Curry ear poking update

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Tena and Curry(GA)

Tena and Curry(GA)

Member Since 2010
The insulin shot piece is getting easier for both Curry and I. She didn't yelp last nigth or this morning.

The BG draw from the ear.....is a different story. I tried yesterday at two different times. The last time Curry got angry w/me. Lots of pokes. no blood. Used the rice in the sock trick, the vaseline on the ear technique, bonito flakes (yumo) but still no blood yet. I'm not giving up on this. I've seen a gazillon videos on this which does help. I think half of the problem is my hesitation to do it......I'm not giving up on the ear piercing. I would try the paw route but she doesn't like her paws being touched. Curry is kinda of a little "pissy" girl. She really hates change, but she does adapt after a period of time. This I learned when giving her the Flovent treatments for the first time. So I'm hopeful.

I've got lots of options available so that I can see a successful attempt w/the ear poking w/Curry. My least favorite is going to the Vet to have them do it for me once. Or I might even call them and ask what they charge for a vet tech house visit. I'd rather do this it at home. I might even ask a nurse at work to come over and assist me....one who has cats of course.

So I will come home from work at noon and try again today.

Just one quick question regarding the insulin pens though. I'm just checking on prices.....which of the pen variations (5x 3ml vials) are the right ones to purchase. This is an example from Canada Pharmacy.
Lantus Opticlick
Lantus Optiset
Lantus SoloStar

I called my local pharmacy about the pen version....didn't get what version they were selling.... Their price was $212 for the pen box and $112 for the vial. And just to clarify....the PENS don't need to be refrigerated...right?
 
hi Tena

this thread might help you with info on Lantus and Lev pens

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19194&p=190406&hilit=levemir+pens#p190406

It does sound like Lev pens dont need to be refrigerated.
I think thou if your home is extremely warm, you may want to?? Someone can correct me there if thats wrong.

Beleive it or not, I was more nervous and scared about giving injections than poking the ears. I had some nervous issues with that and had DBF (dear boyfriend) do the shots for a while, I was too chicken! :lol:

Poking the ears was easy after about a week. I did find warming up the ears helps, I never used a rice sock - I melted it in the microwave ohmygod_smile
So I just warmed the ears by rubbing them. Nice little ear massage for Luna.
 
Hi and Welcome to Lantus Land--It took me 11 months to bg test my cat!!! We are here 2 1/2 yrs now & all I have to say to her is "let's get a test"--She runs to testing area & knows there is fresh chicken there for her--
The secret--1)-Always feed a treat while you are testing---While Curry is distracted, do the test(also helps if their back is to you, so they dont see it coming) Right after I test, I shoot while her back is turned--works for us.
2)Practice makes perfect, you need to do it quickly!
3) the vein you want runs around the tip of the ear, sometimes you need to apply some pressure to get the drop out, but always be gentle.
4)Make sure you have a new needle in the lancet device-they are sharp--Also you dont have to press hard or hold the ear real hard--Cats do not like that!! :shock:
5) Make Curry as comfy as possible, pet, scritch behind the ears, praise and sometime singing helps(dont laugh)
You need to make this experience positive, so it becomes easy for you to do..
I would Never do the paws,Moonie would kill me & I feel it hurts
BTW-I use neosporin with pain relief right after the test on the ear--so it hurts less..
All you need is patience & PLEASE know cats sense our anxiety, so try try try to be calm when testing & shooting-
I use the Solostar pen, as they are good for us--Go on canadadrugsonline.com--cheaper than drug store-
Good luck & Keep Asking Questions!!
 
yeah......I STRUCK GOLD!!!! or blood.

After writing this morning I decided to give it a go again and this time just free hand so I could see where I was poking her.....Yeah for me and Curry....I got the blood. I had put the vaseline on her ear and boy did it bleed. She was growling the whole time....and blood was going everywhere when she moved. I was so excited about seeing the blood and getting a reading that I forgot to put pressure on the ear.....Results were 276 which was 1 hour after giving her the Lantus. I'm still coming home at noon. to get a reading and to practice..I'm really curious about 4-6 hour window for her.
 
