? Another ear prick question...

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April & Quincy

April & Quincy

Member Since 2019
What do you all think about this method? In the "flap of the ear" per say? I'm having to prick 2, 3 times to get any blood out of him and he is crying each time now. It's literally causing me daily all-day anxiety. Just found this option and wanted to know what you thought or if you've tried it.

 
Sorry to hear you are having trouble. I have had success with the paw pad and the ear, I think the vein on the outer ear is easier as it bleeds more easily, next time your cat is at the vet ask them to clip his inner ears as that definitely helps to not have to deal with hair also. I would also say, keep going, the ears do learn to bleed. Also warm up the ear and dont re prick too quickly, sometimes it takes a few seconds for the blood to come out.

I've no idea if any of the above helps but I feel for you x
 
Kate & Toby said:
Sorry to hear you are having trouble. I have had success with the paw pad and the ear, I think the vein on the outer ear is easier as it bleeds more easily, next time your cat is at the vet ask them to clip his inner ears as that definitely helps to not have to deal with hair also. I would also say, keep going, the ears do learn to bleed. Also warm up the ear and dont re prick too quickly, sometimes it takes a few seconds for the blood to come out.

I've no idea if any of the above helps but I feel for you x
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That is helpful. I tend to prick, wait only a second, and re-prick. I should probably wait to see if blood comes out. I do warm them up but haven't the last few times so perhaps that's part of the problem. It's just so frustrating and I am constantly dreading it.
 
Warming the ear does help a lot! Sophie’s ears always bleed best after she’s been running around the house like a maniac and they’re hot. And they really do bleed easier the more you poke them! I’ve seen from many places that cats don’t have many nerves on the edge of their ears, but I’m not sure if that also applies to the whole ear, so I personally would be hesitant to try.

You don’t want to hit the vein, as that tends to hurt more, but just along the outer edge. It may be helpful to try pricking different places along the edge of the ear if you haven’t tried that - the “sweet spot” you see in diagrams is a good place, but Sophie’s ears also bleed well right at the very top. And you may find that one ear bleeds better than the other too. The left is always easier to get blood from than the right one for me
 
Sarah&Soph said:
Warming the ear does help a lot! Sophie’s ears always bleed best after she’s been running around the house like a maniac and they’re hot. And they really do bleed easier the more you poke them! I’ve seen from many places that cats don’t have many nerves on the edge of their ears, but I’m not sure if that also applies to the whole ear, so I personally would be hesitant to try.

You don’t want to hit the vein, as that tends to hurt more, but just along the outer edge. It may be helpful to try pricking different places along the edge of the ear if you haven’t tried that - the “sweet spot” you see in diagrams is a good place, but Sophie’s ears also bleed well right at the very top. And you may find that one ear bleeds better than the other too. The left is always easier to get blood from than the right one for me
Click to expand...

The edge of the ear is where I'm also poking but often times he doesn't even bleed!! and I have found yes, that he bleeds more from his left ear as well. The sweet spot in diagrams seems to constantly be already poked and sore so even though I aim for that spot, it doesn't always work. I've never tried the very top...
 
right ear for Catcat -- also it helps to hold the ear a bit below where you just pricked, as the blood flow is from the tip of the ear downward .. and yes sometimes it takes a few more seconds for the blood to show up, even if ear is warm and you've caressed it first
 
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