Advice for new blood tester--cats not very happy

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ekoren

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Started a new thread now that I have started home testing. Please let me know if, in the future, I shouldn't start a new thread. My prior thread was Introduction / questions.

I'm having trouble getting the cats (and me) through the blood tests without pain and frustration.

So, I started testing Sander and Tree on Friday night by myself. The first time wasn't too hard--but they hadn't yet figured out what was going on. (380s for both cats)

On Saturday morning, I tried testing them again (by myself), and it was such a heartbreaking terrifying experience for all of us, that I had to have my husband come and hold them down. I had put food out to keep them distracted, so the numbers weren't pre-food numbers, rather they were 'during food' numbers. Tree had eaten less than Sander when I took numbers. (Tree 305, Sander 356)

Saturday night, my husband and I tried again, but we put the blood in before we put the strip in the meter, and got an error code, so didn't get numbers. The cats were seriously not happy, and their ears are bruised now.

This morning (Sunday), my husband was out, so I tried the cat-burrito, wrap them in a towel trick. The cats flailed and struggled and hated it. I got a number for Sander--400, pre-food--but he was so upset by the time I got the blood, that I can't be sure it was an accurate take. I couldn't even get enough blood out of Tree's ear before he had escaped his towel--he may be skeletal, but he is STRONG. I finally gave up and fed them.

I know I'm not the first one to deal with this issue--cats who hate getting tested. What do others recommend? How can I keep the cats calm and not freaked out while doing them? How can I keep their ears from getting bruised?

I will be contacting the vet tomorrow to get an insulin prescription. I'm incredibly nervous about trying to do a glucose curve on them. Testing them every two hours? Oh no!!!

Elisa
 
Congrats on getting success on your first try!!

Home testing is tricky.

It does help if you are calm and confident -- kitties pick up on your mood and if you are upset, they will get upset too. Test your calmer cat first. Also - to try and keep the frustration level down -- i adopted a 3 strikes and I'm out -- if I can't get blood after 3 pokes, I stop trying - reward the kitty and let him go. (yes, i gave his shot if it was shot time)

Food won't effect BG immediately when they start eating. It has to digest before it goes into the blood. So don't worry about treats during test changing the immediate result.

To reduce bruising, it helps to apply light pressure to the ear after you get the blood - this stops the bleeding (as if you put pressure on your fingertip after poking/testing). No need to squeeze hard.

It also helps to put on some antibiotic ointment with pain reliever. (my cat likes the kind with pain reliever but hates the regular kind without pain reliever)
 
Sometimes it is a matter of establishing a place and a way to do it - maybe treats while you are poking for the first few times. You have to find what works for you - for some people it is restraining until you get confident and the kitty gets used to it. If you think that is the issue, you can try this: Clothespin trick It mimics the way the mother cat carries the kittens by the nape of the neck. Usually people don't have to use it for very long - just till you and the kitties get it down.

Don't get discouraged. Probably 99% of us didn't even get it once at the beginning, like you did! We spent an entire weekend poking poor Oliver before we got a drop.
 
Thanks, all, for giving me confidence! I'll keep going, try the clothespin trick and treats. It's great to know that I'm not the only person out there that struggles.

Elisa
 
I was nervous too and Houdini picked up on it and was a real pain to test but I found that after he eats he is calmer so we just started kept doing it that way. Now he just waits for the test 'cause he knows he gets his shot right after and then cooked chicken as a treat.

It will be easier once you get the hang of it..... we've all been where you are :mrgreen:
 
Even people who become nurses or lab techs have trouble getting blood in the beginning.I used to practice on myself.It worked but my fingers were very sore for a while LOL I am lucky my cat let's me do the ear prick. What he would then do while I was trying to load the test strip in the meter was shake his head. Then most of the blood would be gone! I used to waste at least two test strips for each reading I got.It does get easier.
 
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