GOOD FOR YOU!!! drinking24

Geez, took me weeks to get Punk to let me poke her ear. Now we're old pros, but it was brutal in the beginning, I didn't even know cats could growl until I stabbed her in the ear.
Anybloodykitty, I found that if she's distracted by hunger, she really didn't care what I was doing to her ear. LOL, I didn't starve her, but it helped if she was busy with her face in the food bowl while I was poking her ear, I test and shoot at meal times.

Again, verra well done! :mrgreen:
 
GOOD JOB!!! See you can do it-Very litle pressure is needed--Try the neosporin, it takes the sting out & heals the ear too--
You are on your way!! :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup
 
Excellent job. If you put one of those small gauze pads on the other side of the ear as you poke, you will have it in place to staunch the blood after the test. Just fold it over the edge of the ear and apply pressure to both sides of the ear after you get the blood into the meter and have set the meter down. You're doing great. It gets easier and easier. I was a nervous wreck at first. And I always keep the following in mind (I forget who posted this originally): cats have evolved over centuries of cat fights, most of which involved bites and scratches to the ears; therefore the nerve endings in their ears have evolved to be not so sensitive.

Ella & Stu
 
Congrats on getting blood! :lol: I know, it sounds funny, but it's pretty exciting when you are successful in the beginning! It will get easier with practice. :smile: Another tip that might help...you can use a flashlight to shine through the ear so you can see the vein, and use it as a surface to poke against. Some people find that helps.

Regarding the pens...I know it says you don't have to refrigerate it once you open it, but you WANT to. The pen will last longer if you keep it in the fridge. If you look at the storage stickie at the top of the lantus forum, it says to refrigerate open and unopened lantus.
 
Congratulations! :) It'll get easier with time, for sure.

I was already poking Blackie 2x a day with her shots, so getting blood from an ear wasn't going to be a problem for me. I'm finding that the rice sock is making it harder on us both... For her she knows the poke is coming, and the anxiety gets higher, and for me, my anxiety is also rising as I wait for the ear to warm up. So, I'm going to try it a few times without the sock and see what her numbers are.
 
Thank you all for the wonderful encouragement. It was able to poke her w/o the sock this morning as it was too much "playing" w/her ear which she doesn't like.


So its off to Walgreens to get neosporin and little pads for the ear to stop the bleeding during the next poke. I tried kleenex, papertowel folded up to place under her ear....too clumpsy with it. My nerves mostly....

Again thanks you all and this wonderful message board.
 
Good job getting a spreadsheet running and your signature too! We love spreadsheets :mrgreen:

Fill in as much data as you can from what you have collected previous to today.
 
Tena and Curry said:
Thank you all for the wonderful encouragement. It was able to poke her w/o the sock this morning as it was too much "playing" w/her ear which she doesn't like.


So its off to Walgreens to get neosporin and little pads for the ear to stop the bleeding during the next poke. I tried kleenex, papertowel folded up to place under her ear....too clumpsy with it. My nerves mostly....

Again thanks you all and this wonderful message board.
Click to expand...


I found that when I wasn't poking, i would rub his ears to get him used to me handling them. Both of my boys like(d) it when i stuck a knuckle in there and started rubbing around, so...

the rice sock is invaluable for the counterpressure and warmth to get the blood flowing. Another way to warm up the ear is to use a lamp with the old kind of lightbulbs... the ones that give off heat).

After awhile, you don't need to really warm up the ear unless it is super cold. They "learn to bleed."

congrats!
 
I'm glad to hear things are getting easier. You will be a smooth running machine shortly then you can look back and laugh about how much stress getting started put on you and Curry. Each day gets easier!
 
Congrats on the succesful poke! I felt like a pro first time I did it, <definetly was a case of beginner's luck>. Second, third, fourth attempt after that..different story..I was really doubting if we're doing this right. So today offered fish as consolation price and will poke again tonight prior to shot..we got to get this down.. nailbite_smile Glad to hear you were succesful. :-D
 
Congrats on the successful poke and welcome to LL! I freehand too, at about a 45°angle. the lancets aren't round but flattened, You get a better poke at an angle and don't go through the ear and get yourself.

