Portable glucose meter

• These meters use either electrochemical or photometric methods to generate an electric current after enzymatic oxidation of the glucose molecules in the sample.
• Typically plasma glucose is estimated after separation of blood cells from plasma.
• Meters designed for use in humans assume that plasma and erythrocytes each contain 50% glucose. However, in dogs the glucose distribution between erythrocytes and plasma is 12.5% and 87.5% respectively, and so meters designed for human blood tend to underestimate the true blood glucose concentration in dogs. 
• Veterinary glucose meters provide more accurate results for dog blood than those designed for humans and so are recommended for use in veterinary clinics. They also tend to have the advantage of requiring a smaller sample volume.
• Glucose meters designed for human use are a cheaper option for monitoring blood glucose at home. However, there is variability in the accuracy of different meters for use in dogs and so correlation of results from each meter with results from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory is recommended prior to use. Nevertheless, the differences in results from the true blood glucose result are often within clinically acceptable ranges.

Uses

• For immediate results of blood glucose concentrations Blood biochemistry: glucose when investigating any disease.
• Monitoring of diabetic Diabetes mellitus patients in the clinic or by the owner at home Serial blood glucose.
• Monitoring of patients with hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia due to any cause.

Advantages

• Rapid 'patient-side' blood glucose result.
• Requires only a small blood volume.

Disadvantages

• Glucose meters designed for human use give lower results in dogs than the true blood glucose concentration.
• Anemia Hematology: red blood cell count causes falsely high results and so potentially masks hypoglycemia.

Technical problems

Maintenance

• The glucose meter should be cleaned after each use.
• Glucose meter test strips must be stored in their original bottle with the lid replaced promptly after each use.
• Every time a new bottle of test strips is started, the accuracy of the glucose meter should be checked using the control solution provided by the manufacturer.
• Quality control checks should also be performed regularly to ensure that glucose meter results tally with results from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory.

Alternative techniques

• Veterinary diagnostic laboratory assay. This provides the most accurate results but there is a time delay in receiving results.
• 'In-house' biochemistry analyzer.
• Dipstick measurement of blood glucose (very inaccurate).