ReliOn vs. AlphaTrak: My Vet's Opinion

[bambinaki]

Hi-
I switched from using the AlphaTrak to ReliOn to measure Maxi's glucose per the advice of folks here. However, when I reported this to my vet, and when I told her that his numbers were significantly lower with the ReliOn than the AlphaTrak, she said she trusts the AlphaTrak more.
In her office Monday, his glucose was 455mg/dL (range: 74-159).
Tuesday at home, his glucose before eating was 315 with AlphaTrak and 283 with ReliOn.
2 hours later, it was 380 with AlphaTrak and 254 with ReliOn.
Today, 2 hours after eating, it was 390 with AlphaTrak and 298 with ReliOn.

I'm worried that the ReliOn is giving numbers that are inaccurately low and will later cause me to give too little insulin.

NB: I didn't do the accuracy check with control solution with either meter. (Need to figure out how vs. lack of time has kept me from it.) The ReliOn that I got didn't come with the solution. The AlphaTrak did. Do I need to do that?

What do you think?

Thank you

 

[Teri & Disco NoFurNo (GA)]

Hi-
I switched from using the AlphaTrak to ReliOn to measure Maxi's glucose per the advice of folks here NB: I didn't do the accuracy check with control solution with either meter. (Need to figure out how vs. lack of time has kept me from it.) The ReliOn that I got didn't come with the solution. The AlphaTrak did. Do I need to do that?

I also started out with the AlphaTrak but because I often have to poke Disco multiple times, the dollar a strip cost was not going to be sustainable for me, so I switched to the ReliOn Prime and for a while, used both machines and recorded both results but that was driving me cuckoo and now I am comfortable with the numbers that the ReliOn gives me and have even tested my cats without diabetes as a control because the ReliOn doesn’t come with control solution but the monitir anual, it says you can order a bottle for free, I have yet to do that. At first, my vet was also reluctant to recommend The ReliOn but she came around and says it’s consistency that’s the most important and is fine with my spreadsheet and emails I send her once a week, in fact is very supportive and she has learned a lot she told me.

 

[JoyBee&Ravan]

I've been using the Relion Prime meter for nearly 2 yrs now. Never had a problem with it. The majority of people here use "human" meters.
The people that have been here a long time really know about diabetes.If you follow their advice it will all work out OK.

There's a lot of information in the yellow sticky notes. The more you learn the easier it will be to take care of your boys.

So sorry to read about your parents. I can see how your kitties are very special to you.

Remember to start a new post every day & put the date on it.

Good Luck to you

 

[AmandaE]

Hi Karen!

You’re right there can be a large difference in the readings between a pet meter and human meter, especially at higher BG levels. As BG levels get lower the differences between pet and human meters get smaller.

The dosing methods here were developed using a human meter, this, along with the price point are a couple of the reasons that a human meter is recommended. If you prefer a pet meter that is ok too, it’s up to you. Just keep in mind TR and SLGS were developed with Human meters, so dose changes have taken into consideration the fact that Human meters often give lower readings.

Whichever meter you do choose, I personally don’t recommend comparing numbers as there is no straight conversion or correlation between the two, you’ll drive yourself crazy! just pick one and go with it make sure that your spreadsheet mentions which type of meter you use

if price is a concern for you please mention it to your vet so that they can understand that you want to keep your pet safe and that it is just more affordable to use a human meter.

Re: giving too little insulin - I’m of the mind that it is better to give too little than too much

either way you’re awesome for taking on BG readings and treating sweet Maxi! Can’t wait to see how he comes along

welcome to the group

 

[bambinaki]

Thank you, Teri, JoyBee, and Amanda.
(Sounds like you have a great vet, Teri!)
But doesn't the 100+ difference in readings have a significant bearing on how much insulin to give? I mean if his number is consistently in the mid 300s, wouldn't that determine a higher insulin dose than if his number is consistently in the mid 200s?

 

[bambinaki]

Thank you, JoyBee, for your kind words about my parents and for reading Maxi's story in my profile.

You say to put the date on my posts, but isn't the date automatically there?
Do you mean I should put the date in the subject line?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Tuesday at home, his glucose before eating was 315 with AlphaTrak and 283 with ReliOn.
2 hours later, it was 380 with AlphaTrak and 254 with ReliOn.
Today, 2 hours after eating, it was 390 with AlphaTrak and 298 with ReliOn.

Adding onto the points above, our dosing methods were developed with human meters, cause up until a few years ago, that's all that anyone used. Then the manufacturers of the Alphatraxk started marketing it heavily to vets and now you see some of them like the AT. My vet used the Onetouch, she found it matched quite closely with the results from the lab.

In addition, manufacturers are allowed to read up to 20% out. That 315 on Tuesday on the AT could have been anywhere from 252 to 378. So the Relion number was nicely in that range. You will find similar results for the other tests you did. There is a wider range at higher numbers. However, where it really counts is the lower numbers, where the numbers are much closer. The number where we start feeding high carb food to prevent kitty from going any lower is 50 on a human meter, 68 on the AT.

If you use our dosing methodologies with the human meter, then those "lower" numbers are taken into consideration and you won't be giving too little insulin.

 

[bambinaki]

Adding onto the points above, our dosing methods were developed with human meters, cause up until a few years ago, that's all that anyone used. Then the manufacturers of the Alphatraxk started marketing it heavily to vets and now you see some of them like the AT. My vet used the Onetouch, she found it matched quite closely with the results from the lab.

In addition, manufacturers are allowed to read up to 20% out. That 315 on Tuesday on the AT could have been anywhere from 252 to 378. So the Relion number was nicely in that range. You will find similar results for the other tests you did. There is a wider range at higher numbers. However, where it really counts is the lower numbers, where the numbers are much closer. The number where we start feeding high carb food to prevent kitty from going any lower is 50 on a human meter, 68 on the AT.

If you use our dosing methodologies with the human meter, then those "lower" numbers are taken into consideration and you won't be giving too little insulin.

Thank you