Impossible!!!

I don’t know what kinds of cats everybody has but testing my boy Big is IMPOSSIBLE! I tried both ears with a 26 gauge lansit. I followed the videos. I rubbed his ear, I did it on the top and bottom of them. NOTHING! My vet did the paw and it was a geyser! I’m certain I couldn’t do that. Had hard enough time with the ear. Not sure if I’m looking for help at this point or just venting. To make matters worse I went through the skin and screwed up today’s shot and he’s so stressed he won’t eat. He hid for over an hour when I walked in from work. This is my life. Trying to help a cat that doesn’t want to be helped. Even tested the stupid meter on myself. Uugggh!

 

@Kris & Teasel

 

I have been testing for almost 4 years. An important component is to stay calm, or at least act calm. Even when I miss on the first attempt, I always tell Leo he is being a good boy (because he is a good boy). If I miss after 3 times, then we both get a break.

Some tips:
1) make sure the ear is warm, this is real important
I usually make one hand real warm under almost hot water, then I warm up Leo's ear.

2) massage that ear
Push the blood up into the ear

3) We use a lancing device, and we make sure it is ready and cocked
This lets us get right on the spo

4) Use a folder paper towel backer on the back side of the ear
This helps the ear stay flat for the poke.

5) Poke 1/8" away from the edge of the upper ear

 

This is a pretty new thread on the topic
link here

 

Hi Richard,
I feel your frustration! It can be hard in the beginning to get blood......I remember when I first started I could not get any blood either!
But it does get better. Keep doing all the things suggested and make sure you give Big a treat every item you try testing. Also give yourself a reward.
AsJeff said, try and remain calm....humming a tune often helps. Is Big reacting to what you are doing or how you are reacting?
The ears will eventually bleed for you.
Did you try warming some rice in a sock and holding it against the ear for a minute .....make sure it isn't too hot though..
Good luck....keep trying!
Bron

 

The first week I had A LOT of failed attempts. At that point the capillaries start to grow And it became easier and easier. Don't give up!! Skip the Lancet device and free hand poke. Don't be afraid to poke all the way through.

 

Hang in there!! it gets easier after a while and some (sometimes a lot) failed attempts and don't worry about going all the way through it does heal pretty fast

 

Hi Richard. What you're describing was me two cats and a hundred years ago. I had the good fortune of having cooperative cats, one jumped on the table for me when the time came. It will get better but right now you're doing something you never thought you'd have to do on a cat that used to only get poked once or twice a year at the vet. If it sounds like this is all easy for us it's because some of us have had years of practice. That day will come for you too.
Do everything Jeff said in post #3. I never used a lancing device, instead I free-handed using BD lancets. They're fat, good for people with hand problems. Even after all those years I would still go right through Noah's ear or he would flinch and I'd shred his ear. It's unnatural for a cat to want to do this so confidence and patience is everything.
These are what BD lancets look like, available in all sorts of gauges. I've never tried the paw thing but it is an option. Paw pads are built for all kinds of abuse so don't equate it with pain and obviously keep things clean. Sorry for stating the obvious. Better days ahead right? We've all been there.

 

Thank you all! Going to try again tonight. Wish me luck!

 

Sending you and wishing you the best of lucks, remember to act like you own the thing (even if you are like me all nerves inside and scared to death) attitude is important with our beloved cats otherwise they tend to be a bit abusive

 

Pretty soon you'll be in the club and there's no going back.

 

Ha ha ha ha haaaa!!!!

 

Our animals FEEL our stress! I've found if I feel calm when I test, Kitty is much more co-operative
Take several deep, slow (to the count of 5) breaths thru your nose ,if possible. Exhale even slower (to the count of 6 )thru your nose.
I've been doing yoga 15 years & that's how we were taught to breathe. It has helped me enormously over the years.
It will help you to calm down & Big will relax more too.
I still remind myself, when i get stressed, to BREATHE

Don't give up! You can do this. It just takes Patience & a lot of practice! (we've all been thru this,just like you

 

If you're using Lantus insulin,come over to the Lantus forum. The people there can give you Great advice. They've been dealing with Diabetes for many years & really do have more experience than most vets.

Lantus insulin is a "depot" insulin & needs to be given every 12 hours,not once a day. A lot of Vets are not familiar with it & advise the incorrect dosing & amount!

Hope to see you on the Lantus forum!

 

I used to sing Hush Little Baby to Nigel when I first came home with my bag of medical oddities. Whether it was for him or me it worked.

 

Thank you all. Got some blood, but not enough for a test and then he escaped under the bed. I’ll try again tonight. I want to do the curve on Sunday! I’ll get there. I’m thinking positive thoughts.

