[Comparative measurement using the GlucoMen®LX PLUS and a reference method to quantify β-hydroxybutyrate in dogs and...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Urinary ketone body tests often underestimate ketonuria, potentially causing false negatives.
• Blood β-hydroxybutyrate measurement is more sensitive for monitoring ketonemia in human medicine.
• Limited evaluation of blood ketone meters exists for veterinary use, with some showing limitations at high concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the portable GlucoMen®LX PLUS ketone meter with a reference laboratory method for measuring β-hydroxybutyrate in canine and feline blood.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of the GlucoMen®LX PLUS in veterinary patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 47 dogs and 55 cats with various metabolic conditions and healthy controls.
• Comparison of blood β-hydroxybutyrate measurements obtained from the GlucoMen®LX PLUS with an automated enzymatic reference method.
• Separate analysis of results for dogs and cats.

Main Results:

• High correlation between the GlucoMen®LX PLUS and the reference method in both dogs (R=0.99) and cats (R=0.98).
• Mean differences were minimal (0.01 mmol/l in dogs, 0.05 mmol/l in cats).
• The device showed slightly lower values than the reference method in 44% of cases and greater discrepancies at both high and low β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations.

Conclusions:

• The GlucoMen®LX PLUS demonstrates strong correlation with the reference method, proving useful for β-hydroxybutyrate measurement in canine and feline blood.
• The device is a cost-effective, portable alternative to urinary ketone testing.
• Limitations include slight underestimation of β-hydroxybutyrate at high concentration ranges.