insulinoma testing quick answer

Re: insulinoma testing quick answer

Virginia Campbell — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 21:44:43 GMT

thanks, have told O to fast dog from now till morning and good info about lab needing to do their own glucose measurement for ratio, had forgotten that.

Re: insulinoma testing quick answer

Kate Richardson — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 21:30:21 GMT

Yeah I'm fairly sure you just need serum for insulin but as John said worth sending a flu ox tube for fasting glucose at the same time so just make sure they starve it (for as long as you feel comfortable withholding food for) so you can see if the insulin level is inappropriate for the glucose level at the time of sampling.

Re: insulinoma testing quick answer

John Flynn — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 21:07:02 GMT

Don't quote me, but I believe Idexx accept insulin just taken and refrigerated until posting (not all labs do).

Effectively insulin is quite stable (think of the stuff you inject into diabetics) and taking sample, leaving to clot for 30mins, then separating and sticking separated serum in fridge should be fine for up to a week roughly.

You might want to make it a thoroughly fasted sample and take fluoride oxalate for glucose simlutaneous to the insulin measurement at same time.

Ideally get your insulin sample on an occasion when the BG is known low so you don't end up having to do the test again, but for validated insulin:glucose ratio the lab will need to measure glucose themselves - your measurement won't be so useful for this.