Having hard time testing for BG

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Susan & Claudio, Sep 20, 2019.

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  1. Susan & Claudio

    Susan & Claudio Member

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    Sep 20, 2019
    I know how important testing for BGs is. But I am having a really hard time doing it. I have tried several times. I FINALLY got enough blood after poking him 4 times. He was NOT happy !! Seems when I poke, I can never get enough blood. I have read/tried all the tips to no avail. He just doesn't seem to bleed enough. I got a Contour Next meter. Only needs .6 drop of blood.
    He is now leery about coming out to eat. He avoids me as much as possible. And this is the cat who used to be up my butt 24/7. So for now, I stopped testing. It's more important that he eats. He does let me inject him. Belligerently, but he doesn't fight me. Thinking I need to get a different size guage. I am currently using a 30 guage. Maybe a 26 ?
     
  2. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Apr 3, 2018
    Hi Susan, yes about the lancet gauge. We recommend starting with a 26 or 28 gauge lancet until a kitty's ears learn to bleed. The more you poke the ear, the more capillaries form to "heal" the prick and it gets much easier to get the blood sample.

    Here is some information by Chris & China (GA) on getting a cat used to the testing process:

    Here's something I wrote up for others for testing...maybe it'll help you too!

    It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you.

    Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

    You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

    It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

    For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number

    Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

    Perhaps going through the process repeatedly will teach Claudio that this isn't the worst thing that can happen to him. We found that the treat before and after really helped our process. Idjit still isn't a big fan of testing, but we don't test every day, so it's no longer "routine". But..he still always sticks around and waits for that treat afterward.

    Here is a link to some testing tips and videos and a fellow NJ (JanetNJ) member made this wonderful video of her testing her cat C.C. How to test your cat's bg at home: Video I made showing how to test your cat's blood sugar

    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
     
  3. CandyH & Catcat

    CandyH & Catcat Well-Known Member

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    Apr 23, 2019
    possibly you'll need to "condition" him again, taking or coaxing him to the testing spot, messing with his ears then giving a treat, but NOT testing
    or getting him to the test spot, give him a treat, pet him however he likes, then walk away
    or any combo of those

    same with eating -- put food down then mess with ears, but don't test; mess with ears then put food down and stop, brush the body of the lancet along his ears but don't prick, and so on and so on ...

    I was lucky -- Catcat is always hungry and he's happy to eat most anything -- other cats aren't as good about it -- I just have to put up with occasionally being swatted, clawed, or bitten
     
  4. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2016
    Your meter takes a larger drop of blood (0.6) than some (0.3).
    A larger gauge lancet will help. It does get easier. I promise.
    Here is a diagram showing the sweet spot.
    sweetspot.JPG
     
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  5. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Aug 9, 2019
    Hi Susan, so sorry you're having trouble testing. I test using Pansy's foot. I do this by wrapping her in a towel like a baby, and holding her on her back. I sit in a chair by the kitchen table, cradle her, with my supplies prepped and ready to go. I use Neosporin with pain relief to grease up several toes. I load the alphatrak with a test strip, then poke with the clicky lancet thing. Next I gently squeeze her toe. Sometimes I have to poke 2 or 3 times or try different toes. She usually stays calm and I can get a good drop and BG test. When test is complete i gently rub her paws and release her. I hope this helps. Sometimes it's nice to have a few methods for doing things...and different pokey places! Good luck!
     
  6. Susan & Claudio

    Susan & Claudio Member

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    Sep 20, 2019
    Thanks for the tips/tricks. Right now, the hardest part is getting him to come out from under the bed, behind the sofa, or whever he may be hiding. I'm going to get a different testing meter. Looking for one that wiill read with a smaller amount of blood than I am using now. Which is 0.6. Maybe needing a smaller amount of blood will mean less poking. I am open to suggestions. As much as I tried explaining to him, he still doesn't understand why I need to poke him. Geez !!:confused: Hopefully, one day this uncooperation on his part will be a memory. I look forward to be encouraging to other newcomers. But for now... one day at a time.
     
  7. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Apr 3, 2018
    I know, I have spent wasted hours trying to explain things to Idjit and just keep getting that blank look and then the view of fluffy pantaloons and upright tail walking away from me!

    Just keep working on the practicing part, with treats (something he gets goofy about) and hopefully the idea will get across. Yes, one day at a time, sometimes all you get is one step at a time. We know about that. LOL

    I wish you could get the ReliOn Confirm or Micro still (Arkray Glucocard 01), only required 0.3 sample but Walmart in their great wisdom discontinued those meters/strips. If you could find one somehow you can still get the correct strips that will work from ADW, Amazon, others, online, and even some Walmart stores still have some stock on closeout sales. Other members may have suggestions for meters that require less blood also and use strips that you don't have to mortgage the house to afford.

    The ears will learn to bleed with consistent testing and it really does get easier to get the blood sample, but he has to let you get to that point. Back to the blackboard. :confused::cat:
     
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  8. Susan & Claudio

    Susan & Claudio Member

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    Sep 20, 2019
    Going to Wally World soon. I'll see what they have. And I can get the smaller guage lancets there also.
     