 

Positive thoughts are good! It does take awhile for most of us Richard. Those videos are probably of cats that are used to the testing process, but it's a good way to learn how to. It took two of us and many days to begin to get good results. You are just starting, don't be hard on yourself and don't give up. You are doing your best to take good care of Big, and patience is the name of the game with testing.
I was very glad to read that you are dosing Big 2x a day instead of just once. The 12/12 hour cycle is going to give Big more effectiveness and he is going to feel so much better. Everyone is rooting for you and Big!

 

I remember how frustrated, worried, concerned, flabbergasted, I was at the beginning. Oh my. It was like that for most of us. Eventually, J.D. would come to me for his test and sit quietly, and sometimes purr. It does take some time. You will get there.
Treats or baby talk/songs or loving, for every test, successful or not. You will get there.

 

Leoberry is trained well. There is a dedicated blanket in the kitchen for testing.
- I call him over
- he gets on the blanket (because he is such a good boy)
- he gets tested, and the whole time I am telling him he is such a good boy
- then he gets a chicken treat or even a little carb treat (because we cheat sometimes)

The reward part of the testing cycle reinforces good behavior in our kitteh. It might be worth trying with yours too. You can see Leo's "test blanket" near Little Dude in this picture.

 

I don't mean to sound glib but mind set is so very important in all of this.

 

I started using the top of clothes dryer with a towel on it so she could not run away as easily, plus mommy gets on the floor, she can’t get up, lol. Now kitty automatically comes over there for tests because she knows it is the spot where her favorite freeze dried salmon treats magically appear before mommy grabs her ear and pokes it and another treat appears after the poke never in a million years would I have believed it would get so easy from where we started. You will get there.

Remember cats are creatures of habit, get in a good place with testing and it will continue.

 

I was exactly in your shoes just like two months ago. It was ALL SO HARD. Trial and error, patience, a lot of deep breaths...the whole “if at first you don’t succeed...” motto and things have really come a long way for Reece and me. I think one of the best pieces of advice I listened to was to pick a spot for testing/shots and do all of it there. My cat has always liked sitting on the bathroom counter, so that’s where I do all her pokes. I never, ever thought things would be smooth sailing with her - she is NOT the cooperative type - but it has really, really gotten easier. At first, I rarely got blood, poked through her ear, made her mad, made her hide, etc. Now I say her name and she comes running into the bathroom. I give her a little treat (bonito flakes for BG testing and tuna or salmon for shots), rub her ear, poke and test. After she eats, I say “hey, let’s go upstairs” and she sprints up the stairs and leaps on the counter. Sits still for her shot (as opposed to screaming, growling and trying to bite me like she used to), then gets her bites of fish. It’s ridiculous how easy it is at this point, and I never, ever thought I would say that.

I really hope that your experience is similar to mine and that things turn around for you and Big!

We’re all pulling for you both!

 

Thank you all so much. I was able to get blood yesterday BG 383 (12:41 pm)but this was after his shot that morning. He also took off again and hid for most of the day. Today was at BG 393 before food or shot. Much easier too. I put him on my bed which is a place he is comfortable with. He got his freeze dried chicken. Thankful the AlphaTrak2 takes so little blood because he didn’t give much but enough for test. Shot and food afterwards.

Big was a rescue from a home I knew. He had medical issues from the word go. He was dirty, fleas everywhere, also had a urinary track infection. I later found out he had feline leukemia. This he was able to beat. He later had a cancer growth that they were able remove. He now has diabetes. One tough cat. When I first got him he would sit in a corner and pee on himself without moving. He hid from me for a over a month in a dining room hutch when I first got him. I would sit with him constantly talking to him, petting him, giving him food and treats. He finally came out. He doesn’t trust easily, even now he will still hide if he thinks he’s in any danger. It will be a tough road with him. With patience and your wonderful support I know in the end he will be okay!

 

I know he’s only been on new insulin since Tuesday. Guess I’m expecting miracles. Still going to attempt curve today I think.

 

He sounds like such a fighter! And he's lucky to have you to help him through all of this. We're still very new to all of this and there are times our testing doesn't go well. But we're working on it and drinking in all of the knowledge and information I can get my hands on.

Yesterday we tried some new treats, just cold chunks of plain chicken breast. He loved it so much that I was able to lure him to the designated testing spot last night, rather than having to pick him up which he hates. Seeing him follow last night gave me hope that he might get used to this after all! If Big is good motivated, maybe change up the treat reward.

 

You may do better to wait on a curve not only so Big gets more acclimated to testing and poking him every couple of hours may turn around what progress you have made. If you are not easily testing him where he is not running away, it may be a bad experience for him which you don’t want.

