? how to soothe irritated ears?

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

We test Alice fairly often.
She only has one good ear to work with, and a very small and tricky part of the other, unless I go for a spot besides those capillaries around that one vein.
I do try to give her breaks and cut back testing to the minimums after a day heavy of it due to low sugar, etc.
We have Neosporin with pain relief.

It seem like the past few days she's just been a lot more insistent that she doesn't want it, and like the second the lancet touches her ear, she reacts, and it's not a happy reaction.

Maybe she's just feeling a whole lot better, and stronger to fight about it, but to me it seems like she has been more sensitive recently.

Beyond the Neosporin, what else do we have in the FD arsenal to help make her more comfortable? If anything?

Also, how long does it really typically take a FD cat to heal from each little prick? What about when there have been ten or twenty in a day? (Twenty is excessive in theory, I'm not sure we have actually hit that number, but it could happen. She got poked a lot Sunday due to lows.)

Thanks!

 

[FurBabiesMama]

This isn't often said here, but I think you may be testing a bit too much. I understand that there is going to be extra testing when there is immediate hypo risk, but from just glancing at the spreadsheet, it looks like you are often doing testing every hour or every couple of hours. It is basically like you are doing a curve (or even more) most days which should not be necessary. Maybe there is something I am not aware of, but on the surface, I would say you need to pull back a little on the testing. That would certainly help the issue with your baby's ear discomfort. I wipe Mia's ear with a warm wet cloth after testing and then use it to apply light pressure for a few seconds. Occasionally... rarely... I put a little regular Neosporin on the ear.

 

[Daddy Jack's Mommy (GA)]

We test Alice fairly often.
She only has one good ear to work with, and a very small and tricky part of the other, unless I go for a spot besides those capillaries around that one vein.
I do try to give her breaks and cut back testing to the minimums after a day heavy of it due to low sugar, etc.
We have Neosporin with pain relief.

It seem like the past few days she's just been a lot more insistent that she doesn't want it, and like the second the lancet touches her ear, she reacts, and it's not a happy reaction.

Maybe she's just feeling a whole lot better, and stronger to fight about it, but to me it seems like she has been more sensitive recently.

Beyond the Neosporin, what else do we have in the FD arsenal to help make her more comfortable? If anything?

Also, how long does it really typically take a FD cat to heal from each little prick? What about when there have been ten or twenty in a day? (Twenty is excessive in theory, I'm not sure we have actually hit that number, but it could happen. She got poked a lot Sunday due to lows.)

Thanks!

How are Alice's little ears doing?
(I use neosporin ointment with pain relief.)

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

This isn't often said here, but I think you may be testing a bit too much. I understand that there is going to be extra testing when there is immediate hypo risk, but from just glancing at the spreadsheet, it looks like you are often doing testing every hour or every couple of hours. It is basically like you are doing a curve (or even more) most days which should not be necessary. Maybe there is something I am not aware of, but on the surface, I would say you need to pull back a little on the testing. That would certainly help the issue with your baby's ear discomfort. I wipe Mia's ear with a warm wet cloth after testing and then use it to apply light pressure for a few seconds. Occasionally... rarely... I put a little regular Neosporin on the ear.

There are a few tests I wouldn't have done myself, but the other human threw in..... usually off-hour times, but I appreciate any of the help from human because it would be hard to do it all alone.... Her DKA and not having enough testing data prior to that has had an effect. I'm also learning more what her clinical signs are versus what her sugar actually is.... She was SO unregulated for so many months and severely emaciated. I've actually been able to back off a bit the past few days because she is actually predictable and stable and getting fatter!!!

She is resisting more and more and I'm starting to think it is largely because she is stronger. She's finally sure she doesn't like it. Until this past week she wasn't able to have bursts of energy and do things like chase the laser pointer, she would sort of move her head and toss out a paw at most.....

Thank you all for your replies.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

In addition to the ointment are you, and other human, firmly holding the poke site on her ear for like 101-5 seconds? Not only ensures the bleeding has stopped but helps promote healing . @FurBabiesMama I think Cassandra is following the Lantus TR protocol, so her testing is about where it's supposed to be .

I'm kind of questioning the dose but I know when switching insulin you're typically supposed to start at about the same dose as the old one ... and it might lead to where I'm thinking.

