Use of A1c test on cats?

Has anyone here used a home product A1c test on his/her diabetic cat? Has anyone heard of anyone doing that?

Is it appropriate to use a home product A1c test on a diabetic cat? Is it reliable for a cat?

Thanks!!

Venita

 

The Mayo Clinic web site says the A1C test reflects your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. That's pretty much what a fructosamine test tells for a cat. If you're hometesting daily and keep a log of the numbers, then you shouldn't need a test to find out what your average bg level is.

My two cents :smile:

 

I know that a fructosamine test is the veterinary equivalent of the human A1c test, and that one shouldn't need an "averaging" test if they are monitoring BG levels on a consistent basis.

I am not aware that there is a home product fructosamine test, so I'm wondering whether any have tried (or heard of trying) a home product A1c test on their cat as an alternative to a fructosamine test.

 

I thought the fructosamine test was for the past two-thre weeks while the A1c was the past two to three months so went looking to see and found this http://www.labtestsonline.org/understan ... /test.html According to this, then why wouldn't an A1c be used for a cat to see how regulation had been over a longer period of time?

 

That's interesting. I didn't know the fructosamine was a test done on humans.

 

Venita,

I have used an at home HbA1c test on myself. It required a LOT of blood (had to prick my finger twice and still had difficulty getting enough, it was about 10 times the amount a One Touch Ultra requires). Plus, it was not very accurate. I took two tests the same day a few minute apart. One said 5.7% (average BG about 115) and the other 7.1 (average BG about 172)%. 5.7% is considered excellent control for humans and 7.1% is consider poor control, time to change meds.

This was about 4 years ago and the tests now require less blood, but everything I've read indicates that the devices that give you results immediately still have accuracy problems. The kits that have you collect blood and mail to a lab are more accurate, but the lab would probably notice the difference between human and cat blood.