Help me use a glucometer, please!!

So, Romeo has been on the insulin for about a week. The vet suggested that I use the (Accucheck) glucometer to do a curve - four times in one day.

Well, that's super. I can't pin my cat down. When I finally do, I prick his poor little ear and no blood comes out. I gave up and called the vet and she said she would prefer I do it at home so his stress levels are lower. I am NOT A VET! I am a catmommy who does not want to torture her cat.

My cat is 20 pounds and clawed and I live alone. This is a pain in the #*! and I don'twant to traumatize Romeo or myself.

Any ideas? Is there some place that's easier to get blood from? The vet suggested I throw the lancer thingie away and just use hypodermic needles. Any ideas? Please?

Also, what if I can't do a curve? What if I can only get his blood once (and even that I'm beginning to wonder about!)

AGH!

 

Where are you located? City/State? It is possible that someone who lives near you can come and show you how to test...

Here are several videos that show how to home test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6iXetR398

Also, when testing ears, (I would think paws, too), it helps for them to be warm, first. One way to warm up an ear/paw easily and painlessly is with a warmed rice sock.

Get an old sock - pour about 1/3 cup of rice into the toe, then tie a know in it right above the rice.
Cut off any floppy excess that is in the way. Warm the sock in the microwave until it is toasty - NOT burning hot.
Place kitty into a comfortable position and then hold the suck to the underside of the kitty's ear until the ear is warm.
Sometimes it helps to also lightly, but briskly rub the edge of the ear near the vein to help with the blood flow while the sock is in place warming the ear.

~M

 

Here are my testing tips...

1. Pet your kitty and massage the ear while you are petting him or use a rice sock to warm his ears.

2. Find a place with good light to do the testing. I used a section of my kitchen counter because it's a good height and has under cabinet lights. I put a towel down on the counter. Some people get the cat in between their legs while kneeling on the floor. Others use a couch or chair and put the cat between them and the arm. Others test in their lap. I sometimes tested Maggie in her bed.

3. Set out everything you need before getting your cat. I put the tesing strip part way into the meter, cock the pen.

4. Put a very thin smear of vaseline on the ear to help the blood bead up and not flow into the hair. I would talk to her and tell her she was being a very good girl.

5. Put something firm behind the ear - I used a waded up paper towel. It gives a firm base to work on, and keeps you from getting poked. It's handy to put light pressure on the spot after it bleeds. A little pressure will stop the bleeding and reduced bruising.

6. Most lancet pens have adjustment for depth. I started with it almost at the deepest. I worked down to the next to the smallest. Some people don't use the pen, they use the lancet free-hand.

7. Hold the ear firmly or you'll get the dreaded "ear flick" that send little spots of blood all over!

8. Some people use their fingernail to "scoop" up the blood drop, and test from the nail.

9. Don't forget the treats!


It takes time to get the technique down that will work the best for you. And If you're tense, your cat will be tense. So breathe and try to relax. Don't give up. After a while it will become second nature. And Maggie would actually purr during her test, so I know it didn't hurt her. The thing she disliked the most seemed to be holding the glucometer up to her ear - I think it tickled.

 

Here is a link with lots of information: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

 

Have patience, you can do this. It is often difficult the first few times you hometest, but it will not take long to learn. Here are some hints to make it easier.

1) Always reward your cat with a treat, even if you are not successful in getting blood. Soon your cat will associate getting tested with getting treats and may start reminding you it is time to test. :mrgreen:

2) Spend a minute warming up the ear by either massaging it towards the tip or using a warm rice sock to help get the blood flowing.

3) If you are using the lancet device that came with the meter, many people find it is easier to use the lancet freehand instead. It is just a matter of personal preference on which one gives you the best control.

4) Ears need to learn to bleed. If you prick it and it is not bleeding, try massaging it to help the blood to flow.

5) Try to relax. You cat will pick up on your stress and become stressed also. You can do this, it just takes practice and some patience.

6) Reward your self afterwards, even if you are not successful. A cup of cocoa or piece of chocolate is a good reward you testing your cat.

 

Hi, it's Sara right? Take a deep breath. We have all been where you are and understand how frustrating it can be.

Yeahhh! for your Vet for being on board with home testing. She is absolutely right and it will get easier from here.

Have you tried warming Romeo's ear with a rice sock? Put about 1/2 cup uncooked rice in the toe of a cotton sock and tie the end. Warm it in the microwave about 15 seconds and rub his ear with it, warm ears bleed better.

I threw away the Lancer too, I use the little plastic lancet inside of it, I poke Harley's ear freehand. I can see better that way and have better aim.

