Your pet’s health should be as crucial to you as your own since nowadays you will find pets in every alternate household in the US, Glucose Meters for Cats will help you to achieve your goals.
It is also important to enlighten people on pet health care and needs. Blood sugar level changes in the lifetime of an individual so do pets. There are many reasons for this change that may include weight gain or loss, presence of disease, progesterone in unsprayed females, other medications, and change in exercise regiments.
Whatever may be the reason, the monitoring of blood sugar level becomes important for your pet’s health. Even though the cases of diabetes in cats are 1 in every 230 cats, but the number is ever increasing.
Also Read: Best Blood Pressure Monitors
What is diabetes and what exactly happens in the body? Diabetes is the condition, in which there is a rise in glucose level in the blood, glucose is carried by the blood and insulin breaks it down but in the absence of insulin or due to insulin resistance in the body leads to diabetes. The same mechanism occurs in the human body.
There are two ways of measuring the blood glucose level of your pet, one is by checking your pet’s urine for glucose and ketones, though this is not very accurate it can be easily done at home, another way is by measuring the glucose level in the blood, which is absolutely accurate and is done by the veterinarian in the clinic. Another way of doing this at home is by using a glucometer.
The glucometer is short for glucose meter; it is a handy device that is used to check for the glucose level in blood. Since there is no absolute cure for diabetes keeping glucose levels under scrutiny and taking necessary precautions is essential and here the Glucometer comes to the rescue.
The Best Glucose Meters for Cats
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Top 10 Best Glucose Meters to Buy for Your Cat
Buying a good quality glucometer for cats is also important in order to get accurate results. There are many of these in the market but to make your job easy we have selected the 5 best ones and reviewed them with pros and cons.
#1. VetMate Glucometer
VetMate Glucometer
- Easy to use
- Comes with Clear Instruction Manual
- Big Memory to Store Test Data.
- Even comes with Data Transfer Port
VetMate glucometer is the best in terms of use and features. It is a complete set so that you don’t need to buy anything else or get confused. It is great for first-time users to have the strips handy and easy instructions followed by the alarms and indicators.
It uses a negative LED screen so that it is readable even in the dim lightings. It has three buttons for easy navigation and offers a memory for entry of 4 dogs and 4 cat’s data.
It is compatible with the VetLog animal diabetes management software to have additional memory and functions. The package has a glucometer/glucose monitor, owner’s booklet, quick reference guide and batteries. Its battery life is 3000 tests and a memory of 500 tests, and each test takes only 5 seconds to get done.
It has a data port that allows the transfer of data from the device to a computer, a test strip port to place the test strip with blood sample in, and an ejection button that slides down to eject and discard the strip.
It takes two types of samples one is the fresh capillary whole blood and the fresh venous whole blood which can be extracted only by the veterinarian.
The instruction manual is easy and clear, also it does not require any prior coding. All in all, it is a great device for beginners.
Pros
- Easy to use with clear and short instruction manual
- 3000 test battery and 500 test memory
- Data transfer port
Cons
- Expensive
#2. AlphaTRAK2 Cat Blood Glucose Meter
AlphaTRAK2 Cat Blood Glucose Meter
- Blood Requirement is Comparatively Less Then Other Meters
- Accurate Results in Seconds
- Specifically Designed for Vetrans
- Comes with Smart App: That Helps to Track Everything
It is absolutely easy to use with only 3 step procedure, making it suitable for use by the layman. The test requires the least amount of blood that is 0.3micro Liter and gives efficient results within seconds.
Alphatrak is the choice of professionals and can be used without fear of inefficiency.
It accepts capillary blood only. The device is specifically calibrated for dogs and cats to provide accurate results. For instruction videos and tips and tricks you can visit the Alphatrak website www.alphatrakmeter.com and the petDialog diabetes management app can be downloaded from there, this app will guide you and keep you well informed about your pet. It will also help in storing data and gives average values.
The package includes the glucometer, 23 test strips, lancing device, 30 lancets, control solution, diabetes diary, user guide, and carrying case.
The kit contains everything you need to get started with so that you don’t need to worry about buying these products separately.