 

[FurBabiesMama]

@FurBabiesMama I think Cassandra is following the Lantus TR protocol, so her testing is about where it's supposed to be .

Looks like close to 120 tests in the first 15 days of May. So, a bit more than even TR requires. Rather than an average of 5 times a day, it's closer to 8.

I was just throwing that out as a possible way to cut down on the ear irritation. It seems slightly excessive to me. Just my two cents.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

to throw something else in the mix -- have you thought about adding turmeric to her diet? many with cancer issues have found that it's an anti-inflammatory as well as often something that promotes tumor shrinkage -- I'm adding a sprinkle to Catcat's food, as well as a drop of olive oil or sliver of coconut oil -- I've been testing more than he likes, he's been flinching as I prick which causes more damage to ear than I intend, his polka-dot ears are not a fashion statement ...

 

[FurBabiesMama]

I've actually been able to back off a bit the past few days because she is actually predictable and stable and getting fatter!!!

She is resisting more and more and I'm starting to think it is largely because she is stronger. She's finally sure she doesn't like it. Until this past week she wasn't able to have bursts of energy and do things like chase the laser pointer, she would sort of move her head and toss out a paw at most.....

I'm glad she is doing better! I am sure both she and you appreciate being able to 'back off a bit'.

You reminded me that when Mia first started feeling better/stronger, she gave me a little fight sometimes. I recall it being more with her shots than her tests, but I know what you mean. I was glad to see her feeling better but not glad to have her complicate the process with being more fiesty.

Are you already doing all the tips you see here like always giving her a special treat associated with her testing and consistently doing it in the same spot in the house every time and including lots of love and attention and maybe even singing? I really think those things make a difference in making testing a more pleasant experience for them. Mia goes to/jumps up in her testing spot and waits for me. She sticks her little ear toward me to let me test then gobbles up her treat (shredded chicken breast). I also think that doing it as quickly/efficiently as possible helps.. get in and out quick. (By the way, Mia is also a 'one ear' testee. She made it very clear to me early on that she does not like me messing with her left ear. So, I have complied and used only her right ear. Doing all testing in one ear adds to the irritation, but that is the arrangement we have with each other. I find that as long as I vary the exact spot where I poke and I apply light pressure after each poke, her ear does fine.)

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

In addition to the ointment are you, and other human, firmly holding the poke site on

Yes to the ear holding. I've got a routine down. Tear cotton ball in half after blood is sampled, hold over ear poke site, press until she wiggles too hard.

The dose, well, she is fattening up and I reduced it recently when she had the green streak I had to boost, on mothers day.... but I'm coming from DKA with a three day hospitalization, where she almost died in our arms, changing to 3x/day dosing on the NPH, switching insulin to Lantus (which my vet didn't even have experience with), a lot of very very very high numbers in her history, and yeah, a high dose. I can see in hindsight where I could have backed off the occasional test, but wouldn't really know it was safe to back off, if I had not been testing. She was also severely emaciated at the start of the Lantus. There's so much that was fragile at that point.
I can see a lot of improvement and I can see her recovering and eventually being on a lower dose and maybe someday even OTJ, (but that's if her tumor doesn't cause any major problems).

Again, I am not the only one CGing, so there's also that. I would not have tested her every time that she was tested, but it's not the worst thing that could happen and I'd rather have the help.

Alice is tested in the same spot in the same room, she has lots of cues to when she will be fed or get treats. She knows to expect something positive after pokies of any kind. We have things we say and do that are very routine. Petting. I try to get her purring a little first. When she feels really well she purrs from just a light touch. I put Neosporin on her ear. Sometimes we try the back up ear but it's a really difficult, small space to manage.

I agree that the faster it is done, the less unpleasant.

@CandyH and Catcat I will look into turmeric. also one of my favorite spices. Lol.

Thanks for everyone's time.

 

[Candy&Company]

What I did with Fena sometimes was to put her Vaseline or Neosporin in the fridge. It might seem crazy, but when their ears are pricked to high heaven they can get HOT, temp wise - the coolness helps alleviate that. Fena would shiver a little or sometimes full body shake right at first but she soon settled down and it helped a lot!

A lot of the soreness from ear pricks I think is the body's heat reaction - there might not be swelling, but coolness helps. There's also itching in healing - I did the cool ointments right after the pricks, as I was staunching the bleeding.

If you can, giving a good break from testing works too - a day or two, if you're able, depending.