2007 Volume 16 Issue 3 Pages 77-81
Compact blood glucose monitors are widely used by diabetics to self-monitor their blood glucose levels. The authors assessed the performance of one of these devices, the Medisafe Mini, for use on dogs and cats. Simultaneous reproducibility, using venous blood, yielded good results, with CV values for dogs in the normal and high blood sugar ranges of 4.2% and 7.9%, respectively; and for cats in the normal and high blood sugar ranges of 2.8% and 5.3%, respectively. The relationship between canine and feline venous blood glucose values derived from the Medisafe Mini and those derived using liquid reagents showed a significant level of correlation, with the correlation coefficient of r = 0.990 (p < 0.0001) and r = 0.993 (P < 0.0001) respectively. The blood glucose levels of two different sources of canine blood-venous blood and blood taken from ear pricks-also showed a significant degree of correlation, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.983 (p < 0.0001). Cat blood glucose readings from the Medisafe Mini were compared with values derived using liquid reagents and a correlation was determined. Glucose level measurements of both venous and blood taken from ear pricks were also found to be correlated, although the readings derived using liquid chemical reagents were higher, in the case of cats. Errors were reduced by careful adherence to the proper measurement procedures. The Medisafe Mini blood glucose monitor was considered sufficiently accurate for measuring glucose levels in blood taken from ear pricks of diabetic cats and dogs.