Alice. Your glucometer is the best tool you have to keep Alice safe and get her on the road to better health.
Here is a link to a website with the user manual for all the Freestyle meters. https://www.myfreestyle.com/product-manuals

The human meter does not need a code. You simply insert the strip which automatically turns the meter on. All you do is wait for the little blood drop icon to appear on the screen and then you can add blood to the strip and it will read the sample and display the result a few seconds later.

You will need lancets and strips for the meter and most pharmacies will have them. The freestyle lancets are 28 gauge which is good for beginning testing.

HERE is a link to hometesting tips and tricks. If you have any problems at all, just holler and we'll get you going in short order.

Normal glucose range using the human meter is 50 to 120.

I'm a bit surprised the vet gave you a number to code an AT2 (AlphaTrak) meter because the code on that meter would need to be changed for each new vial of strips.

 

When I asked my vet what I could do on my own, this is what she wrote down for me:

 

Oops. Photo:

 

Good thing you didn't buy an AlphaTrak and strips and just punch in 37. You have to check every vial of strips for the correct cat code for that vial.

I will give your vet some credit though. There are vets that tell people NOT to home test, so she gets points for telling you to test.

 

I suppose it's possible that your vet has only seen code 37 but I think that's a long shot. We know of at least 6 other cat codes for the AT2 meter and strips here on this forum.

I agree with FurBabiesMama that at least the vet told you to test and would also give the vet kudos for at least giving you numbers to aim for even if they are a bit higher than what we would consider ideal here with use of the AT2 meter.

 

She encouraged me and was happy that I asked about it, even if I just did one midday test each day. I guess a lot of people don't even bother. My vet office has been wonderful compared to the place I went to previously where the vet always tried to upsell me on Hill's SD which I already knew was full of corn etc. No cat needs that!

I think the numbers she gave me to shoot for are starting numbers. Like, "at least this is better than the 400" or so she was testing at at the vet. She knows my financial situation stinks right now, so we are going a bit slowly and just trying to do what all we can. She honestly didn't even charge me for my last visit/consult.


So one thing I don't understand from your explanation on how to use it (which was really great, btw), is you put the strip in, then the meter turns on?? I always thought you collected the blood onto a strip first....?
My friend did have a ton of trips and lancets that came with it, so I'm prepared there for awhile, thankfully.

 

The friend who gave me the meter also sent me this. Peak times for insulin effects, but this is for humans. She also said as far as she knew cats metabolized insulin more quickly sometimes?
I guess Novolin N is NPH here. So, with that in mind, where would be Alice's greatest risk of hitting her low point? She's so tiny and hasn't been able to do two meals a day only. I've been letting her finish her wet food meal through a few hours after it's brought out each time, but I don't give her a shot until she's had a bit to eat already, either. She gets a small snack in the middle of the day sometimes or at midnight if I'm up and giving the others healthy snacks too. Wet food for meals and snacks both, then that freeze dried chicken treat, or 1-1.5tsp or so of dry Purina DM for snacks also, because I have an almost full bag I don't know what to do with.

 

Your friend is correct. Cats do have a faster metabolism than humans so while NPH can last beyond 12 hrs in humans, it frequently does't last a full 12 hours in cats. Onset of insulin action can be almost immediate or may not start till about 2 hours post shot. The peak or nadir can be anytime between 2 and 6 hours with most occurring in the 3 to 5 hours post shot. Every cat is different and it's important to do some testing in the first half of the 12 hour cycle to determine how your cat reacts and try to determine when she usually reaches her lowest point in the cycle. It's also a good idea to always test before bed so you are collecting some night time data and are sure Alice is not dropping too much or too fast before you hit the pillow.

It's a good idea with Novolin to have your cat eat and then wait at least 30 minutes or even an hour before giving the insulin to ensure there is food being metabolized when the insulin starts to take effect. Leaving food out for her to eat later during the cycle is fine. Most of us feed our cats several small meals per day which seems to be the routine you have developed already.

The DM dry food is too high in carbs so if you can sort things out such that your other cats eat it instead of Alice, it will help get her BG down with the least amount of insulin. Do be careful withdrawing it though as lowering carb intake can cause a significant change in BG and insulin needs in some cats. I'd suggest you get somewhat proficient at testing before removing the dry food completely from the picture.

Inserting an unused strip into the meter will automatically turn it on. Putting a strip with a blood sample on it will result in an error message on the display screen. Make sure the strips you have are not past their expiry date if the kits been in storage for awhile. While the strips may be fine, if they are long past their expiry date, they may or may not read accurately which could be dangerous by giving you inaccurate readings.