Blood Glucose Testing Tips

[We Hope]

This is part of the video demos for the Alpha Trak meter. What's interesting here is that the video shows you how to obtain a blood sample from a dog on not just the ear, but also shows the lip stick and callus stick methods.

http://www.alphatrakmeter.com/en_US/en_US/video/obtaining_blood_sample_video.html

[We Hope]

We have links to pages for the following test areas too:

http://www.caninediabetes.org/pdorg/lip_stick.htm

Inner Lip

http://www.caninediabetes.org/pdorg/outside_lip_stick.htm

Outer Lip

http://www.caninediabetes.org/pdorg/tail_testing.htm

Base of Tail

http://www.caninediabetes.org/pdorg/leg_callous_stick.htm

Callus Stick

http://www.caninediabetes.org/pdorg/nail_prick.htm

Nailbed Stick

[We Hope]

Some blood glucose testing links: :)

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2002.221.389?prevSearch=allfield%3A%28diabet es%29

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
August 1, 2002, Vol. 221, No. 3, Pages 389-392
doi: 10.2460/javma.2002.221.389

Comparison of glucose concentrations in blood samples obtained with a marginal ear vein nick technique versus from a peripheral vein in healthy cats and cats with diabetes mellitus

Melanie D. Thompson, DVM Susan M. Taylor, DVM, DACVIM Vicki J. Adams, DVM, MS Cheryl L. Waldner, DVM, PhD Edward C. Feldman, DVM, DACVIM
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5B4. (Thompson, Taylor); Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5B4. (Adams, Waldner); Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616. (Feldman)

"Objective—To compare blood glucose (BG) concentrations measured with a portable blood glucose meter in blood samples obtained with a marginal ear vein (MEV) nick technique, from a peripheral venous catheter, and by direct venipuncture in healthy cats and cats with diabetes mellitus.

"Design—Prospective study.

"Animals—10 healthy cats and 11 cats with diabetes mellitus.

"Procedure—On day 1, blood samples were collected every hour for 10 hours by the MEV nick technique and from a peripheral venous catheter. On day 2, blood samples were collected every hour for 10 hours by the MEV nick technique and by direct venipuncture of the medial saphenous vein.

"Results—For all cats, mean BG concentration for samples collected by the MEV nick technique was not significantly different from mean concentration for samples obtained from the peripheral venous catheter. For healthy cats, mean BG concentration for samples collected by the MEV nick technique was not significantly different from mean concentration for samples obtained by direct venipuncture. For cats with diabetes mellitus, mean BG concentration for samples collected by the MEV nick technique was significantly different from mean concentration for samples obtained by direct venipuncture; however, for the range of concentrations examined, this difference was not clinically important.

"Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggest that for the range of concentrations examined, the MEV nick technique is a reasonable alternative to venous blood collection for serial measurement of BG concentrations in cats. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002; 221:389–392)"

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=5336

Blood glucose monitoring
Sep 1, 2001
By: Diane Monsein Levitan, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE

"There is a trend developing in veterinary medicine: using a blood glucose meter designed for human diabetics as a simple, rapid, pain-free method of getting immediate and accurate blood sugars on diabetic pets. The advantages of such a technique are clear: the pet is in its natural home environment, thus diminishing the role of stress on blood glucose values. Samples can be obtained easily in dogs and cats using a device purchased in any pharmacy by performing a simple ear stick technique to obtain a blood sample. Repeated sampling is easily performed. The results are a true measure of blood glucose at the time of the test (Proceedings of the 19th ACVIM Forum, Abstract #100)."

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=522833&sk=&date=&%0A%09%09%09&pageID=3

10 simple but essential tests
Jun 1, 2008
By: Alice A. Huang, VMD, Barrak Pressler, DVM, DACVIM
VETERINARY MEDICINE SUPPLEMENT

8 At-home glucometer use

"Glucometers can now be routinely used for at-home monitoring of diabetic patients. At-home testing is advantageous because stress-induced increases in blood glucose concentrations are especially a concern in hospitalized cats and may confound the results of in-hospital glucose curves. Such results may prompt inappropriate increases in insulin dose, potentially resulting in hypoglycemic crises or the Somogyi effect. Most owners are able to easily perform blood glucose curves at home, and the results are as effective for managing diabetic patients as glucose curves performed in the hospital.9"

9. Reusch CE, Kley S, Casella M. Home monitoring of the diabetic cat. J Feline Med Surg 2006;8(2):119-127.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16325445?dopt=Abstract

Link is to the PubMed abstract of the cited article.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16187716

Retrospective study of owners’ perception on home monitoring of blood glucose in diabetic dogs and cats
I. Van de Maele, N. Rogier, and S. Daminet
Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
Can Vet J. 2005 August; 46(8): 718–723

[We Hope]

http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/lo-fi/t-35747.html

Some people with diabetes report that they're able to tell whether they're running higher or lower by the "thickness" or "thinness" of their blood when they take a sample. Are you able to predict whether your dog's bg's will be higher or lower on the basis of this?

Kathy

[k9diabetes]

I could definitely tell a difference in the consistency of the blood when the glucose was on the high side.

[fatdog55]

To some degree Kathy...
but to be honest, I always thought it was my mind playing tricks.
It seemed that the thinner the droplet, the lower the reading.
Paul

[peggy0]

I notice it with Forbin absolutely. If I immediately get a nice big blob, he's high. If I have to look for it and milk it out, he's much lower.

[Fishslayer]

I've noticed that Lucy's blood varies but haven't really paid much attention to high or low.

I can guess sometimes by how easily I get the drop, tho. If it gushes right out I know I'm probly going to see a low reading. But usually I spot that from the way she's acting anyway.

Rick