I knew this was going to come up, and wasn't going to say anything, but
this has been my experience:

I've been taking ferret blood sugars at home, from the arm vein, for 4
or 5 years now. At the time I started I got the same meter they were
using at the vet clinic, an Accu Check Active. I don't recommend it
because it requires more blood than the newer meters. However, since
I have gotten it, we have made it a habit of about every 6 months
checking it against the all the new meters the clinic has gotten
including the species specific meter they now use and against actual
lab testings. It is always within about 3 or 4 points.

The point is, as Sukie recommended, regardless of which meter you get,
test it against the glucometer they are using in the clinic, but also,
just for additional verification, I'd suggest checking against a lab
test as well.

If you are doing the 'pad stick' as opposed to an actual blood draw,
you will probably have to have your vet help you with that. One stick
won't give you enough blood for all those tests and different sticks
will give you different readings. Even with a blood draw, the longer
the blood sits in the syringe, and I find this change starts pretty
quickly, the wider range of numbers you are going to get. So ideally
you will draw the blood, and start all three tests as close to
instantly as you can.

And another warning. Test strips are very sensitive to temperature
extremes and time. The date on them seems to be an end date and
arbitrary. I find my strips even properly housed only last about 30-45
days. Time or temperature either one can cause some really weird and
really wrong readings. Most meters have a testing solution to check and
make sure your meter is functioning within a set range. We don't want a
'range', we want legitimate numbers so if you have any doubts, at any
time, check it against the clinic's.

Again, just my experience.

Brenda, Momma to the FurpeopleWeyr
Ferret Hospice/Rehab
FurpeopleWeyr.com

[Posted in FML 6261]