USERS OF ALPHA-TRAK BLOOD GLUCOSE METERS - PLEASE READ AND SHARE!!
IF YOU ARE NOT USING CODE 7 FOR FERRETS, PLEASE CHANGE YOUR METER'S
SETTING IMMEDIATELY!!

This information is directly from my vet today (2-9-2012), and
authorized/encouraged to re-post on all forums/walls/etc.

"I don't know if anything has changed, but when we purchased our
AlphaTrak, there were no written instructions about coding for ferrets.
When we called technical services at Abbott, we were told to simply
code it the same as for a cat. So far, when I have compared results
with those obtained by Antech on the same sample, I have been happy
with the results, so I never questioned it. Recently, there has been
a thread on my Exotic DVM chat group about how the monitor should be
coded, and if it can be used on serum or plasma, or if it should only
be used with whole blood. Many who responded had been instructed to
code for a dog, others for a cat, and a few others had been told to
always use code 4. Yesterday, I decided to pursue this, and called our
rep to find out from whom we could get the final word. I was given the
number for Dr. Evans, whom I was told helped to develop the use of the
meter in ferrets. He was very helpful and it was a very educational
conversation! He said to always use code 7 for ferrets. He also said
the device is programmed to detect the glucose level within both the
red blood cells and the plasma, and to correct for glucose diffusion
between the two. Because the amount in the plasma is what is
physiologically important to the patient, the monitor automatically
subtracts the amount of glucose in the cells. The significance of this
is that the monitor should only be used on whole blood AND there will
be an error introduced if the patient has a packed cell volume out of
the range of normal for a ferret (e.g. anemic or hemoconcentrated due
to dehydration, etc). I hopes this helps all of us get the most
meaningful results on the kids.

Dianne Barr, DVM "

[Moderator's note: The instruction sheet is here:
<http://www.abbottanimalhealth.com/static/cms_workspace/pdfs/Test_Strip_Insert.pdf>
It does state to use code 7 for ferrets. FHL and FML posts have said
to use the code for a dog, which I'm pretty sure used to be code 7 as
well, but the instructions sheet isn't clear on that. I'm sure others
with more experience will clarify. BIG]

[Posted in FML 7331]