Glucose Meter Opinions + Update

I was able to take my boy to a different vet today and it went pretty well. The vet has asked me to keep Mus on the same diet that I currently have him on (Friskie's Pate, at around 177 and 179kcal/can) and take two weeks to do a curve for him. After that we can discuss changing his diet to Fancy Feast and what insulin/dose he should be receiving. I'll have to purchase a pet glucose meter so that the doctor can get more exact numbers to work with, but that's fine with me right now. The more accurate for the doctor, the better. He used a meter called iPet. Any opinions on using that meter versus something like AlphaTrak?

At his visit with the vet last week, his results came up to about 500+. The follow up appointment, I was told that his levels were around 450+. Today at this new vet his levels were at 288. So significantly lower than they were before! Since Saturday I've also put him on a wet only diet (I still have dry food around just in case: Meow Mix and Hill's) and try to get him to exercise more by running around the house with his toy. Although this vet also wanted to prepare me for the low chance of remission, I'm still holding on to hope.

When New Vet mentioned wanting to do a urine test he said that last week's vet's records show that they wanted to do a urine test and that I had rejected it. I was fuming because this is completely untrue. Last Week's Vet never mentioned wanting to do that at all. And, I would never reject a test that'll tell me how an organ is doing, especially if he's just been diagnosed with diabetes. I have my gripes with last week's vet (as I've expressed in a previous post), but this is just bad. I hope that something like this doesn't happen to anyone else.

On that note, I'm trying to order a meter within the day (probably from Chewy). Has anyone had experience with iPet vs AlphaTrak?

 

Your previous post for continuity
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/just-diagnosed.272962/#post-3035600

 

Glad you found a new vet
Oh I would have a few choice words for that last vet you saw
One thing usually when you tap on a members name to the left it will say Profile and also all your postings so we can go back and look at them if needed.
When I tap on your this is what comes up
Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB - Error
This member limits who may view their full profile.

Maybe you have to change something in your settings
Go tap on mine the pic of Tyler to the left and you will see what I mean

 

Thanks for letting me know! Should be fixed now!

 

Perfect!
Looking at the I pet pro meter from chewey it only comes with 25 test strips
You are going to need a lot more , especially you have to order then on line ,you don't want to run out , unless your vet sells
They are pretty expensive
The test strips from Chewy are 28.95 for only 25 test strips


Here's the Alpha Trak 2 meter kit from Chewy
https://www.chewy.com/alphatrak-2-blood-glucose-monitoring/dp/173361

https://www.chewy.com/alphatrak-2-blood-glucose-test-strips/dp/173359
51.99 from chewy for only 50 strips
If you vet sells them they will probably be expensive


Both meters are specifically for pets, so they are basically the same , you need to look on the vials , they will have a code on it which you will then have to put that same code on the meter

Most of us use human meters , before pet meters came out that's what was used
I used to you the Alpha Trak 2 when I first joined , the strips became too expensive so I told my vet I could no longer afford the and I was going to switch to a human meter.
She was fine with it

You can always use the pet meter when you vet wants you to do a curve and send it to him and use the human meter on your spreadsheet when you get it set up
If you are interested in a human meter just ask me and I'll give you the info

 

Did the new vet you saw tell you what insulin he will be prescribing ? I hope it's not Novolin or Vetsulin. I read on your previous post it was Novolin from the first vet you saw

I don't know if you saw my post that I posted on your intro post about generic Lantus
You can have the vet write the script for generic lantus ,many members use it
Here is some info
Check this out also
https://www.goodrx.com/insulin-glargine?dosage=five-3ml-prefilled-pens-of-100-units-ml&form=carton&label_override=insulin glargine&quantity=1
The 5 pens will last about a year, we use the pens just like a vial, you would just insert the syringe it the gray rubber stopper on the pen and draw out your insulin
Its generic lantus



Or this one also

I see some members will call CVS, Rite Aid, Costco, Walgreen's, to get the price for 5 pens
Posted by another member
One members posted this
. I paid $175 for a box of 5 pens at Walmart pharmacy, but GoodRX coupon says you can get it for around $90 if you have a Rite Aid pharmacy near you.

@Cat Mom97

When you see someone responds to your posts can you tap the like word to the left just so we know you saw it. Thanks

 

Just to let you know it took me 2 years and 4 months to get Tyler in remission, and he's been in remission since 1-24-21. So don't give up hope no matter what the vet said! With the experts here and taking their advice I don't think Tyler would be in remission today ( knock on wood )

 

Yeah, the cost is worrying me. I know that things will cost a lot more in the beginning while I'm getting things together, but it's getting to be a lot. I thought that perhaps I could find someone selling an old pet glucose meter, but I can't find any. There's also now the added worry (and maybe this is just me being paranoid) that the iPet meter gives inaccurate readings. Being that it was the meter used on my boy today, I'm now a little worried that he possibly didn't get a good reading.