Pros
- Least amount of blood required
- Accurate results in seconds
- Specifically designed for dogs and cats
- App for management and guidance
Cons
- No data transfer port
#3. EverPaw Gluco HT111
EverPaw Gluco HT111
- Blood Requirements is High to Get the Accurate Data
- Even Horses can be Tested by This
- Comes with a 3 Years Warranty
The best feature of this device is that it is calibrated for cats, dogs and horses, hence it does a great job for the ranch so that you don’t need to buy separate device for horses and pets.
Since it is calibrated for pets and horses it gives accurate results. It is easy to use and has a strip ejection button that makes it extremely hygienic to use and dispose of the strips. It has the easy to read large font screen along with the pet code and alarm setting function that makes your task even easier.
It requires a tiny blood sample of 0.7micro liter of the blood sample, unlike the Alphatrak 2 monitor that requires even less blood.
The test strips are the premium GDH enzyme ones that are packaged in a temperature control vial for consistent results. The product has a 3-year warranty and an excellent 24/7 customer service.
The starter kit has everything you want that includes glucometer, 50 test strips, control solution, lancing device, 50 lancets, and 28 gauges, carrying case, reference material, owner manual, logbook, and 2 AAA batteries.
Read: Best Glucometer for Dogs
Pros
- Calibrated for cats, dogs and horses
- Easy to use with starter kit that contains everything
- 3 year warranty
Cons
- Requires 0.7micro liter of blood
#4. Pet Control HQ Glucometer for Cats
Pet Control HQ Glucometer for Cats
- Best Accuracy Among Other Competition Products
- One Button Easy Operation and Use
- Gentle on Pets
Pet control Hq claims to be the most gentle on pets and that is the best feature of this glucometer with 100% accurate results. It is designed intricately and specifically for dogs and cats.
It also has different test strips for dogs and cats separately as Pet control HQ believes that both are different species and should have different dedicated test strips and that’s the reason for its 100% accuracy.
Also Read: Best Glucometers of The Year
It gives precise results within one try and one test time is 10 seconds. It is easy to use with only one button on the device. It also uses the GDH enzyme test strips that are stored in the temperature control vial.
The starter kit includes glucometer, 50 strips, 2 code chips, one for dog and one for cats, 50 lancets, a lancing device, control solution, carrying case, log book, user manual and a quick reference guide.
There is no app or website for guidance but as far as the product is concerned it has received popularity and love by its customers.
Pros
- Gentle on pets
- 100% accuracy with 2 code chips
- One button easy operation and use
Cons
- No app available
#5. Advocate Pet Test
Advocate Pet Test
- Cheap and Budget Friendly
- Does not Comes with An App
- Quick and Fast Results
Advocate pet is another glucometer for pets that is designed specifically for cats and dogs to give accurate results and along with that it comes really cheap.
Cheaper compared to the number of vet bills that pile up on all those tests, it saves you money, time and energy of driving up to your doctor. It is really basic and has that one-button operation that makes it easy to use.
It requires no prior coding and is absolutely easy to use. It is not sophisticated with a lot of technology and hence doesn’t have an app for guidance and keeping track but what can be easier than writing the results in a simple log book.
It requires a really small amount of sample as much as 0.3micro liters and gives results in 5 seconds. It has a test memory of 400 results.
The starter kit includes a glucometer, 25 test strips, 25 lancets, carrying case, control solution, lancing device, 2 AAA batteries, PetTest owner manual, quick reference guide, and a DVD.
Pros
- Easy to use with one button
- DVD for reference and guide
- Cheap
- Quick results
Cons
- No App Support
Things to Consider Before Buying Best Glucometer for Cats
Best Considerations Before Buying Best Glucometer for Cats
Designed for pets:
It is important to use appropriate glucose monitor for pets for improved accuracy. Hence the most important thing to check before you buy the glucose monitor is to check if it is specifically designed for pet use. All the glucose monitors mentioned in our list are for pets.
Price of the strips:
The glucometer itself is not that expensive as the strips. Therefore you need to check for the price of the strips before buying a glucometer. Some brands offer cheap strips that can work with one to two brand glucometers, but it is best practice to buy strips of the same brand for accuracy and precision.
Blood drop size:
It’s quite difficult to prick our pets, and in such cases, we can extract a little amount of the blood, and hence if your pet is intolerant and hard to prick then look for the glucometer that will do the job in the least amount of blood. One such glucometer is the AlphaTRAK 2 Veterinary Blood Glucose Monitoring Meter Kit.
