Comparison between a Handheld Blood Glucometer and a Laboratory Analyzer for Measurement of Blood Glucose in BlueFronted-Amazons (Amazona aestiva) kept in a Zoo

Abstract

Measuring blood glucose is a very important parameter to observe, as it is related to the age of the animals, stress levels, pathological, genetic, nutritional issues and endocrine and liver disorders. The portable glucometer and a laboratory glucose analyzer are the main methods chosen to assess blood glucose quickly and effectively. The main objectives of using a portable glucometer are practicality, precision, reduction of sample size and cost retention, as it is a cheaper method. The laboratory glycemic analyzer requires more blood volume to carry out the test, qualified labor to handle the samples and keep the device in good working order, as it is expensive equipment. However, laboratory analyzers are highly accurate and provide accurate measurements of the patient's blood glucose levels, being considered the gold standard for this type of exam. The study aims to evaluate the accuracy, reliability and practicality of both methods of monitoring animals' blood glucose levels. For this work, 31 blood samples were collected from adult birds of the Amazona aestiva species, weighing between 305 and 505 grams. The birds were subjected to inhalation anesthesia with isoflurane to remove 1 ml of blood, in order to compare the values obtained after measuring blood glucose using a portable glucometer and the laboratory analysis method. The results obtained differ between techniques as 30,15% of blood glucose is underestimated by the portable glucometer. Therefore, we conclude that the use of this portable glucometer is not suitable for measuring blood glucose in blue-fronted parrots (A. aestiva).