? Alternates for testing glucose levels?

Hi everyone!

I posted in the intro thread, and I've been reading threads and FAQs here like crazy since my cat Chim was diagnosed. First off, let me say again that this site has been HUGELY helpful. The first thing I did when I got off the phone with the vet was google "feline diabetes," which led me here. There has been so much information and everyone here has such a wealth of knowledge, I feel really, really lucky to have ended up here. THANK YOU!

That said... Chim hasn't started insulin yet, though we've got an appointment at the vet tomorrow (3/9) for the insulin demo and to get his dosage all squared away. He'll be on Lantus, which was recommended by the vet as the "best" option. In the meantime, I've been transitioning him from dry food to canned Fancy Feast after seeing so many people recommend that instead of the prescription food. (He thinks this is awesome, BTW - FF or any canned food was an occasional "treat" before now, so he's pretty sure he's won some kind of jackpot. )

My vet did recommend that, if my boyfriend and I were comfortable, we should home-test his glucose levels and do our own glucose curves because having them done there is so expensive. When we went to get the insulin and syringes from Walmart, I also picked up a OneTouch meter with the test strips and lancets, and I've been trying to check his glucose levels pretty often, just to get an idea of where he's at.

So far, I've only been able to get a good reading a few times using one of his ears. The first time I did it, it took a couple of tries - I did fill an old sock with some rice and heat it in the microwave, which seemed to help. After that, I've had a hard time doing it by myself - it's been working better for Charles to hold him and warm his ear and then I'll do the actual sticking and testing piece. Still, I don't know if I'm being overly cautious or what, because it seems like I'm having less and less luck.

Tonight, we must've poked his ears eight or nine times only to finally get ONE good reading. A few hours later (and three more test strips down the drain with "insufficient sample" errors), I can't even get enough of a blood bead for the meter to read anything but an error code. I feel like I'm torturing him having to poke him half a dozen times and not get anywhere.

I've seen some people mention testing on the paw pads? I've been hesitant to do that because it seems like it would be much more difficult than the ear. Chim's a pretty relaxed guy normally, but after a few pokes he gets a bit irritated. He's never really liked having his feet messed with much at all, so I can't imagine sticking him with a needle is going to go over very well. Does anyone have any tips/tricks for getting a good reading from the ear? What size/gauge lancet should we be using? (I got what I think is the smallest one - would going up from the 33 gauge to maybe the 30 help?)

He still seems to be doing okay - he's as talkative as ever, and just as energetic when we go for the food bowl. But I'm still paranoid that I'm not doing enough. Any suggestions or ideas would be super helpful, if only to ease my mind. Thanks so much!!

 

There are a ton of videos on Youtube here.
You'll find a lot of testing tips in this post.

While you work on blood glucose testing, take a look at my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools.

 

Larger gauge lancets will help A LOT! Look for the ones labeled "alternative site"- I think they're 26 or 28 gauge. Once his ears learn to bleed a bit better, you can go to something a bit smaller - but I'd stay away from the 33ga.

 

Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too! (substitute "him" for "her"....LOL)

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 her there as many times a day as you can and just give her ears a quick rub and then she 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 her to hurt her...you're testing her to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside her 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 her 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

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 she really enjoys will help her 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!

Does it say how much of a sample is needed to test? That may be part of the reason you're getting so many error messages. You might want to consider going back to WalMart and looking for a Relion Confirm or Micro meter....not only does it take the smallest sample size, the strips are much more affordable than most other meters (only $35.88 per 100) The Confirm or Micro meters are favorites around here!

Look for "Alternate site testing" lancets that are 25-28 gauge....as you poke more and more, his ears will grow in new capillaries and will "learn to bleed" and then you can go back to the smaller lancets

Next time you need insulin, you might want to consider buying it from Canada. A LOT of us are doing it now because of the insane cost of Lantus. There's more information on the place we're all buying from in this post from the Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies thread

 

Some people do have better luck with the paw pads, but it's very much up to the cat. Most cats will accept ear testing once they're used to it, but you could try it....it does sound like he might be a little touchy about having his paws fooled with though but until you try it, you'll never know!

My worry with pawpad testing has always been infection....It's not likely, but the idea of poking a hole in China's paw and having her walk through the litter box always made me worry

 

BJM - thanks for the links! I'll definitely take a look at the YouTube videos. I watched a couple before about testing on the ear, but I don't remember hearing anything about the lancet size or anything like that, which was why I figured it was best to ask.

Andy & Pimp - I'll get some larger gauge lancets. I didn't even think about the size of them really when I got them. The meter I picked up has a "lancing device" included (which I haven't used because the instruction booklet says it's only for use on a fingertip) that works with 30 or 33 gauge, so I grabbed that without thinking. ^_^;

Chris & China - Thanks so much for the information! I think I might look for the Relion meter. The test strips for the one I have are WAY more expensive, and it must need a bigger sample size because I've been throwing more of them away than anything. I have seen mentions of ordering the insulin from Canada, so I'll definitely be going that route in the future. I was worried this first time about not being able to get it in time for the vet appointment.