We discussed the insulin briefly and he mentioned that it [Lantus] was more expensive and, sometimes, it's not in stock. Although he did agree that it was good. I could probably get him to prescribe it if I insisted. But again, the costs of everything are overwhelming me at this moment.

 

Lantus or insulin glargine can last 6 months to a year (or the expiration date on it) depending on the dose that your kitty is on. So in the long run it's really not that expensive, just make sure you keep it refrigerated. I keep mine on the second shelf from the top in a Tupperware container. You don't want to keep it on the top shelf because it may possibly freeze & than it's no good. I think the most expensive thing about having a diabetic cat is the test strips. I have the Relion Premier which takes the cheapest strips, but I am a bit of a test aholic LOL it's part of my OCD

 

I just found 2 Alpha Trak 2 Pet meters that I had put away. You can have them for free, you will just need to buy the test strips.
I would only use it when your vet wants you to do a curve since the strips are too expensive to use every day. Yoiu will be testing at least 6 times a day even more if needed. I also have extra batteries for them

I assume you live in the US?
If so I would go to Walmart and pick up the Relion Premier Classic Meter for 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 test strips
Most of us use this one, me too
Our numbers are based on human meters anyway
When you get everything and set up your spreadsheet and start testing , when the vet asks you for a curve you can just note that on your spreadsheet in the remarks section used Alpha Trak to give vet the numbers
If you want the meters just start a conversation with me ,give me your address and I will send them up to you

@Cat Mom97

 

I just found this also posted by one of our members
I assume you just Google GoodRX coupon for pets
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...reens-w-the-right-coupon.266123/#post-2979044
Tap on the blue link above
The vial should last up to 6 months depending on the dose


https://www.goodrx.com/pets

 

I'm sorry for getting back to you so late, I've had some things come up but I'll be sure to PM you! For a curve I have to test them 6 times a day? I was told by my vet to test him just before his meals (twice a day). If need be, I'll ask him tomorrow about testing more often. Thank you so much!

 

Hi
First off your vet is wrong by telling you to only test before his meals
You need to get at least 1 or 2 more tests after the AM shot and the PM shot or else how would you know how the insulin is working for Mus and how low he's dropping
We adjust the doses by how low they drop , not by the pre shots
When you find out what insulin you will be getting we can give you more detailed information
God forbid he dropped to low and you didn't test him and he had a hypo and god forbid died

Now the curve yes you have to test every 2 hours for 12 hours

Example this would be if you were to use lantus
Say you test at 7AM and 7 PM
Test , feed then give insulin


9:00 AM test
11:00 AM test
1:00 PM test
3:00 PM test
5:00 PM test
7:00 PM PMPS test


If you get let's say Vetsulin You would have to wait 30 minutes after he's done eating to give the insulin because with vetsulin he needs food in his stomach because Vetsulin hits hard and fast. ( with lantus it takes about 2 hours for it to kick in )
Let's cross that bridge later

But believe me your vet doesn't know what he's talking about I'm sorry
@Cat Mom97

 

He's not using insulin at the moment. The vet said that we could discuss this at our next appointment (after I do a curve), but right now I think he wants a baseline or something for how his levels usually are before meals. Is that not the right way to go about it? Rather than do 2 hours apart testing for 12 hours in a day, he's asking for twice a day before meal times for two weeks.

 

I'm going to tag a few members for you about this
@Bron and Sheba (GA)

@Suzanne & Darcy

@Wendy&Neko

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

@tiffmaxee

@Bandit's Mom

Hi Ladies her cat is not on any insulin as of yet , she should have a meter by Monday , Tuesday the latest. The vet she is with right now insisted on a pet meter. I had one when I first joined here then of course switched to the human meter so I just mailed out the Alpha Team to her today. I know funds are tight for her so I mentioned in her intro post to go buy the Relion human meter and use that and only use the pet meter if the vet wants her to send him a curve
I don't know if she can even afford the generic lantus , I gave her information about it on her intro post .

