Hi Win, Wishing you and Coco lots of good luck11/06 Coco AMPS 356 +7 387 PMPS 388
Well, today it's the day
My dad makes his ears bleed so easily, idk why I have such a hard time doing it. Still I found a small pill bottle and I'll use that.
Thank you! +2 poke wasn't that bad, i don't know if it was because of the pill bottle with warm water but the blood came easily so I just poked once.Hi Win, Wishing you and Coco lots of good luck
Be confident, take a deep breath and try to relax as best you can so Coco knows it’s all fine! It takes practice and his ears will learn to bleed as they get used to this process.
He pokes in the tip of the ear, I try to poke in the "sweet spot" I seen in the pictures. He does seem to put the lancet closer to the ear than I do, i get scared that when Coco moves his head i will cause a bigger wound than just a tiny poke.Hi Win! Is there a difference in your technique when you watch your dad do it? Whether it’s pressure, how much he warms the ear etc?
For us the biggest game changers were making sure the ear was warm, applying a very thin layer of Vaseline so that the blood doesn’t get absorbed by the fur especially since Moonie’s ears are black, and using a 26g gauge to start. I would also sing to Moonie as I did it and I think it would calm both of our nerves. I still do it now because I think it’s fun and she likes the bad singing
Good luck today! And even if you can’t get it today, it’s ok. Each failed poke will help Coco build up more capillaries and make it easier to bleed next time! Just make sure to apply pressure to her ear with a cotton pad each time until it stops bleeding so her little ears aren’t sore
And don’t forget to give Coco a low carb treat for every poke so he associates pokes with yummy treats. (Like freeze dried treats)
I know but we can't afford treats right now, we just bought food for our other cat. He did ask me for his kibble right now after the ear poke so I'm not sure if he associates with food? I tried boiled chicken without condiments but he doesn't really like it. Is there any other thing you suggest?
Yay! I’m really glad that +2 went well! I don’t think poking at the tip of the ear is bad at all! Largely I try to avoid the big vein but even hitting that occasionally as a beginner is ok. All it does it maybe bruise the ear a little if you keep doing it and don’t apply enough pressure to stop the bleeding. And also ok if he puts the lancet closer to the ear. I put mine right up against Moonie’s ear and I hold her ear so that she can’t move. And over time as you get more confident, it’ll be so fast that it’ll be over before she knows it.Thank you! +2 poke wasn't that bad, i don't know if it was because of the pill bottle with warm water but the blood came easily so I just poked once.
He pokes in the tip of the ear, I try to poke in the "sweet spot" I seen in the pictures. He does seem to put the lancet closer to the ear than I do, i get scared that when Coco moves his head i will cause a bigger wound than just a tiny poke.
The only downside is that sometimes the blood does runs to the tiny hair he has in the tip of the ear
. We have never hit the vein as far as i know and we do press his ear a little with the cotton so he stops bleeding or doesn't bruise that much. I suppose i just need to be more confident in putting the lancet closer to coco's ear.
or his Purina Pro DM he likes it, I give 1/4 or 2/4 depending on the day. He tends to be very picky about food, doesn't like fish (unless is tuna which i don't buy anymore), pork nor cow. He does seems to favor chicken but doesn't like boiled chicken 
. Maybe i do need to look for chicken hearts but im not sure how much they are. Also he does likes my other cat kibble which is urinary kibble too but i don't give him that only that time he ate one piece 
As Connie mentioned, a little bit of Vaseline in the area helps the blood bead up and not get absorbed into their hair.
Thank you, Mary! I'm being pretty lucky and he seems to be very patient with me today.
I will look for vaseline, it's a really small amount right?As Connie mentioned, a little bit of Vaseline in the area helps the blood bead up and not get absorbed into their hair.
As for treats, a teaspoon of his low carb (LC) wet food is fine as a treat.
It can even be a brushing or belly rubs or something Coco likes very much as a reward.
I’m glad it’s going well today! You’re both doing great
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Yes, just a smear of a tiny bit.
Hey so I did checked at +11.25 and it was 267, lower than the +6.75
Congratulations, give him extra kisses 
Thank you, Staci. You and Ivy have a calm night tooYou and Coco did great today!
Hoping you’ll see better numbers as time goes on and you slowly increase his dose to get to a good dose for him.
Have a calm night, Win
Thank you!! I will see what I can give himCongrats on getting through your first curve today!!! You and Coco both did amazing! I hope you treat yourselves to something nice tomorrow to celebrate
, does someone know if it's enough with all the test I did today?