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February 22, 2006

AlphaTrak: For Dogs and Cats Only

Diabetes in dogs and cats is not that uncommon and treatment typically requires both monitoring of glucose and daily injections of insulin to metabolize dietary glucose. One of the challenges faced by pet owners is that traditional blood glucose meters, designed for human blood, can be inaccurate when applied to animals

Hand-held glucose meters measure glucose in the entire blood sample -- glucose that is present in the plasma and the red blood cells (RBCs). The glucose from the RBCs equilibrates with the glucose from the plasma portion as the test is being performed. However, in cats and dogs, the distribution of glucose between the RBCs and plasma is significantly different than in humans. This causes the meters that are calibrated to human blood to read low. The AlphaTRAK glucose monitor has been developed to account for these differences in RBCs, thus providing extremely accurate glucose results.

Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories has developed a solution and is now marketing a product aimed at helping pets with diabetes--the AlphaTrak, a handheld blood glucose monitoring system designed specifically for cats and dogs. The device allows veterinarians and pet owners to test pets' blood sugar rapidly, conveniently and accurately using a small blood sample.

"This is an important step forward for blood glucose testing of diabetic dogs and cats," said Dr. Susan Sallee, a veterinarian at Grayslake Animal Hospital in Grayslake, Ill., one of the participating AlphaTRAK clinical trial
sites. "While some larger veterinary clinics do have onsite general chemistry instruments for blood analysis, many do not, and using human meters to test pets is often one of the only options many vets and pet owners have for immediate results. But those results can be deceptive, and it's critical that we be as accurate as possible to avoid hypoglycemia and other dangerous blood glucose complications."

Read more here, Resources for pet owners: Diabetes Information

Photo: Mocha, a cat from Grayslake, Ill., is having her blood glucose tested with the AlphaTRAK, the first complete hand-held blood glucose monitoring system designed specifically for diabetic dogs and cats. Veterinarians and pet owners can test pets' blood sugar levels rapidly, conveniently and accurately with the new meter, which Abbott launched this week at the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas.

Posted by Diabetologica at February 22, 2006 2:12 PM