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  9. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2018
    Susan, look closely not only at the blood sample size, but the price of the testing strips. Like another member said so recently, it's like a printer and ink.. sometimes the printer is really cheap and the ink is where they get ya.
     
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  10. Susan & Claudio

    Susan & Claudio Member

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    Sep 20, 2019
    Idjit's Mom, thanks for the heads up. Guess I better take my glasses then :bookworm:
     
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  11. Susan & Claudio

    Susan & Claudio Member

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    Sep 20, 2019
    What a waste of time. The Walmart near me only had 30 guage lancets. They did have a relion meter, but no testing strips. They didn't if/when they would get more strips in. So that was a bust. I'll try Walgrenns tomorrow to see what they have. This cat will make a drinker out of me yet, lol.
     
  12. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Apr 3, 2018
    so sorry the shopping trip was unsuccessful. Hope Walgreen's has the 26/28 gauge lancets at least. Maybe try looking Walmart online to see if you can get what you need. That's how I got my ReliOn meter and strips.
     
  13. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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    May 10, 2013
  14. Susan & Claudio

    Susan & Claudio Member

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    Sep 20, 2019
    I got the 26 guage lancets. Yippee !! I will try a blood test tonight.
     
    Red & Rover (GA) likes this.
  15. April & Quincy

    April & Quincy Member

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    Sep 6, 2019
    I feel your pain Susan, I really truly do. I only started BG testing a few weeks ago and at first it went fine but within the last few days it's all falling apart. I prick and poke and nothing happens and I feel so bad. Last night I poked 4 times to no avail so I gave up because I just couldn't keep putting him through it. The clicky lancet thing seems to pierce directly through his ear so I gave up on using that but the lancet by itself ... I don't know. His ears are fickle apparently. One jab and no bleeding and the next jab and tons of blood. It's seems all so hit or miss and I hate it. I would much rather give insulin injections all day long.

    Anyway, I am going through the same thing except he doesn't quite hate me like Claudio hates you...yet. I sense we're getting there since last night he hid under the dresser for quite some time. I read the person's comment who posted about poking the "fingers". I wonder if that hurts? It seems like it would be more painful than the ears but what do I know? I'm new as well...
     
  16. Randy Arsenault

    Randy Arsenault New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2019
    I am pretty new to this all myself, and I have had 4 fails vs 2 successes. On my 2 successes, I did them differently then I did the 4 fails so I will share what I was doing and maybe it will help.

    Meter: OneTouch Verio (0.4 sample size I believe)
    Lancet: 30 guage

    In both of my successes, I used a cotton pad (The ones my wife uses to take off makeup) that I ran under warm water and squeezed out. I put this on the underside of her ear, and used it as a support as I poked with the lancet. I then rubbed from the base of her ear towards the hole to squeeze a little extra blood out of the hole to give a sufficient sample.

    As I said, I have only had 2 successes, but they were both using this method so take that as you will. I tried the rubbing of the ears to warm them up (Fail both times), and I tried the rice in a sock (Fail both times as she just kept moving her ear and did not like it at all). The key from what I am reading is the warming of the ears to get the blood flowing, and its just a matter of figuring out a technique that works for you and your cat. Good Luck!
     
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  17. April & Quincy

    April & Quincy Member

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    Sep 6, 2019
    Thanks! I have been using a cotton ball behind the ear when I prick. First I warm it up with a pill bottle with warm water for 30-ish seconds, then I poke, and hold a high-powered flashlight to see the blood drop since it seems the rooms in my house just aren't that bright! Well, the bathroom is but it's not the greatest for this activity. Anyway, I only instituted the flashlight yesterday and it worked really good! I feel like I'm still piercing through the ear so that sucks. I honestly wonder, and maybe I'll post it somewhere else, if piercing through hurts a lot more than just the prick. Because I seem to suck at not piercing through.
     
  18. Randy Arsenault

    Randy Arsenault New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2019
    Not sure the lancet device you are using, but the one I have has a depth adjustment. If you feel like you are going thru, you can dial it back a bit until you find a depth that allows the blood to come out, but not go through.
     
  19. April & Quincy

    April & Quincy Member

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    Sep 6, 2019
    No, mine doesn't adjust depth at all, it's just a needle basically. I thought I went through but like twenty minutes later I checked out his ear and while he did have a scab on the part I pierced, there was no hint of it going through on the other side. So maybe it did a baby bit? I don't know.
     
  20. Jill & Pansy Panini

    Jill & Pansy Panini Member

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    Aug 9, 2019
    Hi April,
    Pansy usually doesn't flinch when I poke her toes but she does seem to get annoyed about being held on her back for too long, so I try to do a quick poke (setting 5 on clicky thing), encourage a drop of blood, dip the test strip, pray for the beep...and it's time to put her down and give her a freeze dried salmon treat.
     
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