If you go back to her intro post , I'll link it again her vet wants to start with 3 units of Novolin , her signature says feeding Friskies Pate
Don't think she should wait 2 weeks before starting any type of insulin

Previous post intro post
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/just-diagnosed.272962/#post-3035600

Thanks ladies

 

Bump

 

I'm going to tag a few members for you about this
@Bron and Sheba (GA)

@Suzanne & Darcy

@Wendy&Neko

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

@tiffmaxee

@Bandit's Mom
Hi ladies don't know if you got the tags please see post # 15 Thank you

 

To be honest, if you need to be attentive to costs, do not use a pet meter. The strips cost about $1.00 each. The cost for the strips for a Relion meter is about $0.17 and for most other human meters, they run about $0.25 each. I'm fairly certain that vets have no idea the cost of what they are suggesting. Further, should the vet prescribe Lantus (glargine), the original research on its use for feline diabetes involved testing using a human meter. I've attached the article should you need to bring it to your vet.

As for the availability of Lantus, the brand name is available everywhere. It's a very popular human insulin and there's likely not a pharmacy around that doesn't keep it in stock. If you want to get the generic/biosimilar (i.e., glargine), you may need to call around to see which pharmacies carry it. There is a BIG difference in price. Before the biosimilar was available, many people here ordered their insulin from Canada so that's also an option.

I'm still a bit concerned that your cat hasn't been started on insulin. The numbers are high enough to warrant insulin. If you're not already doing so, please test for ketones. You can pick up Ketostix or the equivalent at any pharmacy. Ketones can be life threatening. Testing for ketones is a good preventative measure especially if your cat is in higher numbers.

 

I think I'll have to use one at least for the tests I'm asked to do by the doctor. Diane has been kind enough to send her pet meters , so when they come in I'll be using those for any testing that my vet requires. Since I'll be seeking guidance here, I don't mind using a human meter for the day to day (although I'm still not familiar with how it all works). I don't know that the doctor has ever used human meters, but he's been pretty good about even letting me keep a cheaper over-the-counter diet (whereas the other vets wouldn't stop pushing the Hills and Royal Canin). If at any point I feel like he's not taking my concerns into account, I'll go elsewhere. For now he's pretty promising. I'll bring up the article too (thank you)!

I'll be sure to discuss the glargine at our next visit. He did say it was good, I think he was just more concerned about the cost and availability of it.

Mus hasn't shown any signs as far as I've observed. He's significantly improved since eating wet food only. I want him to be on a Fancy Feast classic pate diet, but my vet wants me to keep the Friskies diet the same while I'm testing him. He said that changing diets is something else we can discuss during our next visit. (I've made sure to keep in mind that protein needs to be 50% and up, fats 40% and lower, and carbs 10% and lower. If there's anything else I've missed, please let me know!)

 

@Cat Mom97
Feeding the Friskies Pate is just fine Here is our food chart and you will see that the Friskies Pates are low carb
Most feed 6% or under besides I'm pretty sure the Friskies are cheaper than the fancy feast
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

Be sure to have these at home for your hypo kit in case you have to bring Mus's BG numbers up



Such as
med and high carb wet food and some honey?


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Grav
20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about the med and high carb foods
And some honey in the house

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-

Between 11% and 17% is medium carbs.

18% and over is high carb.

 

If you read that article that Sienne attached, one of the interesting notes from that study is that the sooner you can get a cat regulated once they are diabetic, the much greater the chances that they can go into remission. Should that be one of your goals with Mus. Getting a cat regulated means starting insulin, for a cat seeing Mus' type of numbers.

I think most of us got pretty good at listening to the vet, and learning the "I'll take that into consideration" or smile and nod. Mus is your cat, your vet isn't there when you feed him. From a diabetes point of view, there isn't much difference from the Friskies or the Fancy Feast, as long as you stick to the low carb ones.

My vet was using a human meter when I started here, we used to compare best places to get cheap test strips. The vast majority of members here, and frankly vets were also using human meters. About a year later, the company that made the Alphatrak started marketing it heavily to vets. My vet said to me "I have an AT, I don't suppose you are interested in switching". We laughed together. The other thing about the AT, the test strips are only available online or from the vet. If you suddenly find yourself short on test strips, it's best to have a human meter around, so you can still get test strips quickly at a local pharmacy.

 

I've made sure to have honey on hand, but I'll have to visit the nearest store and get him the higher carb wet food too. Thank you for the suggestions!

When I last checked the list, the Friskies pate (at least the ones he's eating) were higher in fat than they were in protein, so that's why I wanted to make a change (more protein and less fat). He's about 15 pounds right now, but the doctors have wanted to gradually get him down to 13 or 12. So far he's been eating the seafood pates and under 180 calories like the doctor recommended. Though I've gone from feeding him 1 can a day (in halves) to 2 cans (1 per meal, vet said so).

