Ear pricks

jose let me stab her four times & only once got a little bit of blood. i got her twice w/out the lancet pen with no blood. tried the lancet pen twice & got a little dribble. & the last time i had the pen on the deepest setting. so now i've wasted five lancets (had to try it on myself first) & three test strips. & she didn't even flinch. i have watched the videos on line (very helpful just to see how the kitties are so easy with it). are there any common first-time-errors? i did warm her ear. i'm guessing i am going to get a lot of practice makes perfect. good thing she is a sweet girl.

 

It is very rare that a newbie gets blood on the first few attempts so you aren't alone there. Things that may or may not make it easier: Make sure the ear is good and warm, use a flashlight to see exactly where you are aiming for, and firmly backing the ear with something, personally even though I don't use the rice sock to warm Musette's ears anymore unless it is really chilly, I do still use it to back her ear when I do the pokies. Oh and lastly always remember the treats, even if you aren't successful in getting enough blood. Treats go a long ways in making Jose want to be tested.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

what kind of treats are recommended? i used to give her whiskas temptations, but is that off limits now because of the "no dry rule". i used to boil chicken breast for a cat when he had an upset stomach. & they all like the people canned white chicken meat, or chicken or turkey lunch meat.

 

I'm new also, so i have no magic words of wisdom, but i know how frustrating the ear prick thing is. I'm sure i hate it more than she does and i just have to remember it's an art and it's the best means to the end result we all want.

i can't get the lancet contraption to work either and ya, of course it works on me so my hand is like a pin cushion, but i just don't like it, so i do it by hand. got great advice though a few days ago, make sure kitty gets a treat when you are done so it ends on a positive note. i started using freeze dried chicken bits, just one or two after and it makes mine MUCH more amenable when it's "that time" again.
i think youtube probably has lots of videos too, maybe something there will be helpful?
good luck!

 

It just takes practice, you'll get the hang of it. Most cat's ears do have to 'learn' to bleed with every prick so don't get discouraged. I do use a rice sock it KT's ear edges are cold. I use the lancet device, used deepest setting for first 2 months or so. I use a cosmetic pad wrapped over my finger to do the lance, you need something that won't let the ear 'dip' instead of lance. You'll get used to automatically 'aiming' for the right area.

Treats- I give KT freeze dried chicken and freeze dried liver from the dog section of PetSmart. The big bag is $14 or so but it's MUCH more economical than the small bags at about $4. There are fdried treats in cat section but they're pricier - the dogs are just larger bits which I break up. Don't waste that powder in the bottom either!

Hugs,

 

It is OK to reuse the lancet if the first prick did not get enough blood. I would start with the pen at its deepest settings. Make sure that you firmly backup backup the ear when you prick. Otherwise the lancet will deflect vice penetrate the ear.

 

If you absolutely have to, aim for the small vein you can see on the edge.
It may bleed profusely (why we don't like to use it), so you'll need to apply pressure after testing to keep it from bruising.
And don't wear anything you can't have stained - one good ear flick and the droplet will go flying.

 

Try the other side of the ear. That so-called "sweet spot" never worked for us. I used the edge of Boo's ear nearer to the top of his head instead.

 

Here's a list of low carb treats: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172

Plain boiled chicken with or without the cooking water is fine, too :smile:

You need to get the ear really really warm. What are you using to warm the ear with? A "rice sock" works great. Heat it into the microwave until really warm but not so hot that it will burn your cat's ear or your hand. Try 10 seconds and adjust the time as needed. Apply the warm rice sock to the ear for a good 30 seconds or so. Wrap the rice sock around the edge of the ear and hold. You can even gently press the rice sock down a bit to make sure that the ear gets warmed up. Then prick to get blood.

Some lancet devices just don't work well. Which one are you using? Have you tried all the depth settings?

 

i have not tried the rice sock. her ear feels so warm and i have been rubbing it. i will try the rice sock.

the lancet device came with the relion meter. it works really well on my finger & the last time i tried her ear i used my finger as back up instead of a papertowel and i could feel it a bit. & yes have it on the highest/deepest setting.

i never use one of her insulin needles more than once, but could a lancet be used twice?

thanks for the all of the words of encouragement and advice.

 

You can use a lancet twice.

Try a small pill bottle filled with hot water to put up next to his ear. It warms the ear and gives you a good surface to poke against. Often, in the beginning, their ears need to be really warm

 

In 1 session, I might use the lancet more than once if I don't hit some blood.

