|
|
 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
  
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I'm interested in the experience of people who have used glucometers for testing sugars in their insulin dependent diabetic dogs. Has anyone used human glucometers, or do you have to get one that is designed for dogs? I would think a human glucometer would work. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 29
| We use a regular glucose meter at our clinic when checking insulin dependent patients. They work very nicely and are easy to use since a tiny drop of blood.
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | Yes we use a human glucometer for the animals here as well. It's a measurement of blood glucose which is not species dependent essentially. It will give you the accuracy required to monitor the pet at home. |
|
| |
|
 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| I went to Sam's Club and bought an inexpensive ones. I think it cost about $20??
The strips are about $10 per 100. I also buy his insulin there. It was almost $100 for the NPH inulin in town, where I get my prescriptions filled and less than $25 at Sam's. |
|
| |
|
BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Ok that's what I thought. I was reading on a site that claimed you need a dog glucometer because dog red cells are larger and clog up the human glucometer. My "BS detector " went off. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 899
| Glad you asked this question!! My older dog has been diabetic for almost 2 years now and sometimes it seems like a good guess to get the insulin right. Where do you stick your dog to get the blood.? The vet said to use a vein,but videos show using the ear. Anyone have suggestions? We get our insulin and syringes at WalMart. About $22.00.
Sorry,didn't mean to hijack your threadBear :)
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | Yes some sample from the ear...and we have some that use the callus on the elbow. Less painful on the elbow for most dogs. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 899
| TrailGirl - 2015-02-27 3:18 PM
Yes some sample from the ear...and we have some that use the callus on the elbow. Less painful on the elbow for most dogs.
Thanks ! |
|
| |
|
 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Because you need such a small amount of blood for the test, use an insulin syringe and have a tech at the clinic show you how if the ear doesn't work. A word of caution (since we never got blood anywhere but the vein) if you have a dog with long floppy ears or one that is prone to ear infections (lots of head shaking), make sure you occlude the hole where the blood sample came from for a few seconds so that you don't possibly cause ear hematoma's, they are a HUGE pain to fix and hard on the pup too.
OP the human glucose meter is all we ever used for the "quick" test at the vet clinic I worked at. |
|
| |
|
BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Good suggestions, everyone. Thanks. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3104
Location: Arkansas | There are certain brands of human glucometers that work but we have compared some to our chemistry machine and the dog/cat glucometer and they aren't all accurate. The one made for pets isn't very expensive
|
|
| |
Folks on-line