Do You Alternate Ears for Testing??

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Doug N Libby

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I remember reading that we should alternate testing ears, seems like it was so one wouldn't get so sore. I have consistently found that I get VERY different readings if I check one ear, then the other. Like 'tonight' I got (282) from the left ear and (306) from the right - that's two different doses.

Do you alternate? If not, how do you keep your cat's ear from getting sore? (We have the antibiotic ointment with lidocaine or whatever - sorry, my brain is tired)

My other question would be - wonder which ear to pick...

Thanks!!!

Libby (and Hershey, too!)
 
actually those two numbers are virtually the same given the 20% variance allowed in meters.

but no matter, yes, i do the right ear in the morning and the left ear in the evenings :-)

today i curved both my Mousie and the foster diabetic I have, and i alternated right left right left all day long and both their curves were beautiful
 
Was the higher ear done after the lower # ear? I think it's just a matter of timing, heat, any number of things and has nothing to do with which ear it is. you could test the same ear 10x in a row and get a different number each time. If you can alternate, you should. It will definitely be better for the cat.

Some cats only have one ear that works well like mine! :lol: I can sometimes get blood out of the other but usually it takes several tries so it's not worth it.

Melanie & Racci
 
Yes - I alternate ears at each test - so they don't get so sore. I will say that Sitka's right ear definitely bleeds better then her left one does. Jan
 
I also alternate ears, but am lucky if I get blood from the left ear so I sometimes have to also stick the right ear which bleeds every time. Instead of giving up sticking the left ear, I keep telling myself "every poke counts - helping make more capillaries". :-D
 
Never have.......used only Baby's(GA) right ear, same with Hope and Vinnie and been sticking Mishka's right ear for over 8 1/2 years and it looks just fine. I also have never used any ointment on any of the ears and I never had a problem with the ears.
 
At first I alternated ears, but Bob was "left-eared", always bled better on that one, so I figured that rather than cause stress from multiple right ear pokes, I'd go with the left one and get lower stress-free numbers on the first poke.

I don't know if others have experienced this or not, but you know how we always say that the ears will "learn to bleed", and we've found that to be true? Well, I've noticed that the ears forget how to bleed once you aren't poking them every day. I only check Bob once a month or so, unless I happen to notice he's acting "odd" at any given time. And I don't know if I got out of practice or he did, but I never seem to be able to get blood on the first try any more.

Carl
 
I wish I could. Gus had a polyp removed from inside his left ear years ago and doesn't want anyone near that ear. On very rare occasions he will let me. Those who can test from both ears are very lucky.
 
Thanks, Everybody. Hershey has always bled better in the right ear, but we alternate because we're supposed to. Even during hypo's and curves, his ears don't seem to get sore, but we're just over 2 months in. Regularly it takes me multiple tries at the left ear and I know (evidenced 3/5) that stress during testing raises BG and takes a while to come down. So, am I not doing a disservice to him alternating ears and artificially raising his numbers, especially at shot time?

Thanks, again -
 
I tried alternating ears at first with Smokey, but then it was just easier to use his
right ear, because of the way he was positioned in my lap, etc.

For most of 3 years I just used the right ear.
 
Casey's "right-eared". I've tried poking her left ear, but I always test during "bribes" (I put a little FF in bowl with some water and test her while she's lapping up the treat). If I approach her on the left ear she usually gets wise to what I'm doing and flinches away. If I poke her right ear, she doesn't even move. Not sure why, but I usually get enough for a test on the first poke with the right ear and she doesn't mind it, so that's the one I go with...
 
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