Some folks like bigger lancets to get enough blood, but a I think finer and sharper is better. I use BD Ultra-fine 30 Gauge, $6.99 / 100 at Hocks. The first kind I had made Tess really flinch, now i can do it and barely wake her up.

I use a piece of TP folded into about a 1" square, good padding under the ear, easy to put pressure on like the gauze pad and way cheaper!

One last thing, when you are holding her ear, cup the rest of your fingers around her head. It makes it much harder for them to flick the drop off once you finally get one. Good luck on continued pokes!
 
I'll have to remember and try the 45 degree angle. Will try again tonight....I chickened out completing a poke at lunch time today... Just went home and gave her a treat on the ottoman where I give the poke, insulin and flovent. She will be hungry and ready for a treat this evening..so I might be successful again...

Got the neosporin, guaze pads and cottonballs to play with. Experimenting w/what will make it easier on myself as well.

Have to remember to remain calm and relaxed before doing this......then poke.
 
I use a folded baby sock. I have to lift up Donovan's ears anyway since they're folded, and the sock not only helps to keep his ear upright, but it protects me from poking myself (not that I haven't done that many times :roll: - I use the lancet freehand), and then I just wrap it over his ear and apply pressure after I get the blood sample. It's quite a spectacular bloody little sock now. It *used* to be white....
 
I use the Lantus cartridges from Walgreens. Last time with my AAA card they were about $189 for 5. I think the price on the pens was more. They work the same way with inserting your needle in the little grey pad at the bottom. You can also call around for prices. Great job on getting blood. Believe me it was a struggle for all of us at first. Now we can do everything within seconds.
 
Congrats on the test.

As for which "pen" to use, it seems to me that most people on here use the cartridges made for the pens, but don't use the pens themselves. They just use them as 3mL vials, and continue to use syringes to pull out the insulin. The pens only offer 1U adjustments, but most people adjust their doses by 0.25U. So, which one use end up getting doesn't really matter.
 
Try getting setup a little early and just sit there petting and massaging his ears.Curry will relax and so will you.
 
PM poking didn't go as well....yet.....When I get home from work Curry is so ready for food and nothing else. I tried to poke her just before I fed her but no blood and lots of growling (on Curry's part, not me). I did notice a bit of bruising from this morning. Crud. She was a bit pissy this PM so I had to let it go. I might let her get a bit sleepy and try again in the other ear.

In watching all the videos, it looks like folks are slowly inserting the lancet into the ear rather than doing it quickly. I might be trying it too quickly and then jabbing her.
 
Tena - Don't be discouraged! I've only been doing this for nine days and it does take practice. I ended up perfecting my technique last weekend when fellow FDMBers had me doing test every 30 minutes for awhile. :cry: Lily is a prissy girl, too, but ECID (every cat is different).

In case it helps, here's what I do. No rice sock, no ear warming because I ended up with TOO much blood that way. I walk in the door, get the meter ready and put it on the couch with the strip partially inserted but not reading yet. I tear a tiny little corner off of a paper towel and place it next to the meter. I grab the lancet (BD ultrafine), and Lily, and take her to the couch. I sit indian style on the couch with her in my lap with her chest in the "V" of my left or right leg, depending on which ear I'm going for. While I'm getting her settled with all legs on the couch in the opening of my legs, I de-cap the lancet, grab the paper towel scrap, swoop it into her ear and hold it tight with my finger separated. I then poke through her vein at an angle at the place where the space between my finger is, squeezing her ear a little to help the drop emerge. If it doesn't come, I poke again, rather quickly in the same place. I then stab the lancet into the couch (so it doesn't go anywhere), grab the meter, push the strip in with my right hand and put it on the blood while still holding the ear with my left. As soon as my meter beeps, I put it down and take the little triangle and fold it over her ear where I poked, pressing firmly. I use my right hand to grab the lancet I then carry her and the lancet off the couch and into the kitchen where I head straight for the sharps container and then her treats. After a day or two of treats right after, she actually started following me to the couch!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you. It WILL get easier!

