New member needs help with ear testing

Introduction Condo

Carol and Zoey have introduced themselves in our Introduction Forum. I told Carol I'd link her introduction post over here. She is having some trouble getting blood from Zoey's ears. I told her everyone would have some fantastic suggestions that would help in this group! I'm linking this post to the one in her introduction so she can migrate over here and get your tips!

~Suzanne

 

Hi carol

I am sorry that no one has replied to this post yet. Threads can sometimes get a little lost in the mix.

Suzanne had given you so,e great tips already. I found heating the ear with a rice sock really helps. Using a wide gauge lancet to help poke a bigger hold and get more blood useful and also to apply gentle pressure to either side of the area straight after helps the blood to pool up.

This link is great for tips

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

I feel your pain, as I am currently in the same painful process of trying to get a tiny bit of blood from my cat Dweezil's ear. I'm hoping it gets easier!!!

 

I am still very new to all of this myself but wanted to give you some words of encouragement - it does get easier!! We have been testing for almost 3 weeks now. It seems like around the 2nd week of testing things got a lot better. Blood comes easier now, we usually get it on the first attempt. Trixie (my kitty) is also sitting a lot better for her tests than she was at first. Hang in there, keep practicing!! It's easy to get discouraged. One day you'll finish up a test and think "hey, that went off without a hitch! wee!" and you'll be sooo pleased.

 

I just cannot wait for the joy that comes when we actually get blood! lol. How funny does that sound. We will sing and dance and Dweezil will be showered in low carb treats while the Accu-Chek beeps in celebration.

 

Dilating the capillaries on their ears helps make the hole process a lot easier. I have a small babay sock filled with rice and tied off. I heat it in the micro-wave and apply it to the ear for several seconds (about 3 at atime0 then lift it off. Doing this several times will increase blood flow to the ear. I prick, hold compression for a few seconds and then apply a light layer of vaseline. Her ears do not get sore. She has come to know that the procedure means that she gets to eat right after and she's a gem to test. Good luck from Jane and Stewey

 

Hi! I'm new too but for some reason its been pretty easy for me thank god!! I rub his ear between thumb and finger to get it warm and blood flowing....I don't use the lancer..just a quick prick on the very outside of ear and with some t.p. On the inside of ear for support..once I see a little blood then I massage the area around the prick til a glob comes out and bam..done. My kitty is between my legs when I do this..good luck! Go in with confidence..you can do it!

 

What's a t.p.?

 

Tissue or toilet paper to help pad and brace the ear.
... and so you don't stab yourself if you happen to poke all the way through (been there, done that!)

 

Ha! Yes toilet paper.

 

Ahh, yes! I will be trying the toilet paper next time!

I think i might be ok getting the blood now, but dweezil doesn't let me anywhere near his ear afterwards so his ear bleeds and looks not so good and i can't hold it or even clean it. He then does not let me near either of his ears for the next day or so, no matter how many treats he gets!

 

Hi Monty_dweezil.
Nice to see another Aussie here. I'm new to the board too To begin with I had terrible trouble getting a good reading. I was using the accu-check active and it needed quite a large sample but the vet recommended getting a different meter. I now use the TrueResult which need a much smaller amount and uses a capillary action. I was having problems with the blood absorbing into the fur on the inside of his ear so I use a leg razor and carefully shave a small patch inside his ear. I'm luck and my cat is very easy to handle and lets me do pretty much what I need too with out losing to much blood (mine that is).
I'm also in Qld. I read on a site about human diabetes that heat & humdity can affect testing strips. I know that if I hold either sensor end of the test strip, especially on hot, humid days I will get an error message. I don't know if anyone else has had this happen but it's just something I've noticed.
I like the idea of using the heat pack. I'm going to give that a go.
Good luck!

 

Hello!!

What do you feed your baby!? All raw? Dweezil has been having Ziwipeak which he loves but i want to find more options for him.

I too had heard of heat and humidity affecting test strips and also BG levels. I am always paranoid about touching the active part of the strips in case i taint them somehow.

 

there certainly seems to be fewer choices here in Oz.
I've been feeding him the Hill's prescription m/d wet and dry (vet recommended but not sure it is helping much). I have also been using Appalws (not vet recommended). I do give him diced skinless chicken breast. I buy whole ones and cut them my self. The supermarket chicken mince has too much fat for my liking. My vet doesn't believe in feeding pets raw (uncooked) meat so I don't tell them that bit. i don't know Ziwipeak. Did you get it from the vet of pet shop? how's your kitty doing on it?

 

Oh no, poor you & poor Dweezil Have you heard of some of this ? Neosprin antiseptic & pain killing spray that some people use on their cats ears ?

 

Well, he seems to be doing well on it! He loves it too. Looooves it! We have to order it online though from a pet shop in NSW as although there are quite a few shops that sell it, we don't drive and can't get to them easily. If you go to the ziwipeak.com website, you can read about it. It is low carb and very good.

I've been trying to find more info about the easily accessible brands here, like ultimates and nature's gift and wellness.

Oh, and we bought a can of Whiskas chicken and turkey loaf today. I don't like feeding them that as i always considered it low quality, but if it's another option of low carbs for Dweezil, well so be it.

Do you buy the chicken breast from a butcher or the supermarket?

Be a bit careful with applaws, i think they have rice in them. The applaws 100% tuna loin is good though! They looove that too.

Oh, and neosprin...do we have that in Australia? I must find out.

 

Warming the ear makes all the difference in the world. I have one that bleeds without but the other won't give a drop if it's not warmed .

 

A bit of petrolatum or antibiotic ointment with pain relief (not spray, nor cream) dabbed on a minute or two before testing, then wiped off, helps the blood bead up.

 

Did your vet recommend one of their brands? How did they take it when you went with the other brands?
Yeah, I noticed that about the applaws. I try to avoid those types. He loves the tuna and prawn one. I never really realised how much rubish and filler was in pet food until i started watching trixs weight.
Oh and i just get the chicken fron the supermarket.

 

Our vet said to only eat the Royal Canin diabetic dry and nothing else. Luckily they are ok with feeding him low carb wet food and were very impressed by the list of foods we'd got from this site. (This is of course before we found out that list was not too relevant in Australia)

 

You'd have thought vets world wide would know more about cat diets by now !

 

I know!!! I just do NOT get it!!!