IR testing can I do it ?

[paulapup]

This is probably a really silly post but I wondered if you could help me, my horse has equine metabolic syndrome, I have had about 6 blood tests with my vet, at one point his insulin levels was over 900 after a couple of weeks, of soaking hay changing his diet etc, it had dropped to 221, still high I know, finding it a bit expensive with his drugs and the testing, he has cushings too, so on prascend and metormin, could I do a basic insulin test on a human meter you can buy from the chemists, just to keep on eye on wether his levels are going up or down, and if this is possible would the reading need to be altered seeing that the meter is for humans, ( ie 5 means 15 in horse terms I hope you understand what I mean) thankyou for any help

 

[karen_c]

Are your vets measuring insulin levels or blood glucose levels? 900 sounds massive to me but am a cat/dog vet and don't 'do' horses in a work sense!!

The human meters from the chemist are usually glucometers so if your vets are measuring insulin they won't do quite the same job.

 

[paulapup]

Thankyou I think insulin, will ring them to find out, didnt know the meters are not for measuring insulin so very helpful