Accuracy and precision:
The most important factors to buy your glucometer are these two, most people who use human glucose meters should know that they are not precise on pets and should discontinue.
The most precise glucometer in our list that gives accurate results in one go is the Pet Control Hq glucometer that is calibrated for canine and feline separately.
Data transfer port:
There are not many glucometers that give a data transfer port, hence if you want to keep the database in your laptop or PC rather than the logbook style then do check for the port.
Many of the glucometers do come with the logbook to keep track of the test results but we have one glucometer in the list that has a data transfer port that is the dog cat diabetic blood glucose home care meter. It has advanced features.
App:
Nowadays glucometers come with an app for guidance and easy management, it also gives a few tricks and tips on how to tackle your pet for the test.
It is an additional benefit to have an app to keep track of stuff for you hence one such glucometer in our list which has an app with it is the AlphaTRAK 2 veterinary blood glucose monitoring meter.
How to Use Best Glucosemeters for Cats
To get started you need to know the collection site for your pet, there are namely three collections sites that are ear margin, paw pad, and inner lip fold.
The site of sample collection depends on your pets’ tolerance and the owner’s restraint on the pet.
The ear margin is the most tolerated and easy spot for pricking in cats and they most often yield consistent results as compared to dogs since they have floppy ears and blood flow is minimum. The paw pad is a bit painful for animals, and the lip fold is too risky to be done at home, but for hounds with large lip fold it may be a little easy yet it is not recommended.
Prepare the area by rubbing it to increase blood flow and then prick it with the help of lancets. For those who cannot prick manually, there are lancing devices available in the starter kit that applies optimum pressure and pricks in one push.
Keep the strip ready that installs the strip in the glucometer and touch the end of the strip to the blood spot and collect the amount of blood needed for the glucometer on the strip.
Wait for the results to appear on the screen. Usually, after results are displayed the strip can be ejected by a push-button for hygiene otherwise needs to be removed by hand and discarded.
Store the test results in a logbook or app or PC for future reference.
Precautions to be taken with glucometer for cats
- Always apply fresh whole capillary blood to the test strip, do not try to take venous blood if you are not a professional, it may lead to scarring and excessive bleeding.
- Check the expiration date of the test strip before use as expired strips may give inaccurate results. Some of the glucometers recognize the expired strip and refuse to take the test or show an error message.
- Always store the test strips in a cool and dry place in the optimum temperature that is between 1-300 C or 34-850 F.
- Do not freeze or heat the test strips and never replace the original container.
- Use the strip immediately after removing from the vial and close the vial nice and tight after each use.
- Always handle the test strips with dry hands and do not cut, bend, or alter them in any of them.
Necessity of glucometer for cats
We all know the ill effects of diabetes in humans and the same goes for pets, monitoring their sugar or glucose level is crucial too. It can be too high and lead to nerve damage and has fatal effects or it can be too low which means your pet does not get enough energy for anything.
It is the responsibility of every pet parent to take good care of their health and well being and hence if your pet is diagnosed with diabetes it should be a top priority to get him checked every few days. Since the tests at the vet may consume your time and money getting a home glucometer is the best decision you would have taken, believe me you will be very thankful for buying it.
A home test glucose monitor is simple and easy to use; provided that you take the necessary precautions it will give you consistent results too. After doing the home tests for a few times you and your pet will get used to it. Another important thing is to keep the results with dates safe for reference and idea. This can be done manually in a logbook or in the PC or app. Usually, the glucometers come with some memory.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Best Glucose Meters for Cats
Can we use the regular human glucose meter for pets?
No, for accurate results it is important to have a glucose meter specifically designed for pets with their codes. All the glucose meters in our list are designed for pet use.
When should I check my pets/cats/dogs glucose levels?
The first thing in the morning, prior to any food and insulin and then the nest test should be 12 hours later after insulin and before the nest insulin dose. This ensures if the pet needs the second dose of insulin or not.
How to get the blood from cat/dog for test?
This depends on the tolerance of your pet but in general it is best practice to take blood from the inner ear margin as it is painless and easy way to extract the sample. For detailed answer check the section How to use glucometer for pets.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there may not be many options to select from in the market or at the chemist but the ones mentioned in our list are always available online on amazon, do check them out and buy the most suitable one from the list.
All the products are affordable and of good quality and great accuracy. Give your pet what it needs and when it needs and keep them healthy as long as you can with the glucometer.