I will not re-use a lancet in a later session, as it has been contaminated by bodily fluids, and is potentially risking infection to do so.

 

True, BJ. I was thinking a quick second poke.

 

demoralized. used the rice sock this morning. had it on her for a minute - i think she liked the warmth. my husband held the flashlight. she even has a nice little pool/puddle of blood in her left ear toward the base. i thought if i could hit that i would surely get blood. i get nothing! i did her free hand & with the lancet pen. am i supposed to be aiming directly for the veins running through her ears? i actually have to get a direct hit?

can i shave her arm(she'll let me) & try to stab her near where the vet draws blood? or is that an artery they get? or would it cause blood to spew everywhere?
AAARRGGHHHH! it is just so frustrating! i finally got the nerve to try (this is our third session of attempts), she doesn't mind & NADA!

thanks to everyone though. this place is amazing!

 

If you need to go for the vein to be successful, go ahead.

Some folks use one of the paw pads, like the one on the back of the wrist.

 

What size lancet? The ones that usually come with meters are for humans and tend to be too small for diabetic cats, in the beginning. You might try a 26-28 gauge lancet (Ask at the pharmacy - you want the ones that match your device) so you get a bigger hole. You can also double poke- just a quick second poke in the same spot.

I know it is discouraging but it will happen. We spent an entire weekend poking poor Oliver before we got a drop. For us, the secret was a bigger lancet and heating the ear well.

 

Glucometers are made to read capillary blood rather than venous blood. You can hit the vein directly, but the number you get can be higher due to coming directly from a vein, according to this:
http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/meters.html#anchor19614

I guess as long as you take that into consideration and not read it as "higher", you're okay.

Also, we talk a lot about the "20% meter variance allowed by the FDA, and some people wonder if that applies no matter how high or low the BG reading is (ie: does it mean that it's off by 20% at 400 AND at 80?). I found this, which I think may be helpful to know: (from the same website)

Hard to read that chart (can't figure out how to space the columns), but you can see the wide variance at really high ranges, but very accurate when you get down into the low numbers. All that data came from using a Bayer Elite meter.

I found all this off of this site, which has all sorts of links to FD info, including listing FDMB as the #1 link under "Feline Diabetes" links.
http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgtest.htm

 

Here's a lancet comparision chart: http://www.walgreens.com/marketing/library/centers/diabetes/lancets.jsp

A 28 gauge lancet works well. Some brands of lancet devices do not have 28 gauge lancets, though. You can buy a new lancet device and matching 28 gauge lancets (the AccuChek SoftClix works really well on cats) or just buy 28 gauge lancets and freehand them without the device.

I find that it helps to hold the rice sock firmly under the ear while you firmly press the lancet device against the other side of the ear and press the device button to get the blood.

Lancet devices have multiple depth settings. Try a higher depth setting. Some lancet devices have a clear "alternative testing" cap. If yours does, swap out the solid cap for the clear cap so you can see where you are poking.

 

Sorry, this made me laugh out loud, literally! Isn't it incredible (and everyone is this way at first) that we go from "I finally got the nerve to do this" and "but won't it hurt kitty to poke his little ears?", to "stab" and "spew" overnight?
Welcome to the Vampire Club!

Carl

 

thanks for that, Carl. busted a gut. and btw, i love LOVE your signature.

 

My cat, Miss Kitty was diagnosed with diabetes about three weeks ago. I find that singing a silly little song helps to lighten the mood and distract Kitty. I sing to her from start to finish and alternate between rubbing her ear and affectionately rubbing her forehead. Of course, lots of praise and freeze dried chicken treats as a reward help, too.

If you’re calm, they’re calm. I like to test my kitty’s BG an hour after her meal when she’s curled up in her favorite spot and sleepy (aka compliant). Take advantage of when you know kitty will be having “down time” and will be easier to handle.

At first, I had issues getting enough blood from a single prick but attribute it to being too light handed with the lancet. Now, my problem has been that I get too big of a blood sample from directly hitting the vein on the edge of her ear. It’s scary to see more blood than intended but I just keep telling myself (and her) that we’re figuring this out together.

Some days are harder than others but remember, being able to check your cat’s BG is an empowering way to help provide them with the care they need. You can do it!!

 

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