Why It’s Important to Test at Home
Why is it important to test at home and what tests do you recommend?
We encourage testing at home because they are VERY important when managing canine diabetes. Testing blood glucose levels, urine for ketones and urine glucose levels should be part of your normal regimen when taking care of a diabetic dog.
For four and a half years, I consistently monitored Lucy, and her success was largely due to daily testing. Here’s what regular BG testing told me:
- It clearly showed how insulin and food affected her.
- It confirmed she was getting the right insulin dose.
- It alerted me when something wasn’t right and she needed to see the vet.
- It helped me treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia because I knew how to test properly.
I routinely checked urine for ketones, especially when Lucy’s blood glucose was higher than usual. Testing urine for ketones let me know if her BG was uncontrolled and causing ketone buildup. Ketones are made when the body does not have enough insulin to use glucose for energy. Instead, it breaks down fat for fuel, which produces ketones. High ketone levels can be a dangerous complication of diabetes called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is very serious and can be fatal if not treated.
Glucose urine testing is important because we want to find a trace or small amount of glucose. If there’s no glucose in the urine, your diabetic dog may be experiencing hypoglycemia.
The AAHA suggests regularly checking blood glucose, ketones, and urine glucose levels. These recommendations aim to help our dog enjoy a long and healthy life. While the while the median life of a diabetic dog is 2.5 years, using proper tools and careful monitoring can extend their lifespan significantly by allowing us to maintain good blood glucose (BG) control. In the past several years the median lifespan has increased and I believe this is due to monitoring BG levels and ketones at home.
What should I use to test BG and urine?
I am glad you asked! There are two blood glucose monitors that I suggest consistently and I have used both.
The PetTest Classic Meter is a quality and reliable meter that I used for years to monitor Lucy. They take a very small sample size of 0.3µ and doesn’t require coding. The kit comes with the Classic Meter, test strips, lancets, Red Dot Lancing Device, batteries and a carry case.
The second meter that I recommend is the PetLink+ Meter, it is the same technology as the PetTest Classic Meter but it has wireless technology and syncs up to their Digital Companion App with ease. The PetLink+ wasn’t available when Lucy was alive but I wish it had been, it would have been so nice to send all her info to her vet!
Getting urine from Lucy was harder than testing blood glucose levels, the girl wanted her privacy and would stop peeing if I walked behind her. I used a plastic plate dedicated for urine samples; it worked but it was not always successful. PetTest offers the i-Catch Pole and I love it. It’s telescoping, the cup can be removed to wash and it makes getting a urine sample so easy.
And finally, ketone glucose urine test strips. PetTest offers them and they come in two 50-packs. This is great because once the bottle is opened, they are only good for 90 days and most bottles are 100 count.
Links for all these products:
USA
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://shoppettest.com/pettest-meter-kit/
PetLink+ Meter Kit: https://shoppettest.com/petlink-plus-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
i-Catch Pole: https://shoppettest.com/icatch-collection-pole/
Ketone Glucose Urinalysis Test Strips: https://shoppettest.com/copy-of-100-pettest-ketone-glucose-urinalysis-reagent-strips-for-pets-2-packs-of-50/
Canada
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://pettest.ca/pettest-meter-kit/
PetLink+ Meter Kit: https://pettest.ca/pettest-petlink-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
i-Catch Pole: https://pettest.ca/pettest-i-catch-telescoping-urine-specimen-collection-pole/
Ketone Glucose Urinalysis Test Strips: https://pettest.ca/ketone-strips-for-pets/
UK
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://pettest.uk/pettest-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
PetLink+ Meter Kit: https://pettest.uk/pettest-petlink-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
i-Catch Pole: https://pettest.uk/pettest-i-catch-telescoping-urine-specimen-collection-pole/
Ketone Glucose Urinalysis Test Strips: https://pettest.uk/100-pettest-ketone-glucose-urinalysis-reagent-strips-for-pets-2-packs-of-50/
While adding all these tests might feel overwhelming at first, once you get used to it, they only take a couple of minutes each day. Most importantly, they provide peace of mind that your diabetic dog is healthy.
Until next time stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
Want to learn all you can in a simple and easy to follow format? Please join DDO-U: Diabetic Dog Owners University, graciously sponsored by PetTest.
Be sure to join the PetTest family on Facebook and Instagram. PetTest has fun, interactive posts AND they have fabulous giveaways every week!
Do you need a blood glucose meter kit for your diabetes arsenal? There are two meters you can choose from, the PetTest Classic and the PetLink+ meter that has wireless technology and works seamlessly with the Digital Companion App.
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