Measurement of glucose in ferrets: accuracy of three human portable meters

Abstract

Aims. In ferrets, portable equipment could underestimate blood glucose values, this study evaluate the accuracy of these meters. Methods and Material. Blood samples were obtained from 11 ferrets to compare glycemia values obtained with 3 portable blood glucometers. Results. The 3 point-of-care glucometers tested underestimated the glycaemia values when compared with the results obtained with the automated biochemical analyzer. Therefore, the results suggest that none of the 3 portable blood glucometers are reliable for measuring blood glucose in ferrets, also indicates an average underestimation in relation to the laboratory analyzer. Conclusions. The clinicians should be cautious when interpreting glycemia values in ferrets obtained with these 3 point-of-care glucometers, and always corroborate the results with an automated biochemical analyzer.

Keywords

• Glucose
• point-of-care glucometers
• glycemia
• Mustela