There are videos and links to helpful hints but unfortunately I'm not tech savy enough to link them here for you but other can and they will be by soon.

Hometesting Romeo won't traumatize him. He will get used to it. Especially if he gets a treat with every test. Treat yourself too. A piece of chicken for Romeo and a piece of chocolate for you.

Hang in there, there are a ton of very knowledgable people here to help you, this will all start getting easier very soon.

I see help has already arrived, boy do I type slow!

Good luck,
Robin

 

Thank you all! You are very knowledgeable about this!

I will certainly try these. He's a little skittish so I may have to try kneeling over him.

My vet had said no treats - so, is it ok to give him a treat? I know he's certainly not hypoglycemic - he's running away from me! (Thank God for that!)

What happens if I can't get it four times? Is it ok to just get it as many times as I humanly can? And just to be certain, I feed him FIRST, then take blood, right? Do I give him his insulin shot first, too?

 

It is best to get the blood test before food has digested -- so before eating or right when you put the food down if it helps distract while you test.

injection after or during food. -- need to make sure kitty has a good appetite and not going to puke before giving the shot.

None of my diabetic cats have been pukers, so we inject while they are eating.


most treats are high carb -- treats are ok in limited quantities or if they are low carb (like freeze dried meat or boiled or raw chicken)

 

Here is a list of low carb healthy treats: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172

Don't worry about how many times you can get right now. Just aim for getting the hang of successfully testing.

Always test twice a day, before each injection. That is the very minimum. Write down all of the blood glucose numbers you get. This can be as simple as a pad of paper or as techincal as a spreadsheet (such as the Google one many people here use). The numbers won't make much sense for awhile but as you keep testing and get more blood glucose numbers, you'll see how your cat is responding to the insulin.

 

One of the tricks I've used with Eeyore (who was a squirmy boy) was to "roll" his ears between my fingers as I knelt down over him. Once I was kneeling, I slid his (squirmy) body back so his bottom touched my feet. Then I gently closed my knees over his (squirmy) body, and then kiss his head while at the same time looking at his ear and deciding which one I would use right now.

I would poke very, very close to the outside of the ear, almost on the edge. And if there wasn't any blood I'd gently squeeze his ear to get some. I always use the lancer device; and I always have my finger behind his ear so there's something to poke against.

And know this - just now, I poked him, took blood, and kissed him...all without him moving while he was laying sprawled out on the bed...on his back. He is no longer a squirmy boy, and totally accepts this as part of his day to day routine.

In other words, over time, it really, really does get easier. One thing which really helps is practicing on yourself - not necessarily testing the blood, but how it feels, how it moves, and what it sounds like on yourself before you take it to kitty.

Don't worry if you can't get it right off - most of us are not vets and/or Drs. I'm a student nurse, so it's pretty easy for me; but that's because I'm used to all this on people.

Just practice, practice, practice...and know that in the end, you'll have a cat that will let the petsitter test (mine do...for two different sitters!).

Best-
Michele

 

When I started home testing, Bandit would squirm and fight and not hold still. I went out and bought a basket and 2 or 3 small fleece blankets. I padded the bottom of the basket with two of them to make it comfy, and left the third blanket out of the basket. At test time I'd plop him in the basket, and use the remaining blanket to wrap him like a burrito so he couldn't get away from me, and he got some freeze-dried salmon from Petsmart (low carb treat) after every test. Pretty soon he started jumping in his basket when he heard me turn the meter on, and I didn't have to use the blanket anymore. He loves the basket now, and sleeps there all the time. :smile:

 

and never show kitty it was a failed attempt. kitty should think each attempt was a success with lots of luvin's, good kitty, and treats (treats after test) he needs to associate it with a good time with you.
you might try free hand. that what i do. just the lancet a cotton ball on the other side of the ear and poke.
are you comfortable with a telephone walk thru.
lori

 

I can only comensurate, I am right there with you. I managed to get enough blood and get it on the strip only once. A basket huh? How is that different then her kitty bed? She used to sleep in that all the time as it was beside me here in the computer room, but now just lays on the floor. This is a awesome place to get help, goodness knows what would have happened to Baby without these people, my vet sure doesn't know much and what she does know is told advice and terrible. But I knew better and use the advice from here.
Lynn

 

I got the basket because the sides of Bandit's kitty bed weren't high enough to keep him contained. But if you have a kitty bed with high sides that will contain your kitty, by all means use that. A plastic container or a dishpan the cat's size would work, too. I'm glad I got the basket, though...Bandit loves the thing now and spends half the day sleeping in there. :smile: