Ear stick pain

Hi. I know everyone says ear sticks don't bother/hurt our kitties, but mine jerks anytime I prick him, then he starts growling at me! It obviously hurts him! I've watched the videos, and go for the edge after visualizing the area and vein. I'm a human nurse so am comfortable with needles and pricking. I'm using a 26 guage Lancet as the 33 didn't produce enough blood. He reacted the same with the smaller lancet, just not as much. Any advice or feedback?

 

ear pricks don't hurt the kitties? I would say they experience a momentary sting -- but it's not like getting clawed, more like a human getting a slight sting from a brush of a rose thorn .. bother?? you bet it bothers them, but I suspect some of it is apprehension about it MAYBE hurting much more than it does

Catcat jerks when anything approaches his ears -- gauze, cotton ball or square, or even my fingers, but he then relaxes ...

remember, cats frequently get clawed by other cats ... they react momentarily but shrug it off UNLESS you get upset, and they feel and smell your reaction ...

 

He's fine through the process until the actual prick occurs. Then, he's not. He acts like it really hurts.

 

are you catching the vein by chance? that does hurt -- and are you compressing the ear with cotton ball/round/square or folded tissue as soon as you get the reading? I find that gentle stroking on the middle back of the ear as I compress, seems to calm and soothe, Catcat usually starts purring around his gulping mouthfuls of food

of course -- ECID -- every cat is different

 

I haven't caught the actual vein, in the small space next to it. He's very easy to visualize (just added his picture to my avatar). Hopefully he'll become more accustomed to it and won't be so sensitive. Yes, I use a cotton round and gently massage his ear afterward with lots of praise. He still sulks. Sheesh.

 

I just looked at Cameron's spreadsheet. Have you entered any data yet, Linda? I don't see any on the grid. It just says "Copy of FDMB US 12/12 Insulin Spreadsheet Template", so I'm wondering.

 

I was just working on that. It's personalized and first 2 readings are now in it.

 

I think I’ve read that the larger gauges do sting a little more than the smaller ones. Maybe try a 28 or 30 gauge and see if that helps? I put a bit of neosporin with pain relief on Sophie’s ears after as well. Do you use the lancet freehand or with the pen?

 

I went larger because smaller barely gave me any blood. I freehand the lancet.

 

Hi I will post a pic of what I use free hand, it doesn't bother my cat at all, sometimes he even sleeps right through testing, I get them from my vet.

 

Here is the pic of the needle

 

I like that longer 5/8" needle, that would be nice to use. Sometimes it feels like I'm standing on my head to see where the shorter lancet point is going if Idjit isn't holding still. Thanks for sharing the info and the pictures.

 

They are great! My vet taught me right off the bat to use these. Yes you can see where the tip of the needle is going on their ears, I look for where the end of the needle curves up and then just put it on an angle and never had a problem. I'm sure you can get these online, or maybe your vet has them. I pay 11.00 for 100

 

Just found them on medi-vet.com
Terumo Needles 25G X 5/8" (Thin Wall), 100/Box
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Our Price: $8.89 NON-Returnable Item - please verify size prior to ordering

Stock Status:In Stock

Product Code: 17782
Terumo Sur-Vet Disposable Needles
Hypodermic Terumo Sur-Vet Needles Designed For The Veterinary Market

Featuring a translucent hub and regular bevel, Terumo needles are known worldwide for extreme sharpness. They are ground and honed with a unique double-bevel design to provide a comfortable injection. Thin wall needles provide more comfort with an increased flow. Regular wall needles are less likely to bend.

Sterile, single use hypodermic needles. Silicone coated for easy penetration. Terumo needles are a favorite to use for subcutaneous fluid administration. Latex free.

Directions:

To assure a tight fit, push and twist the needle clockwise onto the syringe tip.

To avoid needle damage, remove the needle cover by pulling straight off. Do no twist when removing.

Use once an discard in accordance with local safety standards. Do not store at extreme temperatures and humidity.

Packaging: Regular wall needles. 100 per box.
I see they charge 5.99 for shipping, so that's why I get them from my vet for $11.00

 

26 is pretty big. You could try 28 or 30. My cat flinches from 28, but not 30. I often have to poke him twice with the 30, but it gets easier the more you do since their little ears get used to bleeding. I hate hate hate doing it, but I hate the thought of killing the cat with an overdose more

 

I did go buy 30 gauge this afternoon. The pre-poke struggle was worse but the actual poke wasn't too bad and I still got enough blood. Bonus: he wasn't so mad at me afterward! Extra bonus: his BG was 91. Woo hoo!!

 

Double woo hoo!