Can't get any blood today

[Mocha's_mom]

I'm so frustrated I'm in tears right now. I've already poked Mocha 3 times and couldn't get any blood for a reading. He is a very strong 18.5 pounds & can wiggle out of my arms. When my husband is here to help me we can usually work together to get a BG reading but alone is another story. His ears are black so it's very hard to even see if/when I get blood. I ordered a magnifying glass with light from Amazon so hopefully that will help. But I'm just so frustrated. Please tell me this gets easier!

 

[Sherri & Moondance]

It definitely gets easier! The more you test, the ears grow more capillaries and start to bleed easier. I have only been at this about a month, and testing has gotten so much easier. The game changer for me was figuring out how to test without having to restrain my cat. The second I start trying to hold Moondance in place, he starts fighting me. So I give him a treat first, and while he’s eating it, I poke and test.

At first, it took a lot of treats, because I was slow, but now he bleeds easily and I can move faster. When he hears me take out the meter, he starts looking for the treat. I make sure to have everything ready, the lancet with the cap off (26 gauge works best for me), strip already partway in the meter, cotton round to put pressure and stop the bleeding. I test him up on the table where it’s easy to see and reach. I am lucky that he is pale and it is very easy to see where to poke and when the blood drop has formed.

Keep trying and you will find a process that works for you both!

 

[Mocha's_mom]

Thanks for the encouragement! Mocha's favorite treat is turkey or ham coldcuts. So yesterday I made the mistake of giving him the treat first and then when I tried to grab his ear to do the test he kept looking up and trying to smell my finger for another treat. Needless to say I couldn't get a good grip on his ear to get the test. He was too focused on getting the next treat. So now I just have the package sitting next to me so I can poke & then give it to him. Today it just wouldn't bleed. Poor baby sat there for about 5 minutes with me poking around then finally got loose. I think you're right, the restraint is definitely not the way to go about it. I think he's more scared of being held down than the actual test. He doesn't like to be picked up or held so that's 1/2 the battle. He's a lap cat--but on his terms only.

Funny, I thought the opposite about the strips & meter. I'm scared he's going to associate the sound of me clicking the strip container open & getting out the meter with something negative. I've got to make sure that turns into a positive association each time.

Gonna keep trying!

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Christina, aren’t you using 30 gauge lancets? If you could get 26 gauge, you would get a blood drop far more easily at first. I have a big boy too, I know that struggle. I have to sit on a sofa with him prone, and lean over him. I always have some measure of control that way. I have a cotton ball and lancet ready to go, push the strip all the way in the meter, make sure I have reading glasses on and stick the lancet in with the cotton ball on the inside of the ear. I don’t use a holder, just free hand the lancet. My 28 gauge lancets came yesterday and with those smaller finer lancets, I do have to “milk” the blood up the ear far more than with the 26’s. There is also the wrap him in a towel like a burrito method, so that only his head is peeking out, check You Tube. I am wishing you so much luck, and if push comes to shove, straddle him. You must control his body movements to be able to test him. Then praise him for being such a good boy and give him something yummy.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

I'm so frustrated I'm in tears right now. I've already poked Mocha 3 times and couldn't get any blood for a reading. He is a very strong 18.5 pounds & can wiggle out of my arms. When my husband is here to help me we can usually work together to get a BG reading but alone is another story. His ears are black so it's very hard to even see if/when I get blood. I ordered a magnifying glass with light from Amazon so hopefully that will help. But I'm just so frustrated. Please tell me this gets easier!

Do you have a small flashlight? At first I would shine one against the inside of his ear to get the location of the ear vein, etc, while I was behind him and fix that in my mind before the stick. After 5 days, there were more capillaries and more blood. Frustration is very common! Omg, my blood pressure was probably stroke level on several occasions, and a few tears as well. IT DOES GET EASIER. Do it at your own pace, try to be calm because he’ll pick up on your nervousness. YOU CAN DO THIS.