--Laura (and Lily)
 
Thanks for the step by step approach to this.

I keep reading and watching videos to see what I'm doing incorrectly. I haven't been able to get the blood again yet. I tried last night and this afternoon during lunch. Had to come Successful on Monday AM but keep trying. I do have a question. Do you aim for the vein or do you aim for the capillary bed that is between the vein and edge of the ear?
 
As a recent inductee to the feline diabetes realm, I too was very nervous the very first time I poked the ear and gave the shot. I tried not to be nervous, and I wasn't too bad, but I just told myself that this is just the way it has to be if I want my Tiger to stay healthy and alive and come hell or high water, I was going to get blood from that cat one way or another. I finally ended up getting blood after several tries and boy was that cat MAD! I got a wet surprise in my bed that night.

The meter that I bought included a lancet device that was adjustable. I tested it on myself a few times to get a "feel" for how much pressure to apply and what setting to use for the most comfort. In my personal opinion, it is soooooo much easier to use that than free handing it. I just take a cotton ball and put it on the other side of his ear and press the device down firmly, but not too hard and click the button. My meter only needs a very small drop of blood and at the level I have the lancet device set at, I get just that and it doesn't bother him in the least. Also, aim for the small area between the vein and the edge of the ear

The bottom line is get the results you need however works best for you. After a few weeks with me, he's used to it and just sits in my lap and actually purrs. Compaired to the MONTH he spent at the vets getting blood drawn from a vein in his leg, I'm sure he prefers my method far better.

The neosporin with pain relief works good, but I wasted 6 strips on 2 different occasions before I realized that the neosporin was affecting the results, giving me errors each time I tried to test. So wash it off and let the ear dry before you test the BG then reapply.

Finally, congrats on taking the steps needed to save your cat's life. Take it from me, it's difficult to adjust at first, and even in the almost 2 weeks I've been doing this, I'm still not completely there, but I never miss a shot. I have noticed that all my cats are getting more attention from me and they are loving it! Tiger especially has been more affectionate. I think he realizes that this is all to make him feel better and he shows that he loves me for it. So keep up the good work and stick to the schedule. Before long your baby will be her old self and you'll get plenty of love in return.
 
Congratulations, Tena! Wow! He's a beautiful kitty! Hang in there....it WILL get easier. I cried the whole first week when I started the insulin shots. More recently, I spent the first couple of days cursing at the lancet, and the meter, and the test strips (and anything else that was within earshot!) before I got it all figured out. We feel your pain!! My poor girl...she got stabbed a lot in the beginning because I was pretty inept. But now, I just give the test strip container a little shake and she hops up on the couch for her tests. You'll get there. I do agree with Brian...I'm all about the lancet device. It just seems quicker and more exact. I was really hesitating stabbing her ears myself, resulting in multiple unproductive stabs, but the pen does it's job in the blink of an eye. I have mine set on the lowest setting.

BUT...You have to do what feels right for YOU. With a little more practice, you'll be a pro!! As you feel more relaxed, he'll feel more relaxed. Best of luck!!

s
 
Question: Aim for the vein or the capillary bed that is located btwn the vein and the edge of the ear?
If I"m getting anything at all its only spot of blood and all the milking in the world wont' make it larger. I'm having to freehand. Curry will move her head as I get ready to poke her. The more I restrain her the more she moves. I'm having to balance a lite hold w/her and getting a good look at the ear. She's not like the laid back kitties in any of the videos. I poked her about 5 times at noon and about 3 just now this evening. At least she is staying on the ottoman and not trying to run away. However, I've bruised both of her ears now.

I might just get an appt at my Vet's to have them show me. The BG value won't be accurate due to the stress factor, but I'm needing to see what I might be doing incorrectly.
 
