BG testing

[IloveLarry]

i get my kit next week, and just trying to think ahead. my boy, larry, doesnt like to be held, and doesnt like his ears touched. any suggestions? he moves a lot during the shot bc i let him eat, so that would be too unsteady for an ear prick.

 

[Rachel]

I'd get some low carb treats first. My cats love freeze dried chicken. Then pick a place you want to test. I had a towel on the floor in the kitchen. That way Larry will know what's going on. Then maybe spend a couple minutes just in that spot with him followed by a treat. Then rub his ears in that spot and rub his ears. Then give a treat. Basically get him used to bring in that spot, getting his ears rubbed, and getting a treat. He'll start to associate that with a treat and it may help. Gypsy was never an ear rub kitty but she loved treats and she'd go running to the test spot at test time!! Good luck!

 

[Deb & Wink]

Oh yes, bribes, er I mean treats, can work wonders getting a kitty to accept the testing and shots. Try it.

You want a treat that is pure protein. There are freeze dried treats available or some people cook up a bit of chicken, no spices or salt, and cut into tiny pieces and use that as a treat.

 

[Liz&Gus]

My cat, Gus, HATED having his ears tested. I did paw testing instead, which worked much better. It probably helped that I regularly trimmed his claws as well, so he was already used to me touching his feet and getting treats.

 

[IloveLarry]

thank u all so much!
liz, i was thinking of that. i watched a video on it, and larry seems to have neuropathy in his back legs so he probably woouldnt feel it.
i posted my idea on a facebook page and wow did i get hammered! haha ppl said foot testing was painful and could cause infection. i just want whats best for him

 

[Deb & Wink]

Some cats are more accepting of the paw testing then they are of the ear testing. You use whichever method works better for you.

A tiny dab of a triple antibiotic ointment with pain relief, can take some of the sting out of the poke. You want the gel or ointment, as the cream version can cause the blood drop to spread out more and sort of disappear instead of beading up like you want it to.

Paw pads are pretty thick. You want the upper paw pad, the one higher up on the leg, not the paw pads on the toes. That high paw pad doesn't touch the floor or the litter. Should be ok to test that one. Looks like most people test using the back paws.

Found this link to a video on another post, showing how to test using the paw pad.

Did you see this video on paw pad testing? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdUqsCUAyKU

 

[IloveLarry]

thats the video i posted on fb. that cat is incredible! so still! got a lot of negative reactions and of course i dont want to hurt him in any way, but i may try the foot. however, larry has neuropathy pretty bad, walks on his hocks a lot, (but doing better), so i feel its safe to say when he uses the litter box his pads would touch. would that change ur mind on using the footpad? the ear was so hard today. i would like a plan b, in case.
i know they say u can use b12 shots for neuropathy but i think i have a ways to go b4 that? baby steps. i am pretty overwhelmed as i learn more and more.
as of now, he can no longer jump any higher than about 18 inches. he jumps into a box he likes to sleep in.

 

[Deb & Wink]

My sugardude Wink had severe diabetic neuropathy when I took him in a year ago. I understand and can picture your kitty Larry walking down on his hocks. So maybe try the ear testing first? It takes time to get good at it and for more capillaries to form in the ear and for the ear to "learn to bleed".

I think paw pad testing should be your plan B.

Have you seen all these Top Ear Testing tips?

Warming the ear, with a rice sock or pill bottle with warm water in it, or by rubbing the ear first, or blowing your warm breath on the ear can all get the blood flowing a bit easier. It will come in time.

If you really, really need to get a drop of blood for testing, like if you think your cat's BG is too low, then aim for the vein. Otherwise, you want to aim for the sweet spot, between that vein and the edge of the ear. Like in this diagram.


p.s. Wink jumps normally now, every where even four feet up to the kitchen counters and mostly walks back on his tip toes. He does walk with a bit of a waddle, especially when he is racing for his dinner. That may partially be because a former owner declawed him. Or could be residual effects from the neuropathy. Just wanted to let you know the neuropathy can get lots better.

 

[Deb & Wink]

When people first start to home test, it's not always successful or easy. Those cats you see in the videos are seasoned pros and are used to the ear pokes or paw pokes.

WE usually say, 3 tries and stop. Just try to get Larry used to getting his ears touched, even when you are not poking. Have the ear touching become part of your daily routine. Touch his ears as frequently as you can remember to do. And always give a little treat and tell him "What a good boy you are!" in a cheerful upbeat tone of voice.

Is there a food he dearly loves, like a tiny bit of cooked chicken you could give him as a treat? Maybe give a treat before you touch the ears, and another one after.

Or does he love to be brushed or something else? A treat can be a non-food reward also.

 

[Venita]

i know they say u can use b12 shots for neuropathy but i think i have a ways to go b4 that?

Kind of, sort of, but not quite. B12 shots are for general health. For neuropathy, what you would be seeking is methacobaline, which is an element of B12. LifeLink makes a Methyl B12 for diabetic cats called Zobaline. It doesn't have any sugars in it. http://www.ilifelink.com/zobaline-for_diabetic_cats-3_mg_x_60_tablets.html. If is a sublingual pill that you crush into food. I have bought Methyl B12 sublingual pills (with sugar) at Vitamin Shoppe.

However, insulin regulation works as well (IMO) for neuropathy as does the Methyl B12. In fact, many will tell you that Methyl B12 only works once the cat is regulated...so my question would be...what caused the improvement, the regulation or the Methyl B12?

 

[Rachel]

Give yourself and your cat time. Ear testing takes time since the ear has to learn to bleed. It really does learn though! What helped me was examining Gypsy's ear. I tried looking at it with a flashlight so I could see the vein but she chased the light beam!! However she was sitting in the couch later and I was on the floor...looked up and a lamp was behind her. I could see the ear and vein perfectly! Seeing your cat's ear rather than a diagram can help. Don't forget a treat for you afterwards too!

 

[BJM]

Clarification: Vitamin B-12 comes in 2 chemical structures.
- Cyanocobalamin - often given by injectionfor pancreatitis
- Methylcobalamin - used for diabetic neuropathy

 

[IloveLarry]

i know it does rachel. i can see the vein well, as i put vaseline on and its very clear. his ears r black, but with light and some vaseline, easy to see the vein.
the issue is that he has been on the N over 2 wks. with no monitoring. i dont want anything to happen to him so i feel i need to get him tested and find out how its working. otherwise, there would be no rush

 

[BJM]

While you're waiting to get glucose monitoring going, please see my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for assessments you can make to monitor his health.