 

[Mocha's_mom]

I was using a 28 gauge lancet as that was the smallest I could find at Walgreens. I may try for the 26 because it's just so hard to see the blood with his black hairy ears. I definitely free hand it because I'm sure the lancing device would scare the crap out of him. It scares the crap out of me!! Freehanding isn't that hard because you can kinda feel when it pokes through. I have everything ready to go also and I'm using the cotton ball method as well. I think rubbing the ear first to warm it has helped also. I've made the mistake of pushing the test strip in too soon and it times out so now I'm waiting till I see blood then push it in all the way. I've had to "milk" his ear just about every time to get any blood out and that's when he gets antsy because it takes too long. Maybe the larger lancets would help in that case.

Not sure he'd go for the burrito method but that may be a last resort.

I was able to poke him an hour ago with treats nearby. Luckily I got blood that time & immediately gave a treat and praise. As long as everything happens quickly I think he'll be ok with it. It's just when things don't work as they should that things get hairy and we both get anxious. I think that's when I need to just stop and try again later. I'm sure my anxiety doesn't help!

 

[Mocha's_mom]

Do you have a small flashlight? At first I would shine one against the inside of his ear to get the location of the ear vein, etc, while I was behind him and fix that in my mind before the stick. After 5 days, there were more capillaries and more blood. Frustration is very common! Omg, my blood pressure was probably stroke level on several occasions, and a few tears as well. IT DOES GET EASIER. Do it at your own pace, try to be calm because he’ll pick up on your nervousness. YOU CAN DO THIS.

Yep the tears were flowing this morning that's for sure!! I was so frustrated thinking I needed to test, then feed, then wait to give his insulin. The whole process is time consuming and stressful. Probably should have waited until after I had my coffee this morning. But I gave the shot anyway (because he's probably not getting enough insulin yet) and tested 2 hours later and he's at 421.

I just need to get my confidence up.

I bought a magnifier with a light so hopefully when that comes I'll be able to see the blood when it comes out. My eyesight (over the age of 40) is getting worse so I definitely need all the help I can get. And hopefully his ears will get more capillaries soon and it'll get easier. I feel bad poking in the same spot over and over again but that seems the easiest for now.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

You are not alone in the anxiety department.

Yep the tears were flowing this morning that's for sure!! I was so frustrated thinking I needed to test, then feed, then wait to give his insulin. The whole process is time consuming and stressful. Probably should have waited until after I had my coffee this morning. But I gave the shot anyway (because he's probably not getting enough insulin yet) and tested 2 hours later and he's at 421.

I just need to get my confidence up.

I bought a magnifier with a light so hopefully when that comes I'll be able to see the blood when it comes out. My eyesight (over the age of 40) is getting worse so I definitely need all the help I can get. And hopefully his ears will get more capillaries soon and it'll get easier. I feel bad poking in the same spot over and over again but that seems the easiest for now.

It is time consuming and very stressful at first. Fritz is on Prozinc which is an easy insulin to deal with as far as timing. I don’t have that 30 minute wait. It’s when he doesn’t finish his meal that things get hairy. Was the 421 using your AlphaTrak? So he went up from 356 AMPS to 421 at +2? Probably his food kicking in. You know, they make those headbands with a light right above your eyes. Sporting goods stores have them. You might have to wear magnifying/reading glasses with that, but it’s an option if what you bought isn’t sufficient. At this point, there is literally nothing I won’t do to make this process easier and faster and less stressful on us both, and I feel you are at that point too.

 

[Ann & Sister]

Sister complains about being restrained as well so I sort of squish her between the chair arm and my body in my recliner when I test.
I make sure a couple of lights are on to each side of us and a window shade open if it is daylight. That helps so much to see that drop of blood forming.
Even though her ears are usually warm (it hits close to 100 degrees daily here now and evening cool-offs are a joke), I still rub the target ear between my fingers to get the juices flowing. It seems to help. Sometimes it does take 2-3 lancet device clicks to draw blood; other times I get a little too much.
(I tried freehand ONCE and poked through the ear flap. Went right back to the device which hits the same each time, and I use the clear top for a better aim).
Hugs,

