Struggling with testing

UPDATE: After giving myself and Ballsnacks a break for a day, I'm so, so, so happy to report testing has been going much better. Using the warm rice sock seems to be much preferred over the ear massaging - I think his poor ears were getting sore.

But! He got out last night, and a well-meaning neighbor thought he was a starving stray. They took him in and fed him who-knows-what, but the cat came back with a HUUUUUUUUUUUGE stomach. They fed him so much, he wasn't even hungry this morning. Should I be concerned? His BG was 428. We're only on our 3rd day of insulin, and you can see on the chart I'd started to get a bit of a downward trend. This has totally screwed that up!

Original post:
We did our first shots of insulin yesterday. The first and second tests were easy! I was feeling so proud of myself! But the PM test almost made me give up. I went through 6 lancets and test strips before I was finally able to get it. I felt like crying.

I wasn’t able to get the test this morning either, and his poor ears are clearly feeling sore from all my poking and handling. If I can’t do the testing at home, I won’t be able to afford treating my kitty for diabetes.

Any words of wisdom? I’ve watched lots of videos.

 

It takes a few days to feel confident so don’t worry.
I used to kneel down and sit on my heels and have Sheba between my knees. That way I could control her without restraining her. Cats will struggle when tightly restrained. Maybe try doing that several times during the day ( without testing) but get kitty used to being in that position. Rub her ears And give a small treat each time. And either hum while doing it or talk softly to kitty.
When testing have all your things in the ground with you ready. I used to give Sheba a tiny low carb treat while testing to distract him
You can buy some neosporin ointment with pain relief in it to put on the ears. They will get used to it and start to bleed more easily.
Get a torch and put it behind the ear so you can see the vein running along the edge. You want to aim between the vein and the edge of the ear if you can.
You will be able to test your kitty ..... we all started off feeling like you! I’m sure we all had a cry but you will get there!
Keep trying. Always give kitty a treat even if unsuccessful. And get some treats for yourself too!
Keep asking questions!

 

I’m only a few weeks ahead of you. Don’t be too hard on yourself, or your cat- this is all brand new to both of you and I promise it does get easier. Our first sessions 2 weeks ago were basically battles but now it takes me about 5 mins from start to finish. I’ve found that the biggest thing is my own atttitude towards it. If I’m positive and gentle but direct it goes well. If I’m nervous or tentative then Hodgson picks up on that and it’s much harder.

I try to turn testing sessions into a bit of playtime with a bribe at the end, ive also got into the habit of playing my cats ears every time I touch him so he gets used to people touching them.

You’ll get it, don’t give up.

 

Hi there, I am a newbie myself and understand your concerns completely, even the frustration of poking kitty’s ears multiple times before I was able to draw a blood drop big enough. I would not believe it just two weeks ago but now I can say that it gets easier every day! The little furry ears of theirs bleed better and better, just keep doing what you’re doing Good luck

 

This will get easier, it did for thousands of us.
I used to sing this as I hovered over the two most patient and trusting cats in the world, one of which had an ear that never gave blood. Whatever it takes.
Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke, Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat,
And if that billy goat doesn't pull, Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over, Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark, Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down, Well you'll still be the sweetest baby in town.
I'll tell you the rest after I walk the dog. It's not science, it's love, trust and patience.

 

Make sure the ears are warm before you poke....even if they feel warm to you, it'll help to use a rice sock or a pill bottle filled with warm water.

And yes, attitude is very important...if you're feeling anxious and worried, you're going to pass those feelings on and kitty will think there's a reason to be anxious and worried too!

Singing really will help...it forces you to use a different part of your brain!

 

Everything Chris said, especially attitude. Yours and the cats.
Noah was a nervous boy but he trusted me. While he was in his basket I laid everything I needed in front of him, no surprises. My meter times out at 30 seconds so I put the strip halfway in and had my lancet partially separated from it's covering so I wouldn't struggle with it. I warmed his ears by rubbing them (he loved having his ears tugged, supposedly that's an endorphin release for some cats) and then before he knew it I poked his tiny ear. Usually this shouldn't hurt but sometimes he would pull away and I'd shred his ear. Although you have to be prepared for that if you get nervous and expect to cause pain your cat will pick up on this and it will only make him nervous, stay calm. If I saw blood I'd immediately tap the strip into the meter and get my sample. Don't panic if you draw too much blood. Get the sample first and console the cat later. If you go right through the ear and you can only get blood from inside the ear that's fine.
I actually did either sing or talk to him just to make it seem less medical if that makes sense. Most people's idea of a treat is Whiskas Temptations but they will raise blood sugar readings and I found a reward for inflicting a small amount of pain didn't work. Noah loved having his ears cleaned with a warm and wet paper towel, that was his treat. We've also had between five and nine cats in the house, they're a distraction so just shoo them away. They'll get over it.
I used thicker lancets because I preferred poking once instead of five times and getting no blood. Try both ways and see what works for you.

 

It takes a week or two for the new capillaries to grow. Don’t be afraid to poke all the way through if you have to in the meantime

 

I used to sing Frosty Linkin Park songs.

 

Thank you so much for all of the replies and support. I’ve decided to give his ears a break today, and myself. You’re right, attitude is everything, and I was getting really worked up and frustrated.

To make matters worse, I dropped my brand new bottle of insulin today.... $100, wasted on the floor.

 

That's another reason we really recommend buying the pens instead. If you drop them, they're almost always fine because there's all that plastic covering them up.

Also, with the vial, unless your cat is a high dose cat, you're almost always going to end up throwing a lot of it away when it looses efficacy.

Each pen only holds 300 units and you should be able to use them down to the last drop. The other pens in the box will remain good until the expiration date which is usually at least 2 years away.

As far as song suggestions, how about the Hokey Pokey song?...LOL

 

Oh nooooo. They make a rubber thing that can go on vials to protect them from a fall.