Advice needed getting Glucose reading!!!!!

Hi everyone!
Buddy was diagnosed with diabetes a week ago. As per his doctor's instructions I have to do glucose test, then feed him, then give his insulin shot....repeat in 12 hours. next week he needs to have the blood curve test doneso his doctor can determine if his insulin dosage needs to be increased. I find the ear prick test challenging. I manage to get it done in the morning, but then 12 hours later when I go for the next one can't seem to get it. I have the Alpha Trak 3. I find that using the lancing device is a bit hars cause once I see the blood vessel on his ear and then try to use the device I can't see the blood vessel anymore cause the device block my view. I have been doing it freehand. Sometimes I get blood, sometimes I don't. And he flinches. I worry that I am damaging his ears because I get the prick, but not the blood. I do warm his ear first, but I think I am missing the part I need to prick! I tried with his paw pad, but got no blood there either. Any advice? I really want to be able to get his blood curve done at home rather than have him stay at the vet all day so they can do it. He would be stressed sitting in a cage all day.

 

Welcome to FDMB!

This is a link to our information on home testing. I found the lancing device difficult to use and always free hand tested. It's truly a matter of personal preference. One point, you do not want to try to poke the vein. If you do, it will end up looking like a scene from CSI or some other murder scene. In the link, the second item is a link to a picture of Laur and Danny's photo of the "sweet spot." You want to poke between the vein and the outer edge of your cat's ear. Also, it takes a few weeks for the capillary bed to build up so it's easier for the ear to bleed.

What gauge lancet are you using? Until the capillary bed builds up, you'll want to use a wider gauge lancet. The lower the number, the wider the gauge. For now, you would want to use a lancet that's between 26 - 28 gauge. Once your cat's ear gets accustomed to testing, you can use a thinner lancet. I think I was using a 30 gauge.

Another "trick" is to poke twice as close to the same spot as you can.

Keep us posted on how you're doing with testing.

 

Hi Sienna and Gabby, thank you for your reply and advice. The lancets I have is what the Alpha Trck 3 came with. 28 guage. When I was at the vet with Buddy it was because after his blood work came in, they called me and said his glucose was way too high. So I had to bring him back. The tecnician did the ear prick test....levels were high. Then the doctor came in and said he needs insulin. After that the tecnician showed me how to do the glucose test, and insulin shots. But cause he had just had the ear prick done, she just pointed to where blood vessel is and said aim for that. Use my phone flashlight if needed to see the vessels better. But I had no experience on the angle to insert the lancet and know where not to poke. It is so hard for me because if I put him up on my counter I can't see the vessels well. The only way I can see them well is if I am on the floor with him and I hold my phone flashlight on the inside of his ear....then I have to hold the phone and ear to it and try to prick with my othe hand. Any advice on paw pad pricks?

 

As someone who had a cat with black ears, a few suggestions. I found one of those small flashlights with a flat top to it. I'd stack the flashlight, then a gauze (make up remover pad works well) under the ear and it illuminated everything. I'd hold that with one hand. I'd put the tiniest smear of Vaseline on the spot I was going to poke. Then I'd poke between the vein and the edge of the ear and quickly hold the edge of the ear below the poke so a blood drop would pool on the vaseline. Without that vaseline, the blood disappeared in the black fur.

I held my kitty on my lap with her back to me. Though after time I got good at doing it wherever she was lying down too.

Do check out those videos in the link Sienne gave you. Under the last of those videos is some information on paw testing.

 

Thank you for all the advice! I am getting the hang of it. I tried with the pen this morning rather than freehand and Buddy actually did not flinch, I got the blood sample easily. Hopefully going forward it will go as well as it did this morning. I really appreciate all the help!