Yeah, that's why I'll be discussing the information I've learned here with him and let him know off the bat that I'll be using a pet meter for the results that he needs and a human one for regular usage with the forum.


Could anyone direct me to a post that explains how human glucose meters work as far as using them to test felines and how the dosing works for the forum in relation to that? I'd like to discuss it at the next appointment.

 

Human meters work exactly the same as pet meters insofar as how to test your cat. The difference between the meters is in how they are calibrated. If you look at the article I linked, they note there is an 18 point difference in where the point for a dose reduction is set. The difference gets larger the higher the blood glucose level is but no one has ever done the math to know what the formula is to translate between a human meter vs a pet meter (or vice versa). That 18 point difference is relevant only for cats that are prescribed Lantus (glargine) and if you are following the Tight Regulation Protocol for dosing. If you are using a different insulin, it won't matter. If your vet isn't familiar with the Tight Regulation Protocol, it won't matter either.

 

Then you can look on the food chart I sent above you and see what you can find.
If your get thinks his ideal weight should be 12 lbs
. A good rule of thumb for daily calorie intake is 20 x ideal weight.
So it would be 12 x 20= 240 calories a day
Plus the vet is wring in telling you only feed twice a day. Old school thinking
Feed the bigger meal in the AM and PM after you test him then you can split up the rest of the cans and give him 2 tables say around +3 ( 3 hours after giving insulin and +5 ( 5 hours after giving insulin some members even feed more than that

One other thing we don't like to feed an all seafood diet because of mercury
We like to feed it only maybe twice a week
Here is the food chart again
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
See what you can find there
Plus once they get used to an all seafood diet they might not like anything else

too much seafood because it is not recommended due to high levels of mercury and other chemicals in the kinds of fish used in cat food.

 

I guess what I'm asking is what range do we normally look for in a cat for human meters? I'm sorry if that sounds like a dumb question, I'm still new to everything and it's a lot of information to take in. When reading the article I get a little mixed up with the measurements and dosages. I'm trying my best to learn more and keep up with everything.

Yes, I'd seen and I was worried about that. Unfortunately, options are sometimes limited at the grocery store (I've read that poultry dishes are the best diet). I'm also worried about getting him dishes like the shreds and those other ones that come in gravy as I don't know if they'll be the best. I'll have to take a closer look at the list while I'm at the store tomorrow.

There is so much that I'm not used to. Looking so close at the labels, the measuring, the calculating, etc. I'm really out of my element. With everything I learn, I realize there's so much more I don't know. But, the sooner I can understand and get into a new routine, the better Mus and I will feel.

 

No dumb questions, we all had to learn this when new.

Non diabetic cats will generally test in the 50-80 range, some as low as the upper 40's, and normal usually includes up to 120 with a human meter.

 

Thank you! I really appreciate it! I'll look at the spreadsheet post again and be sure to show the vet how they look so he can understand what it is I'll be doing from home. Once the pet meter and strips come in (since I need to do testing twice a day for two weeks), I'll also post those results here.

 

Have you looked at the Weruva Pates
One of our members put this together low carb and low phosphorous which is good for the kidneys
weruva has low carb and low phospherous wet food
With weruva foods
You want the metabolizable energy profile percentage of carbs to be less than 10%, and the phosphorus which Weruva lists in Minerals to be less than 250 mg per 100 cals. So you have to look at two different places in the Weruva charts.
https://weruva.com
Will also give the protein and fat %


For diabetic cats and cats that have elevated kidney values
You want to feed low phosphorous wet food

When you go to the weruva site and click on one of the pics of the food , click on Detailed Nutrition information that is under guaranteed analysis to the left
YOU WANT CARBS UNDER 10% AND PHOSPHORUS IDEALLY LOW 200's OR LESS

Here is a list that one of our members posted ,if Bear likes pates

I don't know if the BFF play weruva pate is on the list your looking at or not. I wrote down the protein carbs & phosphorus #s in a notebook.
BFF play chicken Checkmate
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 129%
BFF play chicken & turkey topsy turvy
Protein 32%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 129%
BFF play chicken cherish
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 135%
BFF chicken & turkey tiptoe
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 136%
BFF chicken duck & turkey take a chance
Protein 32%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 149%
BFF play chicken & lamb laugh out loud
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 154%
BFF play chicken & duck destiny
Protein 32%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 165%
BFF play chicken & beef best buds
Protein 33%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 171%
Don't know if your kitty likes pate but here is the list of the BFF line.

