Dog Blood Sugar: Can I Use My Human Glucose Meter? (Conversion)
Okay, here's my blog post about converting a human glucose meter for use with dogs:
So, my dog, Buddy, has been acting a little off lately. He's been drinking a ton of water and peeing like a racehorse. Naturally, I got worried and took him to the vet. Turns out, my poor pup has diabetes.
The vet recommended getting a glucose meter to keep an eye on his blood sugar levels. But, holy moly, have you seen the prices of those pet-specific meters? Crazy expensive!
I remembered I had an old human glucose meter lying around from when my grandma was staying with us. I started thinking, "Could I just use this one? A meter's a meter, right?" It seemed so simple, But, of course, it's never that easy.
Figuring it Out
After a bit of digging, I found out that you can't just use the human meter readings directly. Dog blood and human blood are different. I need to convert.
I searched some more, and I found a simple enough conversion.
- I Took Buddy's Blood. Got a tiny drop from his ear. He wasn't thrilled, but treats helped.
- Used my old Human Meter. Got a reading. Let's say it was 80 mg/dL.
- Used the conversion I found.(Human Reading x 1.5)+20= Dog Reading. So simple, right?
- So:(80x 1.5)+20=140 mg/dL.
That is all I * now I know Buddy's actual blood glucose level.
It's not perfect, but it gives me a much better idea of what's going on with Buddy's blood sugar without breaking the bank. And remember, always, always talk to your vet about this stuff. I'm just sharing what worked for me and my furry friend!
