idea for helping with getting that blood drop

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p378/yachiwycoff/IMG_0182.jpg

hmmm, i can't seem to just get the image to appear, but i rigged up a little "light box" to illuminate punkin's ear. someone mentioned poking against a flashlight, but all of mine had a ridge around the lamp that would've made it painful. anyway, i took a small bottle (spice or baby food) and inserted a small flashlight partway in. Taped the whole thing with clear packing tape so the flashlight was immobilized. the battery opening is at the end, so when i'm ready to turn off the flashlight, i take out the end so the batteries lose contact.

i'm using all the bells and whistles people have suggested: a little rice bag to warm his ear, massaging it to get the blood flowing, then spread a thin film of vaseline to help the blood rise above the hair. i'm putting this little jar with the light shining under where i'm going to poke, then i stab the little guy. it gives me a perfect view and i think it's helped to have a hard surface under his ear. after poking i slightly pinch below the poke to make a blood dam in the vein, fold it just about where the poke is so the blood (hopefully) wells up where i can get to it.

i haven't seen a sticky on how to get the little red treasure, and for me it's been the hardest part.

 

Are you using the lancet pen or free handing it? If free-handing are you doing straight at it or at an angle? I know I could never get the pen thing to work for me to I cheat. I take the cap off and use it half free hand to aim and then use the spring-loaded action of the pen to do the poke. If you are free-handing I know lots of folks have better success using a 45 degree angle rather than straight on.

I've never had to fold Max's ear, I just sometimes have to milk it a little bit by gently pushing up from below where I poke. There is a good chance that by folding you are actually cutting off the blood flow.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang

 

i'm using the lancet pen straight down on the skins - i tried free-handing and was pretty uncomfortable with it. i'm not folding it til the drop appears, just to put it on the end. one of the major problems i'm having is punkin flinching when the testing strip touches. this is kinda putting the blood out there so the test strip can suck it up.

i don't have it down completely, so if there are any other suggestions, i'm all ears. ;-)

 

Try scooping it up on the back of your fingernail and test it from there. I had to do that a couple of times when Max wanted to wiggle away to get to his treat.

Mel, Max and the Fur Gang.

 

I never had much success with the vaseline - I resorted to shaving a little area on his ear - not to skin, just to thin the hair so that I could see when the blood shows up. Then I slide the strip down along the hair to sip up the bead of blood. The caution with the vaseline is that it can clog the test strip if it is slid rather than just touching the blood.

Try approaching with the test strip from behind or at least out of his line of vision. He shouldn't really feel the strip taking the blood.

I just peeked at your ss - it looks like you are doing a great job with the testing.

 

actually i had wondered that about the vaseline. a couple of times i thought we had enough blood but it didn't suck it up, and i wondered if the vaseline was clogging the test strip.

 

Hi Julie,

About the Vaseline... Sometimes when I hit the test strip on the side of that precious bead of blood, I get a no reading from the meter, and/or have to use another strip. (Re-poking Nikki is not an option...) But, when I hit the test strip smack dab on the top of that precious bead of blood, we're so good to get a reading.

Just to encourage you? I'm now testing two meters side by side on one bead of Vaseline produced blood. And, I'm getting two readings...

Much love and aim for the top of that Vaseline bead of blood kind of hugs,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, who danced with me from the start...

 

Re the vaseline:

It helps, but I get the picture you might be using too much.

But the tiniest amount on your finger.


Smear on the poke-target area, then rub most of it off...with a
kleenex or piece of TP.

It should just look shiny, like un-washed greasy hair.

I used to put vaseline on Smokey for his am test, then not need
to put more on for his pm test...his hair was still greasy enough.

 

I do what Karen just said. I touch my finger to the vaseline, then rub it with my thumb to get the slightest coating of vaseline on my finger, then rub my cat's ear with it. It's barely any on there, and there's definitely not enough to "scoop up" or block anything. I do this on the AM poke, but after that, I usually don't have to put any on there for the rest of the day, either.

 

I get a washcloth, put it behind Baby's ear & do a quick prick free hand.. I do not go through the ear.. while the meter is counting down.. I am applying pressure with the washcloth so her ear does not bruise or show damage.. I do it all in about 10 seconds (7 of which the meter is counting down).. we have been doing this for a little over a year & I have never had to apply ointment to her ears & they have never shown any signs of being tested. Some people warm the ear, etc. I have never done that, I found the quicker I just do it without making a production of it.. it goes easier..
We all have different things that work.. you will get it all figured out.. & be able to do it in your sleep soon :lol:

These resources helped me a lot:
Home Testing Site
Home Testing Video

 

Sometimes, if I stretch the skin away from where I've poked, it seems to slightly open the hole up to bleed more freely.

 

I test on the inside of the ear, a lot easier for me to see.

 

Julie, I don't know if this will copy here properly, but in the lengthy FDMB FAQ documents, there is a section on home testing with links to pictures and videos.

A4.1. Many people on this board recommend home-testing for blood glucose. You will find excellent details, with pictures, at Harry's page(http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgtest.html); more tips are available at Bob & Simon's page; a short video can be found at the Veterinary Information Network; and a longer video has been created by Mark & Buddy.

Here's a link to the FAQ page: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/faq.html. Look for the section above if you still want something to confirm against - some of the text is hyperlinked and it doesn't show up that way in the paragraph I copied. Also, if you post the general area you're from there may be another member in your vicinity.