Field method for monitoring blood glucose in beef cattle

The purpose of this study was to determine the applicability of the Accu-Ch ek Easy (ACE) human self-monitoring system for monitoring glycemic status i n cattle. The ACE method was compared with the Yellow Springs Instrument (Y SI) analytical laboratory method in two studies. A preliminary study (62 sa mples) and a primary study (434 samples) involved a nine-fold range and a 1 0-fold range, respectively, of glucose concentrations obtained during the a cute phase response of growing beef cattle to injections of varying dosages of endotoxin. The ACE monitoring method compared with the YSI analytical m ethod resulted in similar patterns of glucose concentration change, similar ranking of glucose means across endotoxin dosages during hyper-and hypogly cemia, and a close relationship between paired YSI and ACE concentrations f rom common samples. The ACE method identified all nine animals that display ed hypoglycemic distress during the acute phase response to endotoxin injec tion. The relationship between the YSI analytical method and the ACE monito ring method was found to be nonlinear (YSI = -38.2 + 13.6 ACE(.50); R-2 = . 99; S-y.x = 7.3 mg/dL), and the use of this equation to predict YSI values fl om ACE values in an independent data set resulted in linearity when YSI was regressed on the predicted YSI values (YSI = -.78 + 1.00.Predicted YSI; R-2 = .87; S-y.x = 6.9 mg/dL). Even though variation seemed greater for AC E than for YSI, we concluded that a system developed for human self-monitor ing of blood glucose, such as the ACE, can be used to monitor the glycemic status of cattle.