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Sister complains about being restrained as well so I sort of squish her between the chair arm and my body in my recliner when I test.
I make sure a couple of lights are on to each side of us and a window shade open if it is daylight. That helps so much to see that drop of blood forming.
Even though her ears are usually warm (it hits close to 100 degrees daily here now and evening cool-offs are a joke), I still rub the target ear between my fingers to get the juices flowing. It seems to help. Sometimes it does take 2-3 lancet device clicks to draw blood; other times I get a little too much.
(I tried freehand ONCE and poked through the ear flap. Went right back to the device which hits the same each time, and I use the clear top for a better aim).
Hugs,

Anne, thanks to your post, I tried using the lancet device today. They are 26 gauge, but seemed to be far more gentle than sticking freehand, which surprised me. Fritz didn’t bleed as much, but a nice drop formed. It took another couple of seconds to form, but I feel there is less danger of these going through the ear, and, the entire process took less time! When you say sometimes it takes 2-3 device clicks to draw blood, are you using the same lancet ir a new one for each attempt?

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Yep the tears were flowing this morning that's for sure!! I was so frustrated thinking I needed to test, then feed, then wait to give his insulin. The whole process is time consuming and stressful. Probably should have waited until after I had my coffee this morning. But I gave the shot anyway (because he's probably not getting enough insulin yet) and tested 2 hours later and he's at 421.

I just need to get my confidence up.

I bought a magnifier with a light so hopefully when that comes I'll be able to see the blood when it comes out. My eyesight (over the age of 40) is getting worse so I definitely need all the help I can get. And hopefully his ears will get more capillaries soon and it'll get easier. I feel bad poking in the same spot over and over again but that seems the easiest for now.

Can you see the veins/capillaries on the inside of Mocha’s ear? That is where the vet techs took Fritz’s AlphaTrak sample last time, right in the center of the inside of the ear.

 

[Denver & Magic (GA)]

One trick I figured out with Magic, who also has jet black ears, is to flip the tip of his ear over a cottonball so I can poke the inside edge which is flesh colored and I can easily see. He doesn't seem to care which side I use (inside or outside). Maybe that will work for you.

 

[Ann & Sister]

One trick I figured out with Magic, who also has jet black ears, is to flip the tip of his ear over a cottonball so I can poke the inside edge which is flesh colored and I can easily see. He doesn't seem to care which side I use (inside or outside). Maybe that will work for you.

Great idea. Sometimes my lancet pokes through and more blood is on the reverse anyway and easily collected there.

 

[Ann & Sister]

Anne, thanks to your post, I tried using the lancet device today. They are 26 gauge, but seemed to be far more gentle than sticking freehand, which surprised me. Fritz didn’t bleed as much, but a nice drop formed. It took another couple of seconds to form, but I feel there is less danger of these going through the ear, and, the entire process took less time! When you say sometimes it takes 2-3 device clicks to draw blood, are you using the same lancet ir a new one for each attempt?

The lancet size available at my Walmarts are the 30. If I could find the others, I would try them.
I use the same lancet 2-3 times. If nothing after that, I insert a new one because it is probably dull then.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

The lancet size available at my Walmarts are the 30. If I could find the others, I would try them.
I use the same lancet 2-3 times. If nothing after that, I insert a new one because it is probably dull then.

This what I use, they come with the lancets built in, and I am very interested in seeing how he reacts to his next test in a couple of hours. You twist off the blue top and the needle is down inside the device. Just press against the ear and you hear a soft click. I really like these!

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Great idea. Sometimes my lancet pokes through and more blood is on the reverse anyway and easily collected there.

My last vet visit, the vet tech took blood from the inside ear. She said that’s where they always take it.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

One trick I figured out with Magic, who also has jet black ears, is to flip the tip of his ear over a cottonball so I can poke the inside edge which is flesh colored and I can easily see. He doesn't seem to care which side I use (inside or outside). Maybe that will work for you.

That’s where the vet techs take blood at our vet, inside.