You can also check out weruva cats in the kitchen pates
https://weruva.com/nutrition-landing/pates-ni/

 

Just an FYI -

You really need to test more than twice a day. The minimum number of tests is 4. You want to test at both AM and PM pre-shot times. You also want to get at least one test during both the AM and PM cycles so you know how low the numbers are dropping.

 

Perhaps we're going about it the wrong way, but my vet wants me to test him twice daily (before meals). I think this is so that he can get a measure of what Mus's levels are usually like and then he can prescribe a dose? I just tested him a moment ago with the pet meter and it says that his levels are at 268 mg/dL. Just a little lower than his last visit (288).

Thank you! I didn't know about these brands and they look really good! I've heard that most people also use a brand called Tiki Cat. Ideally I'd like to get him these foods, but for now I have to settle for brands like Fancy Feast or Friskies (more affordable for me at this time). Though, going off the list, it looks like most of the FF and Friskies are high in phosphorus.

 

I understand about the cost. Yes the FF and Friskues are higher in phosphorus.

 

In your post here you said
Mus is going to be taking Novolin now every 12 hours after meals.
We all suggested generic Lantus and gave you some links to get it cheaper
If you can't afford it , you said finances were tough at least ask your vet for Vetsulin, not the best for cats, made for digs but I think it would be better than Novolin
I think it would cost the same amount as Novlin.
I do know it's affordable though

From your post
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/just-diagnosed.272962/#post-3035600


If you do get Novolin you have to wait an hour after he's done eating and then give insulin
With Vetsulin you need to wait 30 minutes after he's done eating then give the insulin

I would read about Novolin here, you will need U-100 syringes with half unit markings

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-humulin-n-novolin-n-nph.231593/


You can read about Vetsulin here. You would need U-40 syringes with half unit markings
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.231587/

 

I apologize for the confusion! The previous vet (the one who diagnosed him, but wouldn't listen to my concerns) prescribed the Novolin, but I have only used it once. Currently, he is not on insulin as I am testing him and waiting for the new vet to prescribe one at a different dosage.

 

If your vet is wanting to get baseline numbers before starting insulin, getting readings before you've fed Mus makes sense. This would be the equivalent of your pre-shot number. Just keep in mind that dosing decisions are typically based on how low the insulin brings your cat's numbers. With most insulin, we suggest a starting dose of 0.5u providing your cat is on a low carb diet. The rationale is that there is no way to know how your cat will respond to insulin. Some cats have a marked response and others don't. It always seems better on the caregiver's nerves to start at a lower dose and gradually and systematically increase the dose versus starting at a high dose, have your cat's numbers drop like a rock, and you have a panic attack!

 

I would also get BGs at about 4-6 hours after eating in addition to right before means. When not on insulin the lowest BG would be before eating and highest between eating since in diabetics BG rises after eating.

 

I'll be sure to keep that in mind! He's on a wet food only diet of Friskies right now, but I'm looking to change him to some of the Fancy Feast (there seems to be more variety and higher level of protein vs fat). I was happy that his levels were much lower (288) on our last vet visit. First home test was 268 mg/dL, but these last two were 412 and 370. At the first home test he didn't know what to expect so he didn't fuss much, but these last two times he's been a little more difficult so I'm wondering if it's possibly gone up due to stress.

 

There's no way to know if it's stress or not. I would, however, encourage you to test for ketones given that you're seeing higher numbers. Ketones can be a life threatening condition so testing for them, especially if a cat is experiencing higher BG numbers, is a very good preventative measures. You can get Ketostix (or their equivalent) at any pharmacy.

I also agree with what Larry suggested with one proviso. If Mus' pancreas is working, you may see somewhat lower numbers a several hours after a meal. Food stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin and BG numbers can drop. Numbers typically rise for the first 1 - 2 hours after a meal, although it can depend on whether you're using a fast-acting or longer lasting insulin.

 

I've been having a difficult time with testing. The first time he wasn't so bothered, but now he won't stop trying to get away. Ideally, I'd like to test him more than twice a day (especially when it's time to give him insulin), but I think right now he's at his limit and I don't want to overwhelm him. I've bought a small pack of Sheba meat sticks (I'll only be giving him a little piece after testing), to see if he'll grow at least a little more comfortable with letting me test. This morning the meter said he was at 121 mg/dL. Is it normal for glucose to change so drastically like that when not on insulin?

 

To offer a larger context, a non-diabetic human can have swings in their BG numbers. Think about how you may feel if you haven't eaten for a long time. Some people become hypoglycemic. It can be especially noticeable if you've eaten something high in carbs and then skip a meal because you had a high carb/high calorie "snack." The numbers are influenced by food, especially carbs, stress, illness, etc. and there can be swings.