Precision Xtra ™ Blood Glucose and Ketone Monitor

The Precision Xtra glucose and ketone monitor is produced by Medisense, a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories.  To measure glucose and ketones, you need two separate sticks to collect blood. The glucose is measured with a “sipping” or “sucking” strip and requires 2.5 microliters of blood.  The ketone strips are not “sipping.”

On the websites listed below, you may view a video demonstration of how to obtain results.  The meter stores up to 450 test results with date and time in its memory and provides average blood glucose results for the last 7, 14, and 28 days on the display.  Blood glucose results can be downloaded to an office or home computer with Precision Link® software. (Precision Link sold separately.)

Several Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB) members use the Precision Xtra and have the following comments:

• Medisense USA has NO information about using it with cats and ketone testing (or any that they are willing to admit they have)
• Medisense will not assist in interpreting ketone test results.
• The ketone test strips are VERY expensive. Current price at DiabeticPromotions.com is US$27.95 for a box of 8 ketone test strips (or approximately US$3.50 per strip).
• There is no documentation that I can find anywhere that indicates whether the ranges for humans with ketones are or are not valid for cats.
• I can tell you that 0 is 0 and that the high end is also correct. As to the middle, anyone's guess.
• I have mine solely for emergency type use. That is, if I think Nikita may be ketotic and cannot get a urine test. It is too expensive for most of us to use it as a regular test.

Relevant links:

www.medisense.dk

www.medisense.com

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Updated October 2005