I'm so sorry you're having a tough time of it. I aim for the edge of the ear. If you hit a vein (which is fine), it will bleed a lot. I can always tell when that happens because it pools into a giant ball super fast...and invariably, that's the time she shakes free and covers us both! I know it seems impossible (I had those same thoughts), but once you find your rhythm, it will get much easier. When I started, I was poking her lower on her ear. I seemed to more consistently get a larger amount of blood from that location, which I've heard others report as well. Now, I can get samples from higher up fairly easily...hundreds and hundreds of pokes later. I can tell you our routine if that helps. I always test her left ear (I'm left handed...if you're right handed, the opposite of this might work better for you). At one point I was using both ears and ended up getting significantly different readings, which freaked me out a little bit, so I stick with the one ear....silly, I'm sure, but it's what works for us.

I have Harley lay next to me on the couch to my left, with her back against my leg (so basically the ear I'm testing is furthest away from me). I don't restrain her because I think that might stress her out. She gets lots of pets and kisses before we start. I make sure I have all my stuff ready to go, so I can do it super fast: Lancet device, folded paper towel, and meter (with strip loaded) all laid out in front of her (again to my left so it's easy to grab). I always make sure her ears are warm first...cold ears will NOT bleed...weird, but true. If they're a little cool, I just give her a vigorous, yet gentle (haha) ear rub first to make sure (we don't use the rice sock). I reach over her head and hold her left ear with my right hand (thumb on top of the ear and pointer and middle finger positioned on the underside). Then I use the lancet device and poke the outer edge of her ear just below my thumb. I quickly toss the lancet, give a little hold or rub for a second or 2 with both hands on each side of the site, then grab the meter to take the sample...put the meter down and grab the paper towel...all with my left hand so my right hand can continue to hold the ear. It took us a fair amount of time to choreograph that little routine...believe me, it was super awkward in the beginning!

Oh, another trick I tried in the beginning was to set her treats down on the couch right by her little mouth, so she could munch on them while I was taking care of business. That might distract Curry long enough to let you sort it out. Be patient with yourself. It's not easy at first. I cried, she cried...we really were a mess! My first posts here were all sorts of complaints about how I couldn't do this and how I was messing it up. You're not alone. The bruising will lessen with time as well. You might want to hold the towel or gauze for a few seconds longer...that might help too (I think I count to 10 or 15). Wish I was closer to lend a hand.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
Thank you all for the tips and tricking for kitty poking. While I'm not successful yet, I know that I will be soon. Curry is so driven by her keen interest in food that when I'm stabbing her she is trying to get the freeze dried nuggests out of the container. Food is the only reason she won't bolt. Last night's attempt was problably less stressful (I guessing) since her sister, Sidney, was watching the whole ordeal w/out bolting. Of course Curry was totally pissed, but just hunkered down waiting her next treat.

I still might go into the Vet and get a mini-course. Maybe this Friday. I'm was really wanting to do the glucose curve this weekend. However, I don't think that will be a realistic goal. First goal is to get the blood.. I am so curious as to what the insulin is doing in her body.

Again a big THANK YOU to you all.

Here's to a new day and another POKE.
 
Don't worry you'll get there. Here's my variation on the routine, you will find one that woks for you.

  • - Get Tess and sit on the chaise with her between my legs, facing away from me
    - Get her settled w/ some pets and massage,
    - grab a lancet and hold the cap between my teeth (I freehand too),
    - grab a pad (I have a stack of pre-folded TP squares, cheap and when you fold to 1" a good pad that isn't so big it annoys her),
    - Put the strip in the meter,
    - hold her ear between thumb on forefinger w/ the other fingers wrapped around her head cupping it,
    - twist the lancet out of the cap, prick quickly, try to avoid the vein, too much blood, but anywhere along the outer edge, I switch ears and move the spot around to allow for healing
    - stick lancet in top of box, I've stabbed myself more time looking for a lancet that rolled off the table!
    - "milk" the ear to get a bigger drop if necessary, as long as I see any blood I can work it into enough
    - grab meter and take sample,
    - set meter aside put pressure on ear for 10 to 20 seconds,
    - then give treat , I do the treats after because she moves around too much while she is chewing
    - and then finally look at meter

It has gotten so that I can do all this in less than a minute. I only put neosporin and a drop of Vitamin E Oil on once or twice a week, after the test. By the next test enough has worn off that you don't goo up the strip, but the fur is still oily enough that the blood beads up well. I never get bruising, sometimes a few bumps but that goes away w/ the vitamin E Oil. If you look at Tess's SS you will see that I test a lot!!
 
