7 ear pricks, not enough blood

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jan D & Squeaky

Jan D & Squeaky

Member Since 2020
I know I'm doing it right, I'm using the little lancing machine, and I get the tiniest drop of blood on the cotton round that is on the other side.

If we do get a little blood, it's not enough to activate the machine.

This is totally frustrating. I just gave up after poking my very patient baby 7 times.

No I don't have a microwave so I can't use a little rice bag. I rub his ears and put vaseline on them. Maybe the vaseline blocks the blood.

:eek:
 
Jan D said:
No I don't have a microwave so I can't use a little rice bag.
Click to expand...

You can also use a small pill bottle filled with warm water or take a warm washcloth (put into a baggie) to warm the ear.

Jan D said:
Maybe the vaseline blocks the blood.
Click to expand...

It should be a very thin layer...just enough to get the blood to bead up on top of it.

I know you're in the FB group....in the File's there's a document titled "How to use the Relion Prime blood glucose meter" with a video link in it. It might really help you to see how tiny the blood drop actually needs to be and how to just barely touch the strip to it.
 
Tips for Freehanding the poke:
  1. When using a lancet 'freehand', make sure the bevelled side of the lancet is facing upwards. Hold the lancet at a slight angle to the ear similar to the way you hold a pen when writing, not perpendicular (easier to see where you're aiming and also makes skin prick easier).

  2. When it comes to the actual poke, prick the sweet spot on the edge of the ear in a similar way to how you might quickly prick a balloon with the tip of a needle to make it pop.

Mogs
.
 
Thanks for the tips. I tried free hand and I heated up a special sandbag that I use for eye compresses, in the toaster oven. Both helped, we got enough blood on the second try, then the d*** machine gave us an error message. But there was still enough blood to get the reading on the second strip. However when I put the end of the strip on his ear to get the blood, he always jumps so it must hurt.

And now he is really, really mad at me. Wouldn't take treats -- well he hasn't been eating any treats for a long time, but I have had to hand feed him yesterday. And after that last ear episode, he wouldn't take food from my hand either, and he's not responsive to my petting and loving him as usual. He's in a funk.

His reading was way up again this morning, and he had litter stuck to his foot again...... Are large fluctuations like you see on our chart normal?

Thanks,
Frustrated Jan

I think I should just leave the house and let him have some space for hours this afternoon.....
 
Jan D said:
Thanks for the tips. I tried free hand and I heated up a special sandbag that I use for eye compresses, in the toaster oven. Both helped, we got enough blood on the second try, then the d*** machine gave us an error message. But there was still enough blood to get the reading on the second strip. However when I put the end of the strip on his ear to get the blood, he always jumps so it must hurt.

And now he is really, really mad at me. Wouldn't take treats -- well he hasn't been eating any treats for a long time, but I have had to hand feed him yesterday. And after that last ear episode, he wouldn't take food from my hand either, and he's not responsive to my petting and loving him as usual. He's in a funk.

His reading was way up again this morning, and he had litter stuck to his foot again...... Are large fluctuations like you see on our chart normal?

Thanks,
Frustrated Jan

I think I should just leave the house and let him have some space for hours this afternoon.....
Click to expand...

Hi Jan

I totally feel your pain - after our last BG curve session with Mac he was getting very grumpy by the end. We did manage to do a full curve, 7 tests over 12 hours with me freehanding the lancet but some took two attempts and he had had enough. He was in a total sulk\sorry for himself for the next 24 hours and then has been a bit more twitchy for the next couple of days at jab time, BUT he is getting more relaxed again and certainly never hated us and Squeaky won't hate you either, I would suggest leaving him to sulk\ relax for a couple of hours then just approach him & sit by him without stroking him just talking to him telling him what a good brave boy he is. Then try fussing him - if he is off his usual treats maybe a try handfeeding a little bit of tuna as a special treat or the tiniest bit of cheese if he likes that, He'll come around and be wanting his cuddles back before you know it.

Keep believing in yourself - you are doing a great job looking after him
Gill :bighug::bighug:
 
Gill & Mac (UK) said:
Hi Jan

I totally feel your pain - after our last BG curve session with Mac he was getting very grumpy by the end. We did manage to do a full curve, 7 tests over 12 hours with me freehanding the lancet but some took two attempts and he had had enough. He was in a total sulk\sorry for himself for the next 24 hours and then has been a bit more twitchy for the next couple of days at jab time, BUT he is getting more relaxed again and certainly never hated us and Squeaky won't hate you either, I would suggest leaving him to sulk\ relax for a couple of hours then just approach him & sit by him without stroking him just talking to him telling him what a good brave boy he is. Then try fussing him - if he is off his usual treats maybe a try handfeeding a little bit of tuna as a special treat or the tiniest bit of cheese if he likes that, He'll come around and be wanting his cuddles back before you know it.

Keep believing in yourself - you are doing a great job looking after him
Gill :bighug::bighug:
Click to expand...

Thanks, he can't eat tuna or cheese, he hasn't been eating treats lately either. He did come and purr on me today so he still loves me. But we just hate this.
 
Jan D said:
However when I put the end of the strip on his ear to get the blood, he always jumps so it must hurt.

.
Click to expand...


If it's when you're putting the strip to the blood, it may not be that it hurts, but that it tickles. Sometimes the tip of the strip just barely brushes the tufts on Sissy's ear and she'll jerk and shake her head, splattering me sometimes. I know it doesn't hurt her, she does the same thing when the cotton
pad touches her just so and tickles.
 
Some folks here frown on using paw pads, but when you are in a pinch and just need to test- you can always grab a hind leg and use a tippy toe!
I have been using his feet for about 10 months and they don't get infected, he doesn't seem to care, and I don't waste as many strips.
I do alternate with ear sticks.... just to make sure I'm still terrible at them :)
 
Jan D said:
we just hate this.
Click to expand...
Given the choice, none of us here would be pricking our kitties' ears. We do it because it helps keep our kitties safe.

Cats are masters at picking up on our moods. If you could try to pretend to be more OK with the testing (sing, baby talk, put on an 'OK, we're gonna DO this! :) ' attitude), it might help to make Squeaky feel more safe and secure at poke time. If it does, that could go a long way to making things better for both of you. Fake it till ya make it!


Mogs
.
 
Animals absolutely "feel" our attitudes. Think of riding a horse. they feel your attitude through the reigns. They KNOW when they have a confidant rider or one they can just buck off or even one they know they have to "Take care of".
Cats are probably the most intuitive of them all.
Be happy sing it !
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top