Hometesting newbie

I've watched many videos and wow... all of these cats are so CALM.
Midnight isn't calm yet but I'm sure he will be once we find our routine and he gets used to the process
Any advice on how to calm will be appreciated.

 

Hi again, Kim!
Try desensitizing exercises. Bring him to testing spot a couple times a day (so if you work try before leaving and in the evening, and extra on weekends) just play with his ears for as long as he'll tolerate. When he gets down, have a treat ready. Djamila's kitty Sam was semi-feral I believe or maybe just a squirmer so hopefully she'll chime in for you too. There are also Feliway wipes if he's more anxious. A warm towel or blanket works on some kitties. Sorry I'm just rambling some ideas before I head out

Definitely want to give a treat if you try to test, even if it's a failed test. It's always extra helpful if they are food motivated and will positively associate the routine with a treat. If he's not big on treats, any positive reward can work: chin scritches, grooming, playing

 

Good advice from Yong. Freeze dried meat treats work well for this if your kitty is food motivated. There are quite a few people on FDMB who never thought they'd be able to have their kitty tolerate testing but learned over time how to manage it. Some had to use the "kitty burrito" technique.

 

This is hard but I know it'll get easier for both of us and I'm not about to give up. His health is just too important.
I'm overwhelmed and scared at the moment because I've yet to get a good sample from him this morning. I've tried 3 times and had to walk away and take a deep breath and break for the moment so both of us can regroup. I'm too scared/concerned to give him ANY insulin without knowing his glucose first and he hasn't had insulin since Saturday morning because I can't get blood....
I refuse to give up... I love ❤️ him too much. He deserves to be as healthy as possible.

 

1. Are his ears warm?
2. Are your lancets large enough in gauge (26-28 G)?
3. Have you tried rubbing his ear gently but vigorously to stimulate more blood flow?
4. Have you tried stroking his ear firmly from its base toward the tip to direct more blood toward the lancet puncture?
5. Are you wrap his ear tautly around your finger to keep the skin tight for better piercing?

Just a few things to try after you've had a breather. It's very nerve-wracking at first but try to adopt a very calm, clinical, business-like attitude even if you don't feel it - "We're going to get this done, Midnight!"

 

Hi Kris,
His ears are warm but my lancets are 30 gauge. I need the 28's. I'm also doing it freehand so I have more control and a better visual of where to poke. Maybe I need a device until I'm better at this? The videos make it look so easy lololol.
I was using treats yesterday but I don't have any all protein ones yet and with as many times as I poked yesterday therefore many treats I panicked that I was giving to many.
Poor guy, he's just now circled back to me and I'm sure it's because his body is telling him he's hungry.
I haven't fed him yet this morning because I want the test done first so I can give insulin if needed.

 

And bless his ❤️... he's the most loving and affectionate cat I've ever known. I'll be glad for both of us when we find our routine.

Yes, I've massaged his ears upwards to try and get more blood to the top and yes to wrapping his ear around my finger.

The more I think about it, the more I realize I need 28 gauge with a device.

I'm going to go ahead and feed him and not give insulin so he'll go potty so I can get fresh urine sample to the vet for his UTI... they won't prescribe anything until they have a urine test.
When I bring urine to vet I'll get 28's and device and try testing again for his evening meal.

 

I freehand the pokes too because I like to see where the lancet enters. I've never tried using the device. Maybe it would be the thing that works best for you. You could try it on yourself first to get a feel for it - no pun intended.

 

Kim- Hang in there! You're going to get this!

I freehand poke too. It sounds like you've already been doing some reading about all of this, which is great. Have you already seen the picture that shows the "sweet spot" for where to poke? Their ears do bleed better as time goes on, so just remember that every poke - even if it doesn't result in a test - is still working towards making this better.

The larger lancets will really help. And when you say his ears are warm, are you warming them with something? Or they just feel warm to the touch? Many of us put some uncooked rice in a sock, heat in the microwave, and then use that to warm their ears. I've found that to be super helpful.

After you poke, you may need to massage the ear a little more to get the blood to actually come out. This is especially true if the cat is a bit dehydrated (a common state in newer diabetics since they are drinking a lot, but peeing it all out). Starts at the base of the ear, and rub upward toward the poke site.

And yes, Sam was feral when I got him. This whole process has gone a long way towards taming him, but when we first started, it was comical watching me run around the house trying to coax him out for testing. And then trying to figure out how to get the test without him feeling like I was holding him down, because if he felt confined he would go into attack mode. I never thought we were going to get it figured out, but now he's super sweet about it (most of the time).

 

Hi Djamila and thank you for the reply and advice. Yes, I've been reading a lot. I'm like a sponge right now lolol.
I do know about the sweet spot and that's where I'm poking.
His ears are warm to the touch and he does let me massage them. I'll try the warm rice later today.
Fortunately I live in a small apartment so I don't have to chase him far

 

OK - I need to admit I'm terrified of needles! So yes - hubby is giving my David his insulin shots. I am working on handling the needles and watching the process - big step for me....but it's for our baby so I need to get over it! lol. So now - the home testing - David was diagnosed 2 weeks ago and is due to go into the vet to have his sugar tested again tomorrow evening....which as everyone knows, stresses him out immensely. And how crazy to only have a reading once a week!

I am a type 2 diabetic so I own a tester - but I am thinking the gauge lancet is too small from what I am reading? I have heard people buying the Relion from Walmart. And the sweet spot - the exterior side of the vein in the ear? I have watched several youtube videos and I have seen people aim at the vein - and others aim at the very edge of the ear. eeek!

Newbie Hometesters Unite! lol - help! Thank you in advance everyone!

 

If you already have a glucometer, there's really no reason to buy another one, unless you use yours to store and average the data in which case you probably don't want your kitty's numbers messing it up!

The best spot to test is the one that works. I've heard that hitting the vein causes more pain, but my kitty acts like the world is ending wherever I poke him, so I'm not sure it matters all that much. They do tend to bleed a lot if you hit the vein though, so I avoid it.

You might want to start your own thread on here and we can help you and your hubby get started with a spreadsheet and anything else you might need.

 

Home testing is tough at first...but you and kitty really do get used to it! A few suggestions:

• Grab a flashlight and look at your kitty's ear with it...that helps you see where the vein is. The sweet spot should be fine, but it REALLY helped me to actually see the vein in Gypsy so I knew where I was aiming.
• If you're having trouble getting blood, try 2 quick pokes side by side. I would just do it real fast so it felt like 1 poke...that helped me get more blood since there was more room for it to come out. Over time, more capillaries will grow and you won't need to do that, but it takes time...we call it the ear learning to bleed.
• Definitely choose one testing spot that you use...and use special treats that are ONLY for testing. He'll come running before you know it!
• If you try to get blood 3 times in a row and don't get any, walk away as you did! Give a treat anyway, then take 10 minutes or so for you both to have a break. The more you try the more nervous and upset you'll get, so a little break will help you both stay calm!
• Don't forget a nice treat for YOURSELF! Wine or chocolate (or chocolate wine...my favorite!) are great suggestions.

 

Thank you Rachel!

 

I tried the device one time and both myself and Chloe jumped at the sound, so that was the end of that.

 

Here is how we use our device to poke Gandalfs ear! We found it a bit hard to freehand with just the lancet, it is so small. So we just use the device without the "cap" and without the mechanism!

 

I did the same! I found it easier to hold the lancet in the device, but I didn't want the clicking noise, so I freehand poked using the device to hold the lancet.

 

I do the same

 

Me too! Great minds ....

 

Don't be afraid to poke all the way through. You've got this.