 

[Mocha's_mom]

So I got a pair of glasses with a light and magnifier and boy does that make a difference! I haven't tried to do the inside of his ear yet because he's not too keen on me playing with his ear and I feel like it would be hard to get a grip on it flipping it inside out. I just put a cotton ball behind it just in case and go from the back. So far the freehanding is fairly easy, I can feel the poke as soon as it goes through. But I have had to do it a couple times to get blood. It's not really necessary for me to see the vein, I just aim for 1-2mm from the edge and always get something. It's just hard to see the blood as it comes through because his fur is black. But the glasses make a HUGE difference!

 

[Mocha's_mom]

The lancet size available at my Walmarts are the 30. If I could find the others, I would try them.
I use the same lancet 2-3 times. If nothing after that, I insert a new one because it is probably dull then.

I've been using the 28g which seems to work. Anything smaller probably wouldn't. But if I don't get anything the first time I'll use a new lancet because I want to make sure it's as sharp as possible so it doesn't hurt him. I've found that if I keep poking with the same lancet he'll flinch as if he's feeling it. With a new lancet he doesn't seem to notice.

 

[Denver & Magic (GA)]

So I got a pair of glasses with a light and magnifier and boy does that make a difference! I haven't tried to do the inside of his ear yet because he's not too keen on me playing with his ear and I feel like it would be hard to get a grip on it flipping it inside out. I just put a cotton ball behind it just in case and go from the back. So far the freehanding is fairly easy, I can feel the poke as soon as it goes through. But I have had to do it a couple times to get blood. It's not really necessary for me to see the vein, I just aim for 1-2mm from the edge and always get something. It's just hard to see the blood as it comes through because his fur is black. But the glasses make a HUGE difference!

You don't need to actually flip it inside out.
With Magic all I do is put the cotton ball on the back of his ear and flip just the very tip down over it, nick just the edge, get my blood and he's done. Hardest part is if you drop the cotton ball it'll become a toy and you'll have to get another.

 

[Mocha's_mom]

Sister complains about being restrained as well so I sort of squish her between the chair arm and my body in my recliner when I test.
I make sure a couple of lights are on to each side of us and a window shade open if it is daylight. That helps so much to see that drop of blood forming.
Even though her ears are usually warm (it hits close to 100 degrees daily here now and evening cool-offs are a joke), I still rub the target ear between my fingers to get the juices flowing. It seems to help. Sometimes it does take 2-3 lancet device clicks to draw blood; other times I get a little too much.
(I tried freehand ONCE and poked through the ear flap. Went right back to the device which hits the same each time, and I use the clear top for a better aim).
Hugs,

Unfortunately Mocha likes to just lay around out in the open so I have nothing to squish him against. And he won't let me hold him in my lap or anything like that. So I have to sorta just walk up to him and hope I get blood on the first try before he tries to flee. Usually easiest when he's sleeping and doesn't have time to figure out what's going on

 

[Mocha's_mom]

This what I use, they come with the lancets built in, and I am very interested in seeing how he reacts to his next test in a couple of hours. You twist off the blue top and the needle is down inside the device. Just press against the ear and you hear a soft click. I really like these!
View attachment 62123

Where did you get that? Does it have different setting for different depths? I'm always scared a lancing device will go too deep

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Where did you get that? Does it have different setting for different depths? I'm always scared a lancing device will go too deep

Christina, I was scared of the same thing, going too deep. Bought on Amazon, they took about a week to arrive. The depth is fixed, but they have 28 gauge and 30 gauge, which each have a depth of 1.5mm, my 26 gauge has a depth of 1.8mm. The needle is inside the holder, and retracts once you hear the soft click, so it’s never exposed and therefore, totally sterile. It’s automatic and the human reviews say it’s the most painless way to get a blood drop. About $13-$15 for a box of 100, also, McKesson is a very well known medical supply company. You might check their website, give customer service a call, and see if they are available locally.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

The lancet size available at my Walmarts are the 30. If I could find the others, I would try them.
I use the same lancet 2-3 times. If nothing after that, I insert a new one because it is probably dull then.

Are you doing the 3 sticks all at once? If not, lancets are one-use sterile items. One lancet per test, then toss. Can you order from Amazon? TruePlus lancets come in 28 gauge, 300 for about $6, which is a great buy.