Great info. Thanks.

I decided to give Curry's ears a bit of a rest until this Friday. I made an appointment w/my Vet so that he could actually walk me through the ear poking. I might be a challenged ear poker. :) I'll then get a 6 hour reading (although it will probably be elevated due to stress) and perhaps a little more self-confidence.

Curry seems to be grooming herself more. She doesn't seem to as hungry all the time. She loves the canned food. Then my vet called and said her urinalysis didn't show any bacteria which is typical for diabetic kitties. There were ketones but we expected that. He seemed to think we may have caught the diabetes in the early stages.
 
Ear poking is getting easier. Practice, practice, practice, poke, poke, and more poke. Went to the Vet....got lots of reassurance. He uses a needle (a bit longer) rather than a lancet. Looks like he has more control with the long needle and of course the vet tech was assisting him. Curry didn't even meow. I did ask him "how much poking is too much"....His answer was, "I've never seen any damage done to the ear". He is encouraging me to test at home.

We did get a good BG reading at 6+ ~ 112 at the Vet. We are hopeful that we caught this early. I will test before each meal and do the curves 1x per week. If Curry's BG is 200 before either meal, Dr. Moss said hold off on giving insulin unless I'm at home to watch her. I asked about reducing the dosage to .5 instead of 1 unit when this begins to happen and he said OK. Would want to be at home to observe Curry.... I would email him first before beginning that change....if we are lucky enought to get to that BG trending level. I've also spoke to my neighbor about checking on Curry during the day, maybe give her a mid-morning or afternoon snack to keep the BG reading from dipping too low.

I'm definitely more relaxed with the new dx and digesting all the information after this first week. I'm going to get the BG readings 2x a day. Will try a the glucose curve on Sunday....Curry is got a tender intestine now...due to change from dry, high fiber to canned, no fiber....I should have gone slower w/the transition to canned. She only wants the dry EVO for now and that's fine. Getting some Laxatone 2x daily to help lube her GI tract. Live and learn, eh?
 
Hey Tena,

It sucks you are having trouble with the ear poking but as a newbie poker I REALLY recommend the flashlight way. I am successful about 75% of the time. I aim right for the big vein and I only warm the ears if they feel cold to my touch.... even then I only rub for a second.

Bear is old and his legs aren't in great condition but he does try to run... I straddle him and pin him to the floor, and then hold his ear and head at the same time so he definitely isn't going anywhere. I kind of put my hand across his face while my fingers hold his ear because he always lunges forward

It sounds mean but I'm not hurting him... just being firm because I'm the boss!

With the flashlight you should definitely be able to see the vein!! I find it is easier not to use the preset pen poke and just freehand it.

Try testing yourself or someone else once.... if you can do it to a friend, family member, or yourself it is much easier to do it to your kitty! It only stings for about 10 minutes!
 
He used to be a big old Bear bit now he is a skinny Bear! He actually has a another name but I can never remember what it is because he has been Bear as long as I've known him.

I'm so serious about poking yourself!! Once you realize that it only hurts for a few minutes you don't feel as bad! (I started on my diabetic G-ma.... I figured if I could test HER, the cat was a cake walk! Also, my BG was 132, lol.)
 
I am now an official member of the Ear Poking Club. :mrgreen:

I've been successful over a number of attempts with my sweet girl and Curry is tolerating the pokes...She will do anything for a treat.

Bottom line, I'm able to monitor the blood glucose.

Thanks to all the wonderful feedback and encouragement from everyone.
 
Thanks Anne.

It looks like your Muffin is slowly reducing the BG numbers over time. Nice. Espeically w/you having to go out of town and have your son help w/this difficult task.

Yeah Muffin. dancing_cat

Anne&Muffin said:
Good job Tena!
Click to expand...
 
YAY, congratulations on becoming a poking-pro! Pokepro, haha, sort of like Pokemon! (I don't have a filter between my brain and mouth.... errr, fingers....)
 
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