PMPS 105

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Deb & Wink said:
It's up to you Olivia. As long as you have plenty of test strips, have your hypo toolkit ready to go, can stay up and monitor or set an alarm to take a later test, than closer to the 1U would be ok.

"Shoot low to stay low." Which says to give insulin when you get lower than expected numbers.
A +2 would be helpful to you.
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Yes ma’am. I loaded the syringe with about .75U.
 
I am having the most trouble getting a sample from him lately! His ears are bruised and I know it hurts each time I poke—which results in my heart being crushed and tears forming in my eyes. I use a warm sock with rice and 30 gauge lancets. I typically poke in the “sweet spot” and down a bit. Can anyone give me some tips to make this easier on both of us? I am so discouraged! I want to test more, but it is not working for us lately. It is not for lack of trying, I promise.
 
Little Bit’s Mom said:
I am having the most trouble getting a sample from him lately! His ears are bruised and I know it hurts each time I poke—which results in my heart being crushed and tears forming in my eyes. I use a warm sock with rice and 30 gauge lancets. I typically poke in the “sweet spot” and down a bit. Can anyone give me some tips to make this easier on both of us? I am so discouraged! I want to test more, but it is not working for us lately. It is not for lack of trying, I promise.
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Are you using neosporin after each test? rub some on then apply a little pressure. You might even try the thin film of it so the blood pools and sips better.
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
Are you using neosporin after each test? rub some on then apply a little pressure. You might even try the thin film of it so the blood pools and sips better.
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I am using the neosporin with pain relief each time. There’s normally a bit leftover after each test for the next time, but I’ll start applying more beforehand. Another issue I’m running into is that this is causing him to over-groom, resulting in fur loss on his front legs. I was hoping that would subside, but it hasn’t. :( my poor sweet boy
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
I know but remember ferals ears are all torn up thats their fave place to bite and swipe because it doesnt hurt as bad as just about anywhere else.. You MAY try a larger lancet like 30-33 size. Might not have to poke so many times with a larger blade.
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That makes me feel a bit better. He did whimper a little this morning and it tore my heart in two. He got extra chicken treats and the heating pad pulled out for him. Not spoiled! I will run by Walgreens to get some larger lancets. Perhaps 28 gauge? Or maybe I should get 26 as well. I tried to use the smaller ones in hopes it would hurt less. Guess that has backfired.
 
Awwww whimpers = heart melt.

From what I understand the bigger the blade the better. I cant remember what gauge we used it was far too many years ago. I tried using that stupid device and threw it in the trash after the first few clicks produced nothing. It was WAY easier for me to hand hold the lancet.
Youve probably already read this but I cant figure out where else to look.
Hometesting Links and Tips
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
Hhahaha I just copied this from a new members post:p

And we use 28 gauge lancets. Originally we got “ultra thin” 30 gauge and it wasn’t yielding enough blood for the strip, switched and it made ALL the difference!

So I DID have it backwards :rolleyes::facepalm::banghead:
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Haha thank you! CVS was out of 28, so I bought 26. :/ I hope they aren’t too big. I do it by hand as well. Those devices belong in the trash.
 
Concur with what Jeanne said. The smaller the number, the larger the poking bit is on the lancet. 26 or 28 gauge is perfect.
Just like with wiring for electricians, the smaller gauge wires have the larger number.

With the colder weather, a cat's ears can be colder than normal. You may need to hold the rice sock on the ear longer. Or wrap it around the ear, so you are warming both sides of the ear. See if that helps.

You can also try a quick "double poke", with the 2 pokes right next to each other. That can help a larger blood drop form.
Cats don't have many nerve endings in the edge of their ears, the "sweet spot". It's not like our fingers, that have a ton of nerve endings and hurts when we poke our finger.
 
Deb & Wink said:
Concur with what Jeanne said. The smaller the number, the larger the poking bit is on the lancet. 26 or 28 gauge is perfect.
Just like with wiring for electricians, the smaller gauge wires have the larger number.

With the colder weather, a cat's ears can be colder than normal. You may need to hold the rice sock on the ear longer. Or wrap it around the ear, so you are warming both sides of the ear. See if that helps.

You can also try a quick "double poke", with the 2 pokes right next to each other. That can help a larger blood drop form.
Cats don't have many nerve endings in the edge of their ears, the "sweet spot". It's not like our fingers, that have a ton of nerve endings and hurts when we poke our finger.
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Thank you! His left ear is so bruised right now. I’ll have to skip it for awhile. That’s a great idea to warm up both sides of the ear! Hopefully these 26 gauge lancets will do the trick.
 
Critter Mom said:
Freeze-dried protein treats are another option. All the kittehs gotta haz their pokey treetz! :cat:


Mogs
.
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He choked on a pure bites liver treat and won’t touch the shrimp—even when I reconstitute them in water. He does like the Orijen treats, but he vomited them up one day and they were almost like plastic. I couldn’t pull them apart while trying to figure out what they were. :/ I typically give him a piece of FF chicken and he gobbles it up!
 
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