Abbott AlphaTrak Blood Glucose Monitoring System
February 24, 2006 by colbert low
Filed under Announcements, Misc. Gadgets
Dogs and cats have all the good life. If you think having a pet carrier (Midnight Pass Pet Cruiser Auto Cruiser) is just not enough, then get this device.
Dogs and cats get diabetes too. Now, Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories has come out with a product aimed at helping the afflicted pets–the AlphaTrak, a handheld blood glucose monitoring system designed specifically for diabetic cats and dogs. The device allows veterinarians and pet owners to test pets’ blood sugar rapidly, conveniently and accurately using a small blood sample.
Abbott AlphaTrak Blood Glucose Monitoring System source
Just wondering – where I can buy these glucose monitors? And how is this monitor different than the human glucose monitors that have been used for cats and dogs in the past? Thanks!
They have to be ordered thru your vet. Price is about $100.00 and the strips run about $1.00 each. Roughly the same as human strips & meters.
The difference is that the AlphaTrak meter and strips are confirgured for animals instead of people. Animal blood cells are smaller than human and this meter should give a accurate reading, closer to the lab equipment that your vet would use. Human meters can be used but the be aware that the reading will be off, possibly by a huge percentage.
It may be a good marketing line but it’s not true that human meters are so much more inaccurate. My $17 True Track meter from Walgreens, with strips half the price of these, showed under 5% difference from my vet’s test. Look up portable blood glucose meters on PubMed and you will see studies that show that human meters can be used on dogs and cats–and in fact are used by vet hospitals.
However I do know that these human meters are less reliable in very high ranges.However this difference in most cases would make no difference in treatment. (If it’s 500 or 650, it’s too high either way) I do not know if the AlphaTrak is more reliable at high numbers.
Human meters are not all as cheap as the Walgreens and Walmart ones, but often can often be obtained from the manufacturers for free in promotions. Some strips are as expensive as the AlphaTrak’s but not all.