Other reason is if he is bouncing and not yet acclimated to current dose numbers may be off .

Just my 2 cents, wiser minds may chime in on this.

You are making progress, you might need to go a little slower with him. He sounds like a very special kitty and lucky he has you.

 

I said the same thing - IMPOSSIBLE! No way! Just can't! .....almost 9 years ago....

Each test brings you closer to the world of 'I always can'. Each time you test, his body grows small 'healing' capillaries to that area. As the capillaries build, blood will come more often. Cold ears NEVER bleed regardless of how long someone's been 'poling' so if ear isn't warm, it won't happen.

It's probably going to take a while to level out those numbers - it's all new and still sort of frightening which raises glucose numbers.

Very soon you'll look back and wonder what the big deal was...and help the next person that says 'Impossible'.

 

Thank you. He is lucky he has me. He would probably be dead now because the other owner would never have done this. I’m backing off on the curve as well. He’s been under the bed for 2 hours now but not because of the testing. I was wondering how long does the new insulin take to see results? He’s already in the 300’s as opposed to being in the 400’s so that’s something. Then again perhaps his numbers were super elevated because of the vet visits because he was super stressed when he goes.

 

I’m looking forward to when I can look back on this and say that. I also look forward to a time when I can help others that feel totally lost about the whole thing.

 

Probably a good thought on the curve but do try to get a few in at different times if you can. The more information you have, the more you'll start understanding his trends and spot potential problems quicker. Just because tests aren't '2 hours apart' doesn't mean they don't give you info. I rarely do curves as I test at different times thru each day - by combining them, I get a good idea of a normal curve.

 

My 3 cats HATE going in the car & at the vets. There is a product that helps to calm my cats down. "Feliway Classic" on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Feliway-Feli...words=feliway&qid=1553447067&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I spray it on a towel,let it dry & put it into the carrier. I was pleasantly surprised when my kitty Peggy Sue calmed down & stopped yowling in the car after about 5 mins. The vet even commented "what a Nice cat she was!!! "

There's also a plug in you can get for your house "The smell tells the cat she is in a safe place. Feliway can be used to make a new place or situation "feel" more familiar and safe for cats. Feliway is now available as a diffuser that plugs into a wall outlet (just like an air freshener)."

 

I’ll give that product a try. Anything to help him calm down a little. Thank you!

 

Give him a bit of time till he gets used to the testing, and believe it or not after a while the bond between the two of you will become stronger, I don't know maybe is after a while they get that all the poking and the shoots really makes them feel better.

I've used this with some of my cats https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/products/stress-stopper.html and it has also worked well for vet visits as is their easy breahter solution that I'm a great fan since Babu has been off alergy meds since we stated using it

They also have this one which you may want to look at, it may help https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/products/scaredy-cat.html

 

Well it’s still somewhat of a nightmare. I’ve been getting blood when I see him in the morning. He now hides when I come home and doesn’t come out again. I’ve been lucky if I can even give him a shot. I’ve tested him at least once a day for the past 6 days. Not much movement on numbers. Need to do a spread sheet so all can see.

 

Are you giving treats after test and shot? That's a huge benefit - they put up with the pokie to get the treat.

 

He just looks at them with sad eyes and runs. I give him a shot at the same time I test him.so. I drop the food in front of him, test him first and then as he’s finishing I give him his shot. It’s the only way. Otherwise he’ll escape into his secret lair. Plus I have an hour drive to work. 12 hours apart is tough but doable. The real problem comes in when I come home. I just have to wait him out. Think he would be starving but his fear of the world out weighs that.

 

I'm glad you understand him...that makes it easier for both of you altho' it's still not 'easy'. Hopefully he'll soon figure out it's OK.

 

Thank you. We do indeed understand each other. He had a hard life before me. I’m dealing with a lot of behavioral issues from before I got him.

 

I want to thank everyone. It seems I'm getting there. Able to test him when I can find him. I think he thinks we are going to the vet so when I come home he hides and I can't get him for awhile I'm afraid. I don't want to set the tempo by dragging him out and doing all this so I just wait him out. Stayed with me for the first time in like a month last night. May it continue. Take a look at my post of his numbers on the Lantus board. Thank you so so so much again.

 

I'm glad to hear it's getting better! Keep up with the positive reinforcement and using whatever motivates him (treats, play, snuggles).

 

A while ago someone posted that to lure their cat out of hiding they were opening cat food cans in the kitchen - it made the familiar sound associated by the cat with food - and the cat would came out. They even planned to record the sound on mobile, loop and play until kitty makes himself available.
Maybe try this?
Any sound he can associate with feeding times?
ETA: If he does come out - please do not forget to give him little piece to bite - to award the behavior.